The Ballad of Les Darcy Audiobook By Peter FitzSimons cover art

The Ballad of Les Darcy

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The Ballad of Les Darcy

By: Peter FitzSimons
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
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'Put Les Darcy in a uniform and the men of Australia will march to hell behind him.' That was the message Australia's great 'Blacksmith Boxer' was getting, as debate about conscription raged in the middle of World War I.

The problem was that Les Darcy didn't want to march at the fore of such a procession, nor to such a destination. He wanted to continue what he had been doing to extraordinary acclaim before the war began - taking on the best boxers the world could throw at him, and lifting his entire family out of poverty as he did so.

Torn between the duty he felt he owed his family, and the duty many felt he owed his country, Les made his choice and faced the consequences. And so unfolds a ballad of love, war, betrayal, mystery, patriotism and heroism; a ballad of a champion whose story still has the power to move the stoniest heart.

©2007 Peter FitzSimons (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing Biographies & Memoirs Combat Sports & Self-Defense Sports Combat Sports Heartfelt Martial Arts War

Editorial reviews

A biography of one of Australia's most intriguing characters, written by one of the nation's most popular authors. Les Darcy was a legendary Australian boxer called to fight during WWI, though he felt duty-bound to stay home and continue working to help his family out of poverty. Caught up in the politics around conscription, he ended up leaving the country, but became an Australian folk hero. Author Peter Fitzsimons provides a poignant take on Darcy's short but fascinating life, while performer Humphrey Bower narrates in a steady, welcoming style.
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A great story. Well worth the credit despite being less than 6 hours long. I normally listen to books to fill in time, but once I started to listen to this, I made the time to hear it through. Only second to The True Story Of The Ned Kelly Gang (available from audible in some regions). Who would have thought an old lock would be capable of this!

A great story

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