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A History of the Olympics
- Narrated by: Barry Davies
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
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A History of the Olympics
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In chronological, orderly fashion, the evolution of the Summer Games is laid out, from its modern inception in Athens in 1896 through its return to the Greek capital in 2004. Listeners will hear of classic competitions in various sports, pervasive themes, many brief anecdotes, and occasional opinions. Barry Davis announces the history in an enjoyable, breezy manner. Breaks between years are given a few seconds of appropriate music representing that year's Olympics. The only missing component - the Winter Games - could be a separate volume; indeed, it would have been too much here. An especially articulate interview with middle-distance runner Sebastian Coe ends things well.
Publisher's summary
This unique audiobook history of the Olympics, first issued in 2008, has been updated to include the Beijing Olympics and released to coincide with the London event. Written by the prize-winning sports journalist John Goodbody, and with a fascinating personal documentary featuring one of Britain's leading Olympians, Sebastian Coe, who is now heading the 2012 Games, this is an ideal opener!
Goodbody, for many years chief sports news writer for the Times, has covered every Olympics since 1964. In this entertaining and informative account, he tells the main stories of each of the modern Olympics. Here are some of the heroes and heroines who have made sporting history, as well as the main disasters and scandals that attend the world’s greatest sporting event.
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 481
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 279
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 277
In the tradition of Seabiscuit, critically acclaimed author Neal Bascomb reaches back to the golden age of sport and crafts an utterly captivating narrative of what may be the most remarkable athletic feat of all time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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nailbiting, on the edge of your seat
- By Todd on 08-10-04
By: Neal Bascomb
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The Dirtiest Race in History
- Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis and the 1988 Olympic 100M Final
- By: Richard Moore
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
The 1988 Seoul Olympics played host to what has been described by some as the dirtiest race of all time, by others as the greatest. The final of the men's 100 metres at those Olympics is certainly the most infamous in the history of athletics, and more indelibly etched into the consciousness of the sport, the Olympics, and a global audience of millions, than any other athletics event before or since.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great story
- By sosnows8 on 07-08-20
By: Richard Moore
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The Comeback
- Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France
- By: Daniel de Vise
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 341
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 302
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Story5 out of 5 stars 304
Greg LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback. In 1989, he once again won the Tour - by a narrow margin of eight seconds. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. The Comeback chronicles the life of this great American athlete, from his roots in Nevada and California to the heights of global fame.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
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Barca
- The Making of the Greatest Team in the World
- By: Graham Hunter
- Narrated by: Graham Hunter
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 103
Barcelona is the greatest football team in the world, the greatest for a generation, and possibly the greatest of all time. This is the untold inside story of how the best and most loved football team in the world came to redefine how the game is played. We start with the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley, the game that ended the debate about whether Barcelona was the greatest team in the world and began a new one: are they the best ever?
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5 out of 5 stars
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In-depth analysis of the greatest team ever
- By Michalis Petrou on 01-09-18
By: Graham Hunter
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Spain
- The Inside Story of La Roja's Historic Treble
- By: Graham Hunter
- Narrated by: Graham Hunter
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 21
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Story5 out of 5 stars 21
This is the story of the greatest achievement in the history of international football. After decades of failure, Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and then the World Cup in 2010. At Euro 2012 they became the first team to win three consecutive tournament titles. Graham Hunter was inside the dressing room as the players celebrated after the finals of the World Cup and Euro 2012.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Insider look masterclass
- By Peter on 08-07-15
By: Graham Hunter
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The End of the Perfect 10
- The Making and Breaking of Gymnastics' Top Score from Nadia to Now
- By: Dvora Meyers
- Narrated by: Elise Arsenault
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 40
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
It was the team finals of women's gymnastics in the 2012 Olympics, and McKayla Maroney was on top of her game. The 16-year-old US gymnast was performing arguably the best vault of all time, launching herself unimaginably high into the air and sticking a flawless landing. When her score came, many were baffled: 16.233. Three-tenths of a point stood between her and a perfect score. If that vault wasn't perfection, what was?
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2 out of 5 stars
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Book's great--reader's performance is TERRIBLE
- By AB on 12-14-18
By: Dvora Meyers
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14 Minutes
- A Running Legend's Life and Death and Life
- By: Alberto Salazar, John Brant
- Narrated by: Danny Pardo
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 76
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 61
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Story4 out of 5 stars 60
14 Minutes is the memoir of Alberto Salazar, the most accomplished, charismatic, and controversial marathoner in history. The narrative follows Alberto's boyhood in New England, his rise to stardom at the University of Oregon, his dramatic victories in the New York City and Boston Marathons, his long malaise due to injuries, which resulted in a near-suicidal depression; his resurgence due to intense spiritual experiences and discipline; his close alliance with Phil Knight and the Nike corporation; and describes his numerous near-death experiences.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Terrible and Distracting Narration
- By Mark on 06-04-14
By: Alberto Salazar, and others
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Run to Overcome
- The Inspiring Story of an American Champion's Long-Distance Quest to Achieve a Big Dream
- By: Meb Keflezighi, Dick Patrick
- Narrated by: Jon Gauger
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 207
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 180
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 182
Meb Keflezighi is all about hope and second chances—starting with his very survival. The child of a small African country ravaged by a brutal war, Meb arrived in America with nothing but the clothes on his back, speaking no English and never having raced a mile. So how did he end up an A student, one of the most celebrated and respected athletes of his generation, and winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon?
