Sports Audiobooks | Biography & Memoir

"Read by Wayne Blair, acclaimed director of Top End Wedding and The Sapphires. Discover the incredible journey of one of rugby league's most fearsome players. In the brutal world of rugby league, Mark 'Spudd' Carroll is one of the most fearsome players to ever lace on a boot. An enforcer who would do everything in his power to ensure victory for his team - including a pre-game ritual of eating 16 potatoes, hence the nickname. An Era of Toughness and Tenacity Spudd is from a rugged era where, even if concussed, players climbed to their feet and threw themselves back into the fray. In stints with the Panthers, Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles, his search-and-destroy missions each weekend made his matches compulsory viewing. His brutal encounters with Newcastle rival Paul 'Chief' Harragon are legendary and have been viewed across the globe. In Spudd, both men lift the lid on their volatile relationship, including the day they refused to room with each other when selected for the NSW State of Origin team. A Decade of Elite Performance Carroll's career at the elite level spanned over a decade, between 1987 and 1999, and included more than 200 games. He played in three grand finals, tasting premiership success with Manly in 1996 under his mentor and Rugby League Immortal Bob Fulton. He played seven State of Origin matches for NSW, winning a series in 1997. He played 12 Test matches for Australia and was part of the team that won the World Cup at London's famous Wembley Stadium in 1995. Unfiltered Honesty and Fierce Dedication Carroll's tough reputation is matched only by his honesty. Spudd calls it as he sees it and doesn't care who he upsets in the process. These qualities caught the eye of actor Russell Crowe, who hired Carroll as his trainer for more than eight years. Spudd's job was to whip the Oscar-winner into shape for upcoming movie roles. The duo was famous for their heated backyard footy battles, which once left Crowe with a serious leg injury. They remain firm friends."

Adam Hawse, Mark Carroll (Author), Mark Carroll, Monique Carroll, Wayne Blair (Narrator)

Audiobook

Across the River: Life, Death, and Football in an American City

"On the west bank of the Mississippi lies the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers. Short on hope but big on dreams, its mostly poor and marginalized residents find joy on Friday nights when the Cougars of Edna Karr High School take the field. For years, this football program has brought glory to Algiers, winning three consecutive state championships and sending dozens of young men to college on football scholarships. Although he is preparing for a fourth title, head coach Brice Brown is focused on something else: keeping his players alive. An epidemic of gun violence plagues New Orleans and its surrounding communities and has claimed many innocent lives, including Brown’s former star quarterback, Tollette “Tonka” George, shot near a local gas station. In Across the River, award-winning sports journalist Kent Babb follows the Karr football team through its 2019 season as Brown and his team—perhaps the scrappiest and most rebellious group in the program’s history—vie to again succeed on and off the field. What is sure to be a classic work of sports journalism, Across the River is a necessary investigation into the serious realities of young athletes in struggling neighborhoods: gentrification, eviction, mental health issues, the drug trade, and gun violence. It offers a rich and unflinching portrait of a coach, his players, and the West Bank, a community where it’s difficult—but not impossible—to rise above the chaos, discover purpose, and find a way out. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook."

Kent Babb (Author), Kent Babb, Ryan Vincent Anderson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Coasting: Running Around the Coast of Britain – Life, Love and (Very) Loose Plans

"Running away from your problems doesn’t solve anything – but sometimes it’s more fun than dealing with them Elise was spending a lot of time crying on buses. She had just graduated from university; had a shiny new flat, her first proper job and a budding relationship – and they were making her miserable. Sitting at work one day, she hit upon the obvious solution. Run 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain, carrying her kit on her back. Six months later Elise set off, with absolutely no ultra-running experience, unable to read a map and having never pitched a tent before. Over the 301 days that followed she developed a debilitating fear of farmyard animals, cried on a lot of beaches and saw Britain at its most wild and wonderful. With heart and humour, Elise explores the thrill of taking risks and putting your trust in total strangers, and learns some home truths along the way."

Elise Downing (Author), Elise Downing (Narrator)

Audiobook

George Best: True Genius: The games, the goals, the glory. The complete untold story.

