Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

Hands of Stone: The Life and Ledgend of Roberto Duran

The subject of the major motion picture Hands of Stone starring Ana de Armas, Ellen Barkin, Robert De Niro, and Edgar Ramirez. Roberto Duran is a sporting legend. Often called the greatest boxer of all time, he held world titles at four different weights and is the only boxer in history to have fought in five different decades. His bouts with fellow greats like Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler have gone down in fistic folklore. He finally retired in January of 2002 at age fifty-two, with a professional record of 104 wins (69 by KO) in 120 fights. They called him Manos de Piedra: "Hands of Stone." Now journalist Christian Giudice has written the first-and definitive-story of Duran's incredible life, both in and out of the ring. He has interviewed the fighter, his family, closest friends, and scores of his opponents to separate truth from myth. Duran was born in utter poverty in Panama and grew up in the streets, fighting to survive. His talent with his fists soon emerged, and he had his first professional fight in 1967. Duran grew into a fighter's fighter. His hunger to destroy opponents and his willingness to take on anyone, anywhere, made him a huge favorite while his flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring made headline news. Duran was one of the first Latino fighters to become a mainstream sports star in the United States, and his natural talent, unprecedented achievements, and longevity made an indelible mark on the world of sport. "A riveting read from the first page to the last."-The Ring "An extraordinary tale."-The Times (London) "A compelling book; at times it's a profoundly detailed reconstruction of Duran's world."-Gerald Early, Belles-Lettres

Christian Giudice (Author), Ozzie Rodriguez (Narrator)

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Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud

Is it still possible to fake your own death in the twenty-first century? With six figures of student loan debt, Elizabeth Greenwood was tempted to find out. So she sets off on a foray into the world of death fraud, where for $30,000 a consultant can make you disappear—but your suspicious insurance company might hire a private detective to dig up your coffin…only to find it filled with rocks. Greenwood tracks down a man who staged a kayaking accident and then returned to live in his own house while all his neighbors thought he was dead. She takes a call from Michael Jackson (yes, he’s alive—or so some would have her believe), talks to people contemplating pseudocide, and gathers intel on black market morgues in the Philippines, where she may or may not succeed in obtaining some fraudulent goodies of her own. Along the way, she learns that love is a much less common motive than money, and that making your death look like a drowning virtually guarantees you’ll be caught. (Disappearing while hiking, however, is a great way to go.) Playing Dead is an utterly fascinating and charmingly bizarre investigation into our all-too-human desire to escape from the lives we lead, and the men and women desperate enough to lose their identities—and their families—to begin again..

Elizabeth Greenwood (Author), Arden Hammersmith, Elizabeth Greenwood (Narrator)

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Buddy Baker: Big Band Arranger, Disney Legend, and Musical Genius

Buddy Baker was Disney music. Mostly known as the composer of the Haunted Mansion song and score, he was also a composer of films (Wicked Woman, The Fox and the Hound), television shows (the original Mickey Mouse Club), and numerous theme park attractions (World of Motion, Wonders of China, Kitchen Kaberet, Impressions de France) around the globe. From a humble beginning in Springfield, Missouri, Buddy Baker began composing and arranging music at an early age. He worked for many of the top big bands, then began arranging music on hit radio shows (the Bob Hope show, the Eddie Cantor show, the Jack Benny program) before getting into film. His thirty-plus-year career with the Walt Disney Company put him at the top of his field, working alongside many of the greats, including Walt Disney himself. This is Buddy's story-not a book on Disney music, but a tribute to one of the greatest musical minds the world has ever known. His music will play on forever. "Author Ben Ohmart is also the proprietor of BearManor Media, which has launched an impressive series of books for film, radio, and TV aficionados. He deserves our thanks and support."-Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian

Ben Ohmart (Author), David Zarbock (Narrator)

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How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon

The first serious book to examine what happens when the ancient boundary between war and peace is erased. Once, war was a temporary state of affairs—a violent but brief interlude between times of peace. Today, America’s wars are everywhere and forever: our enemies change constantly and rarely wear uniforms, and virtually anything can become a weapon. As war expands, so does the role of the US military. Today, military personnel don’t just “kill people and break stuff.” Instead, they analyze computer code, train Afghan judges, build Ebola isolation wards, eavesdrop on electronic communications, develop soap operas, and patrol for pirates. You name it, the military does it. Rosa Brooks traces this seismic shift in how America wages war from an unconventional perspective—that of a former top Pentagon official who is the daughter of two anti-war protesters and a human rights activist married to an Army Green Beret. Her experiences lead her to an urgent warning: When the boundaries around war disappear, we risk destroying America’s founding values and the laws and institutions we’ve built—and undermining the international rules and organizations that keep our world from sliding towards chaos. If Russia and China have recently grown bolder in their foreign adventures, it’s no accident; US precedents have paved the way for the increasingly unconstrained use of military power by states around the globe. Meanwhile, we continue to pile new tasks onto the military, making it increasingly ill-prepared for the threats America will face in the years to come. By turns a memoir, a work of journalism, a scholarly exploration into history, anthropology and law, and a rallying cry, How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything transforms the familiar into the alien, showing us that the culture we inhabit is reshaping us in ways we may suspect, but don’t really understand. It’s the kind of book that will leave you moved, astonished, and profoundly disturbed, for the world around us is quietly changing beyond recognition—and time is running out to make things right.