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4 out of 5 stars
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You gotta love Meb! - but...
- By CynK on 01-29-13
By: Meb Keflezighi, and others
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The Boxing Kings
- When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring
- By: Paul Beston
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 146
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 123
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Story5 out of 5 stars 123
The Boxing Kings tells the story of the heavyweight title in the days when it was a defining institution in the United States. Author Paul Beston places special emphasis on those champions who held a central place in American culture beyond just in the boxing ring, including John L. Sullivan, who made the title a commercial property; Jack Johnson, who in 1908 became the first black man to claim the title; Joe Louis, whose contributions to racial tolerance and social progress transcended even his greatness in the ring; and many more.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An outstanding book on heavyweight champions
- By LSmith on 02-01-18
By: Paul Beston
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Inverting the Pyramid
- By: Jonathan Wilson
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 230
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 188
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
Inverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe. Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work, we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the British colonial order to add their own finesse to the game; how the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure; how the game once featured five forwards up front, while now a lone striker is not uncommon.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Mind Changing
- By Michael Williams on 01-04-19
By: Jonathan Wilson
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26 Marathons
- What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career
- By: Meb Keflezighi, Scott Douglas
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 963
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 831
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Story5 out of 5 stars 828
When Meb Keflezighi - the first person in history to win both the Boston and New York City marathons as well as an Olympic marathon medal - ran his final marathon in New York in 2017, it marked the end of an extraordinary distance-running career. Meb's last marathon was also his 26th, and each of those marathons has come with its own unique challenges, rewards, and outcomes. In 26 Marathons, Meb takes listeners on those legendary races, along every hill, bend, and unexpected turn of events that made each marathon an exceptional learning experience, and a fascinating story.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Another Great Book by Meb!
- By jda9ball on 04-16-19
By: Meb Keflezighi, and others
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Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
- The Untold Story of 18 African Americans Who Defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics
- By: Deborah Riley Draper, Blair Underwood, Travis Thrasher
- Narrated by: Leon Nixon
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 20
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story5 out of 5 stars 18
From burning crosses set on the Robinsons’s lawn to a Pennsylvania small town on fire with praise and parades when the athletes return from Berlin, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is full of emotion, grit, political upheaval, and the American dream. Capturing a powerful and untold chapter of history, the narrative is also a celebration of the courage, commitment, and accomplishments of these talented athletes and their impact on race, sports and inclusion around the world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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History I never knew...
- By Malcolm Drewery on 10-01-21
By: Deborah Riley Draper, and others
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I'm Here to Win
- A World Champion's Advice for Peak Performance
- By: Chris McCormack, Tim Vandehey
- Narrated by: Howard Brunner, Chris McCormack
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 343
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 287
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 291
As the winner of the 2010 Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii, Chris "Macca" McCormack may be the world's greatest athlete. In I'm Here to Win, McCormack shares his story along with training tips and practical advice to help listeners develop their own routines, diet, exercise programs and race strategies. Chris McCormack has dedicated his life to training for - and winning - the Ironman World Championships, one of the most grueling tests of mental and physical endurance in the world.
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1 out of 5 stars
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It takes an Ironman to finish
- By Robert on 03-21-12
By: Chris McCormack, and others
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Iron War
- Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Seth Michael Donsky
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 508
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 451
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 453
The 1989 Ironman World Championship was the greatest race ever in endurance sports. In a spectacular duel that became known as the Iron War, the world's two strongest athletes raced side by side at world-record pace for a grueling 139 miles. Driven by one of the fiercest rivalries in triathlon, Dave Scott and Mark Allen raced shoulder to shoulder through Ironman’s 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile marathon. After 8 punishing hours, both men would demolish the previous record - and cross the finish line a mere 58 seconds apart.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Fine Story....But the Narration!!!!
- By Gabriel on 01-15-14
By: Matt Fitzgerald
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The Missing Ring
- How Bear Bryant and the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide Were Denied College Football's Most Elusive Prize
- By: Keith Dunnavant
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
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Story5 out of 5 stars 31
Very few institutions in American sports can match the enduring excellence of the University of Alabama football program. Across a wide swath of the last century, the tradition-rich Crimson Tide has claimed twelve national championships, captured 25 conference titles, finished 34 times among the country's top ten, and played in 53 bowl games.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By John Rogers on 03-29-18
By: Keith Dunnavant
What listeners say about A History of the Olympics
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- steve
- 02-28-10
Better than expected...
So, I kept putting this off and off but when I finally took the time to listen it, I realized the book is actually quite intriguing. Filled with interesting facts and historical references dating back to the very first Olympics, this work is well-done and the narrator does a great job as well. My only regret, the book only focuses on the summer Olympics, which is certainly disappointing to a winters-sports' guy like myself.
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