"True Genius is the definitive family-backed account of his remarkable career published to coincide with what would have been his 75th birthday. The games, the goals, the glory. This is the untold story. Written by celebrated Manchester United author Wayne Barton, this biography goes into unparalleled depth to tell the complete story for the first time of how the lad from Cregagh, Northern Ireland, became the game's first superstar. Barton has trawled the archives and spoken to a host of former team-mates, managers, friends and close family to tell his story. While there have been many audiobooks on George Best, with a foreword by the Best family and supplemented with rare images from the Daily Mirror archives this is the ultimate portrait of a pure football genius."

Wayne Barton (Author), Drew Dillon (Narrator)

Audiobook

COVID Curveball: An Inside View of the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers World Championship Season

"A riveting inside account of the most unforgettable season in Los Angeles Dodgers history, from the COVID-delayed start through the incredible playoff run, by the broadcaster who saw it all. Amid strict new rules and Coronavirus outbreaks on other teams that wreaked havoc on the schedule, the Dodgers maintained a laser focus as a team and organization, and ultimately, won the first bubbled playoffs in the history of Major League Baseball. In COVID Curveball, author and Dodgers’ broadcaster Tim Neverett takes us through this unprecedented season, offering exclusive access and firsthand, edge-of-your-seat, play-byplay coverage of the surreal days and weeks that led up to the dramatic championship climax. It’s a highly entertaining, often humorous chronicle of the quirky nature of the season, the goings-on behind the scenes at the stadium and MLB at large, as well as the unique chemistry forged in the diverse and dynamic clubhouse. Along with insights into the potent lineup that produced jaw-dropping moments by Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Max Muncy, and Cody Bellinger, the book also celebrates the incredible achievements of Clayton Kershaw that cemented his Hall-of-Fame legacy, and the remarkable job done by Dave Roberts and the Dodgers’ executives and ownership. Highlighted by empty stands, remote broadcasts, and relentless testing, 2020 was perhaps the strangest baseball season ever … but it produced the most savored World Series celebration in the history of the game."

Tim Neverett (Author), Tim Neverett (Narrator)

Audiobook

My Olympic Journey: 50 of India's Leading Sportspersons on the Biggest Test of Their Career

"Chronicling the stories of fifty of India's leading Olympians for the first time ever in one comprehensive edition, Digvijay Singh Deo and Amit Bose bring you the Games through the eyes of some of the best sportspersons in the country. These first-person accounts of Olympic medallists from 1948 till 2012, such as Balbir Singh, Leander Paes, Karnam Malleswari, Abhinav Bindra and Sushil Kumar and pioneers like Milkha Singh, P.T. Usha, Anjali Bhagwat, reveal their hopes, superstitions, grit and challenges. Their experiences and interactions are sure to make you laugh, shed a tear and, most importantly, open your eyes to the struggles they had to endure to reach the Olympics. These personal stories give a close-up view of what it means to represent India at the most prestigious sporting event in the world, making you a part of the soaring glory and shattering disappointment that only an Olympic Games can deliver. With photos from the personal archives of each athlete, this is a front-row seat to the privileged Olympic experience."

Amit Bose, Digvijay Singh Deo (Author), Meher Acharia Dar, Tavish Bhattacharyya (Narrator)

Audiobook

Over It: How to Face Life’s Hurdles with Grit, Hustle, and Grace

"Read by the author. Get a high-octane dose of encouragement from Lolo Jones, three-time Olympian and world champion hurdler and bobsledder. Growing up in a broken home, Lolo learned to shoplift at a young age just to eat at night and sometimes slept on the basement floor of the Salvation Army. While her father was in prison, her mother worked multiple jobs, and Lolo realized she needed to be self-motivated, singularly focused, and unwilling to quit if she wanted to succeed. Despite her difficult upbring Lolo's determination paid off and she went on to become a three-time Olympian and world champion hurdler and bobsledder. But Lolo is perhaps better known today not for all the races she's won but for the millisecond mistake that cost her an Olympic gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With stunning authenticity about her own struggles, longings, and losses, she shows you how to face your challenges head-on and keep working to overcome them. Over It will challenge you to: - Handle failure while pursuing your dreams - Recognize the difference between achieving a goal and experiencing success - Turn your most painful moments into the most successful - Use thankfulness and faith to develop healthy hindsight - Give and receive forgiveness as the path back to life Reflecting on her own challenging spiritual journey, Lolo invites you to rest in God who can make all the difference in overcoming obstacles with both strength and joy. Over It will inspire you to deal with the challenges you face in your life and overcome them with determination and tenacity."