Rosa Brooks (Author), Gabra Zackman (Narrator)

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Eureka!: 50 Scientists Who Shaped Human History

Galileo, Einstein, Curie, Darwin, Hawking - we know the names, but how much do we really know about these people? Galileo gained notoriety over his battle with the Vatican, but did you know that this father of modern science was also an accomplished lute player? And Darwin of course discovered the principle by which new species are formed, but his bold curiosity extended to the dinner table as well. (And how many people can say they've eaten an owl!) From lutes and owls to astronomy and evolution, Eureka! explains how these scientific geniuses have shaped our understanding - and how they spent their free time as well.

John Grant (Author), Mark Meadows (Narrator)

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Sully: My Search for What Really Matters

Now a major motion picture from Clint Eastwood, starring Tom Hanks-the inspirational autobiography by one of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Capt. 'Sully' Sullenberger-the pilot who miraculously landed a crippled US Airways Flight 1549 in New York's Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain "Sully" Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director / producer Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart. Sully's story is one of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through his life, in his military service, and in his work as an airline pilot. It reminds us all that, even in these days of conflict, tragedy and uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting for-that life's challenges can be met if we're ready for them. Cover art © 2016 WBEI. All Rights Reserved. **Please Contact Customer Service for Additional Documents**

Chesley B. Sullenberger, Iii Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, Jeffrey Zaslow (Author), Chesley B. Sullenberger, Iii Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, Michael McConnohie, Michael Mcconnohie (Narrator)

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The Accidental Life: An Editor's Notes on Writing and Writers

An Amazon Best Book of 2016 A celebration of the writing and editing life, as well as a look behind the scenes at some of the most influential magazines in America (and the writers who made them what they are). You might not know Terry McDonell, but you certainly know his work. Among the magazines he has top-edited: Outside, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Sports Illustrated. In this revealing memoir, McDonell talks about what really happens when editors and writers work with deadlines ticking (or drinks on the bar). His stories about the people and personalities he’s known are both heartbreaking and bitingly funny—playing “acid golf” with Hunter S. Thompson, practicing brinksmanship with David Carr and Steve Jobs, working the European fashion scene with Liz Tilberis, pitching TV pilots with Richard Price. Here, too, is an expert’s practical advice on how to recruit—and keep—high-profile talent; what makes a compelling lede; how to grow online traffic that translates into dollars; and how, in whatever format, on whatever platform, a good editor really works, and what it takes to write well. Taking us from the raucous days of New Journalism to today’s digital landscape, McDonell argues that the need for clear storytelling from trustworthy news sources has never been stronger. Says Jeffrey Eugenides: “Every time I run into Terry, I think how great it would be to have dinner with him. Hear about the writers he's known and edited over the years, what the magazine business was like back then, how it's changed and where it's going, inside info about Edward Abbey, Jim Harrison, Annie Proulx, old New York, and the Swimsuit issue. That dinner is this book.”

Terry McDonell (Author), Jason Culp (Narrator)

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Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal

The bestselling author of Encyclopedia an Ordinary Life returns with a literary experience that is unprecedented, unforgettable, and explosively human. In the ten years since the publication of her beloved, groundbreaking Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, #1 New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal has been quietly tinkering away. Using her distinct blend of nonlinear narrative, wistful reflections, and insightful wit, she has created a modest but mighty new work. Why the title Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal? - Because the book is organized into chapters with classic subject headings such as Social Studies, Music, Language Arts, Math, etc. - Because textbook is an expression meaning quintessential, as in, Oh, that wordplay and unconventional format is so typical of her, so textbook Amy. - Because for the first time ever, readers can further engage with a book via text messaging. - Because if an author's previous book has Encyclopedia in the title, following it up with a Textbook would be rather nice. Not exactly a memoir, not just a collection of observations, Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal is an exploration into the many ways we are connected on this planet and speaks to the awe, bewilderment, and poignancy of being alive. **Please Contact Customer Service for Details**

Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Author), Amy Krouse Rosenthal, John Green (Narrator)

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I Columbus

Christopher Columbus had a dream-to reach the fabled lands of the East, rich with spices, jewels, silver, and especially gold. Having studied the travels of other explorers, Columbus was convinced he could reach his destination by traveling west across the seas. After convincing Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to fund his expedition, he set sail in August of 1492. In this account, the voyage Columbus undertook is told in his own voice through his journal entries of that year. He tells of excitement, drama, and terror on the high seas, as well as the doubts he faces from his own crew, as together, they weather the path to victory.

