Audiobooks narrated by Michael Calvin

1966: A Moment in Time, The Year that Changed Everything from Politics to Football

"Brought to you by Penguin. A vivid portrait of the world in 1966, centred around the storied World Cup tournament and its backdrop, published to mark the 60th anniversary. 1966, with London declared ‘a swinging city’ and John Lennon proclaiming the Beatles ‘more popular than Jesus’, the year’s football World Cup convenes an international community standing at an inflection point, emerging from the long shadow of the Second World War and hurtling towards the future. Propelled by social change, civil rights movements and technological advancement serve as beacons of hope and possibility. Yet, Cold War tensions, the escalation of the Vietnam War, and the space race between America and the Soviet Union project a different image. As China’s Cultural Revolution begins, and talks are initiated to reunify Germany, football has the potential to inflame ideological rivalries, unite old enemies, and allow nations to demonstrate their prowess on a global stage. Through the prism of the extraordinary tournament and the eight teams that reached the quarter finals – England, West Germany, Uruguay, Argentina, Portugal, Soviet Union, North Korea and Hungary – Michael Calvin provides a vivid portrait of a critical moment in world history. Examining the sporting, social and cultural significance of the competition and its backdrop, this hugely entertaining book brings to life a world and a s 'The great book on 1966 that needed writing.' PAUL HAYWARD, OBSERVER 'Panoramic and polemic.' JONATHAN NORTHCROFT, SUNDAY TIMES 'England’s one World Cup victory needed this book. An absorbing account of what 1966 actually meant... by the writer who has covered more aspects of how the English game actually works than any other.' MIGUEL DELANEY, INDEPENDENT 'A tremendous accomplishment. Rich, compelling and highly readable.' SEB STAFFORD-BLOOR, THE ATHLETIC © Michael Calvin 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Michael Calvin (Author), Michael Calvin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Miracle: The Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber in Auschwitz

"Brought to you by Penguin. An unforgettable testament to hope and the bonds of brotherhood, Miracle reveals the untold story of the boys who escaped the gas chamber in Auschwitz, the only known Holocaust survivors to walk away from the jaws of the Nazi killing machine. Early on the morning of October 9, 1944, seven-hundred boys, aged between 13 and 17, were taken out of Block 11 at Auschwitz. The night before, during a visit by Dr Josef Mengele, their identification cards had been stamped with a solitary German word – gestorben – 'died' in English. They were then marched by 25 bayonet-wielding SS men to Crematorium 5, stripped, and herded into a gas chamber. This book is the story of a true-life miracle of the fifty-one boys who were pulled from that gas chamber – the only Holocaust survivors known to have escaped such a close brush with the Nazi killing machine – and given a second chance at life. A life, of course, that would be so horrifically snatched from those around them. Based on the first-hand testimonies of six of the boys, six survivors whose stories are shared in this book for the very first time, Miracle interweaves the lives of the boys and the grander sweep of history in which they were held. The result is an unforgettable tale of hope, faith and fortitude in the face of one of the worst crimes against humanity. © Michael Calvin 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Michael Calvin, Naftali Schiff (Author), Laurence Dobiesz, Michael Calvin, Naftali Schiff (Narrator)

Audiobook

Whose Game Is It Anyway?: Football, Life, Love & Loss

"Football has never seemed so distant from its fans. Many have been alienated by the greed and shameless self-interest of the Premier League, and no one can predict how the global game will look post-pandemic. In Whose Game Is It Anyway?, Sunday Times best-selling author Michael Calvin searches for a reason to believe. Written at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, the book is a thought-provoking, deeply personal account of the role sport and particularly football plays in everyday life. Part memoir, part manifesto, it takes the listener on a tour of the world's greatest sporting occasions and into its outposts in sub-Saharan Africa, the Amazon Basin and the Southern Ocean. Drawn from Calvin's experience as an award-winning sportswriter, covering every major sports event over 40 years in more than 80 countries, it offers first-hand insight into such icons as Muhammad Ali, Maradona and Sir Bobby Charlton. With settings ranging from a jungle clearing to a township in apartheid South Africa, this is sport as you've never seen it before."

Michael Calvin (Author), Michael Calvin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mind Game: The Secrets of Golf’s Winners

"Penguin Presents the audio edition of Mind Game by Michael Calvin and Thomas Bjørn, read by Michael Calvin. Eye-opening contributions from the stars of game make this a powerful, groundbreaking investigation into the mind of the professional golfer. Professional golf is the most remorseless of sports, unique in the complexity of its demands. Technical perfection must be produced in short, concentrated bursts of synchronised movement. Huge mental strength is required. Why, then, do we know so little about what it takes to succeed – even survive – at the highest level? What separates the good from the great? What are the rituals of preparation and execution? How does an elite team come together? In a truly groundbreaking exposé of professional golf, Michael Calvin and Thomas Bjorn – captain of the 2018 European Ryder Cup Team – capture the distinctive nature of the game, and the principles and philosophies of players who dominate the world rankings. With unprecedented access to the European Tour players, and in-depth interviews with the European Ryder Cup team, Calvin reveals a sport which operates entirely within the finest margins of excellence."

Michael Calvin, Thomas Bjørn (Author), Michael Calvin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Michael Calvin

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