Lolo Jones (Author), Lolo Jones (Narrator)

Audiobook

Till the End

"A raw, compelling memoir of baseball, family, fame, addiction, and recovery, by one of the most beloved baseball players of his generation How does it feel to be born with enormous gifts, in a life shadowed by tragedy? What does it mean when the gift that opens the world for us is not enough to stop us from losing the things we love? And what new gifts do we find in that loss? Baseball had been CC Sabathia's life since he was a kid in gritty, baseball-obsessed Vallejo, California. He was a star by the time he was a preteen and a professional athlete when he was still a teenager. Everything he knew about how to be a person-an adult, a husband and father, a leader-he learned in rhythm with the baseball season, the every-fifth-day high-intensity spotlight of a starting pitcher, all while dealing with one of the sport's most turbulent eras: racism in a sport with diminishing black presence; the era of performance-enhancing drugs; and the increasing tension between high-value contracts and sports owners who moved players around like game pieces. But his biggest struggle was with his own body and mind: Buoyed his whole life by talent and a fiery competitive spirit, CC found himself dealing with the steady and eventually alarming breakdown of his own body and his growing addiction in a world that encouraged and enabled it. Till the End is the thrilling memoir of one of the most beloved players in the game, a veteran star of the sport's marquee team during its latest championship era. It's also a book about baseball-about the ins and outs of its most important and technical position and its evolution in this volatile era. But woven within it is the moving, universal story of resilience and mortality and discovering what matters. Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com"

Cc Sabathia, Chris Smith (Author), Cc Sabathia, Guy Lockard (Narrator)

Audiobook

Finish Strong: The Dan Russell Story

"'Gripping... Powerful... Moving... Finish Strong is the kind of book you can be drawn into at any chapter and want to find out what happens next.' – John Peterson, Gold Medalist 1976 Olympic Games 'Dan Russell is one of the greatest wrestlers I've ever known... and one of the greatest men I've ever known.' – Chael Sonnen, Three-time UFC Title Challenger For twenty-one years Dan Russell trained for four to six hours a day, six days a week in pursuit of winning an Olympic Gold medal in the sport of wrestling. He pushed his body to the limits, enduring brutal weight loss regimens, shattering injuries, personal tragedy and constant inner battles with the voices from his past telling him that he wasn't good enough. With his brother and fellow champion wrestler, Joe, by his side, Dan reached the heights of what could be accomplished in the sport. Dan's Olympic dream was within his grasp. But God had other plans for his life. Finish Strong is the incredible story of a driven man's pursuit of success and finding purpose when all seems lost. It is the story of a wrestler, struggling not just against his opponents in the ring, but to discover what makes a true champion. The lessons from Dan's life teach us that to finish strong we must make the choice to fight for our dreams and embrace the struggle and when we do, the winning will take care of itself."

Craig Borlase, Dan Russell (Author), Dan Russell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Seeing Serena