Peter Roop (Author), Pat Grimes (Narrator)

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Carry On: A Story or Resilience, Redemption, and an Unlikely Family

In the spirit of The Blind Side and Friday Night Lights comes a tender and profoundly moving memoir about an ESPN producer’s unexpected relationship with two disabled wrestlers from inner city Cleveland, and how these bonds—blossoming, ultimately, into a most unorthodox family—would transform their lives. When award-winning ESPN producer Lisa Fenn returned to her hometown for a story about two wrestlers at one of Cleveland’s toughest public high schools, she had no idea that the trip would change her life. Both young men were disadvantaged students with significant physical disabilities. Dartanyon Crockett was legally blind as a result of Leber’s disease; Leroy Sutton lost both his legs at eleven, when he was run over by a train. Brought together by wrestling, they had developed a brother-like bond as they worked to overcome their disabilities. After forming a profound connection with Dartanyon and Leroy, Fenn realized she couldn't just walk away when filming ended; these boys had had to overcome the odds too many times. Instead, Fenn dedicated herself to ensuring their success long after the reporting was finished and the story aired—and an unlikely family of three was formed. The years ahead would be fraught with complex challenges, but Fenn stayed with the boys every step of the way—teaching them essential life skills, helping them heal old wounds and traumatic pasts, and providing the first steady and consistent support system they’d ever had. This powerful memoir is one of love, hope, faith, and strength—a story about an unusual family and the courage to carry on, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.

Lisa Fenn (Author), Lisa Fenn (Narrator)

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In the Darkroom

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author of Backlash, comes In the Darkroom, an astonishing confrontation with the enigma of her father and the larger riddle of identity consuming our age. "In the summer of 2004 I set out to investigate someone I scarcely knew, my father. The project began with a grievance, the grievance of a daughter whose parent had absconded from her life. I was in pursuit of a scofflaw, an artful dodger who had skipped out on so many things, obligation, affection, culpability, contrition. I was preparing an indictment, amassing discovery for a trial. But somewhere along the line, the prosecutor became a witness." So begins Susan Faludi's extraordinary inquiry into the meaning of identity in the modern world and in her own haunted family saga. When the feminist writer learned her seventy-six-year-old father, long estranged and living in Hungary, had undergone sex reassignment surgery, that investigation would turn personal and urgent. How was this new parent who identified as "a complete woman now" connected to the silent, explosive, and ultimately violent father she had known? Faludi chases that mystery into the recesses of her childhood and her father's many incarnations: American dad, Alpine mountaineer, swashbuckling adventurer in the Amazon outback, Jewish fugitive in Holocaust Budapest. When the author travels to Hungary to reunite with her father, she drops into a labyrinth of dark histories and dangerous politics in a country hell-bent on repressing its past and constructing a fanciful, and virulent, nationhood. The search for identity that has transfixed our century was proving as treacherous for nations as for individuals. Faludi's struggle to come to grips with her father's metamorphosis self takes her across borders, historical, political, religious, sexual-to bring her face to face with the question of the age: Is identity something you "choose," or a thing you can't escape? "An absolute stunner of a memoir, probing, steel-nerved, moving in ways you'd never expect."-New York Times

Susan Faludi (Author), Laurel Lefkow (Narrator)

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Seoul Man: A Memoir of Cars, Culture, Crisis, and Unexpected Hilarity inside a Korean Corporate Tita

Recounting his three years in Korea, the highest-ranking non-Korean executive at Hyundai sheds light on a business culture very few Western journalists ever experience in this revealing, moving, and hilarious memoir. When Frank Ahrens, a middle-aged bachelor and eighteen-year veteran at the Washington Post, fell in love with a diplomat, his life changed dramatically. Following his new bride to her first appointment in Seoul, South Korea, Frank traded the newsroom for a corporate suite, becoming director of global communications at Hyundai Motors. In a land whose population is ninety-seven percent Korean, he was one of fewer than ten non-Koreans in a company of 5,000 employees. For the next three years, Frank traveled to auto shows and press conferences around the world, pitching Hyundai to former colleagues while trying to navigate cultural differences at home and at work. While his appreciation for absurdity enabled him to laugh his way through many awkward encounters, his job began to take a toll on his marriage and family. Eventually, he became a vice president-the highest-ranking non-Korean in the history of Hyundai-but at an untenable price. Filled with unique insights and told in his engaging, humorous voice, Seoul Man sheds light on a culture few Westerns know, and is a delightfully funny and heartwarming adventure for anyone who has ever felt like a fish out of water-all of us. "Lively, engaging, and deeply personal, Seoul Man is at once a fascinating primer on the auto industry, a perceptive and often hilarious ex-pat adventure into "Koreanness," and the story of an ordinary man transformed through faith and the power of love."-Brigid Schulte, New York Times bestselling author

Frank Ahrens (Author), Frank Ahrens (Narrator)

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