"A riveting, revealing portrait of tennis champion and global icon Serena Williams that combines biography, cultural criticism, and sports writing to offer "a deep, satisfying meditation" (The New York Times) on the most consequential athlete of her time. There has never been an athlete like Serena Williams. She has dominated women's tennis for two decades, changed the way the game is played, and—by inspiring Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and others—changed, too, the racial makeup of the pro game. But Williams's influence has not been confined to the tennis court. As a powerful Black woman who struggled to achieve and sustain success, she has emerged as a cultural icon, figuring in conversations about body image, working mothers, and more. Seeing Serena chronicles Williams's return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter—from her controversial 2018 US Open final against Naomi Osaka through a 2020 season that unfolded against a backdrop of a pandemic and protests over the killing of Black men and women by the police. Gerald Marzorati, who writes about tennis for The New Yorker, travels to Wimbledon and to Compton, California, where Serena and her sister Venus learned to play. He talks with former women's tennis greats, sports and cultural commentators—and Serena herself. He observes Williams from courtside, on the red carpet, in fashion magazines, on social media. He sees her and writes about her prismatically—reflecting on her many, many facets. The result is an "enlightening…keen analysis" (The Washington Post) and energetic narrative that illuminates Serena's singular status as the greatest women's tennis player of all time and a Black woman with a global presence like no other."

Gerald Marzorati (Author), Kaleo Griffith (Narrator)

Audiobook

Steve Kerr: A Life

"The definitive biography of Steve Kerr, the championship-winning basketball player and head coach of the record-breaking Golden State Warriors Few individuals have had a career as storied, and improbable, as Steve Kerr. He has won eight NBA titles—five as a player and three as a coach—for three different franchises. He played alongside the best players of a generation, from Michael Jordan to Shaquille O’Neal to Tim Duncan, and learned the craft of basketball under four legendary coaches. He was an integral part of two famed NBA dynasties. Perhaps no other figure in basketball history has had a hand in such greatness. In Steve Kerr, award-winning sports journalist Scott Howard-Cooper uncovers the fascinating life story of a basketball legend. Kerr did not follow a traditional path to the NBA. He was born in Beirut to two academics and split his childhood between California and the Middle East. Though he was an impressive shooter, the undersized Kerr garnered almost no attention from major college programs, managing only at the last moment to snag the final scholarship at the University of Arizona. Then, during his freshman season at Arizona, tragedy struck. His father, Malcolm, then the president of the American University of Beirut, was assassinated in Lebanon by terrorists. Forged by the crucible of this family saga, Steve went on to chart an unparalleled life in basketball, on the court and on the sidelines. The only coach other than Red Auerbach to lead a team to the Finals five consecutive seasons, Kerr seems destined for the Basketball Hall of Fame. Steve Kerr is his incredible story, offering insights into the man and what it takes to be—and make—a champion. Drawing upon Scott Howard-Cooper’s years covering Warriors, deep archival research, and original interviews with more than one hundred of the central characters in Kerr’s life, this is basketball biography at its finest."

Scott Howard-Cooper (Author), Roger Wayne (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lights Out, Full Throttle: The Good the Bad and the Bernie of Formula One

"Drawing on a lifetime of sniffing petrol fumes, Lights Out, Full Throttle stands large over the landscape of Formula One and takes the temperature of the good, the bad and the ugly of the petrolhead’s paradise. Johnny Herbert and Damon Hill between them competed in 261 Grands Prix, amassing twenty-five wins, forty-nine podium finishes, one World Championship, 458 championship points, a Le Mans win, two smashed ankles, a broken arm, wrist and leg, sixty broken ribs, and two bruised egos. Having retired from racing, Johnny and Damon have become the one constant for passionate English F1 fans in a rapidly changing landscape. They have earned cult status as commentators and pundits, with viewers loving their unerring dedication to the sport’s greatness. It offers F1 fans a tour of the sport – from Monaco to Silverstone; Johnny’s crowd surfing and Bernie’s burger bar; the genius of Adrian Newey and Colin Chapman; why Lewis Hamilton will never, ever move to Ferrari (probably); getting the yips; money; safety; what it’s like to have an out-of-body experience while driving a car in the pouring rain at 200 mph; and the future of the sport in the wake of Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter. Whether you’re a fan of Nigel, Niki, Kimi or Britney, pine for the glory days of Brabham, Williams, Jim Clark and Fangio, or believe that Lewis is one year away from retiring as the GOAT, Lights Out, Full Throttle is the oily rag for the petrolhead fan to inhale while waiting for the racers to line up on the grid."

Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert (Author), Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sports Audiobooks in Biography & Memoir