Sports Audiobooks | Biography & Memoir

George Foreman fought Jimmy Young in 1977 in Puerto Rico. Immediately after, he retired from boxing to devote his life to spreading the word of Jesus Christ. "Thank You Jesus!" is a live recording of George from 1979 that captures the energy and vitality of the former heavyweight champion. Foreman also details the 1977 fight that changed his life forever.

George Foreman (Author), George Foreman (Narrator)

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Rebound Rules

Rick Pitino is a basketball icon: the only coach in college history to lead three different schools to the Final Four, the winner of the 1996 NCAA championship, the owner of a sparkling career record, a bestselling author, and a lock for the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet Pitino's journey has not been without life-altering adversity: He's experienced profound personal and professional losses. In 2001, after three losing seasons as coach and president of the Boston Celtics, Pitino resigned, walking away from the $23 million left in his contract. And while recovering from the only breakdown in his extraordinary basketball career, Pitino'who had previously suffered the devastating loss of his infant son, Daniel'endured additional tragedies: His brother-in-law and best friend Billy Minardi, a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, perished in the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11, less than a year after another brother-in-law had been fatally struck by a taxi. Pitino writes, "From that point on, my life changed forever. Nothing will ever be the same." This realization gave Pitino a new perspective. With it, the innovative leader felt the freedom to act even more dynamically than he ever had in the past. Returning to college basketball, he has rebuilt and revitalized the storied program at Louisville, guiding the Cardinals to a history-making Final Four appearance in 2005 that stamped him the only coach in history to take three schools that far. And in 2008, he rallied an injury-plagued Louisville team from a disappointing start and led it to the Elite Eight, setting the stage for greater success to come. The failures and tragedies he recounts make this book unique. More than just a recitation of what works and why, it's about how to succeed after you've failed; how to pick yourself up after being knocked down; and how to reframe yourself and see the world in a new light. This is a comeback story, a manual for overcoming life's difficulties. Pitino has experienced success as an author with his tremendously popular books Success Is a Choice and Lead to Succeed, but in Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0, he's crafted a book that's more deeply personal, more inspiring, more practical, and more powerful than any he's written before.

Rick Pitino (Author), Pat Forde (Narrator)

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The Curse of the Bambino

The Boston Red Sox's loss to the New York Yankees in the final game of last year's playoffs has been called 'the game of the century,' evidence that the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees is hotter than ever. In the wake of that defeat, author and Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy has updated his bewitching story of the curse that has lain over the Red Sox since they sold Babe Ruth to the hated Yankees in 1920. Here he sheds light on classic Sox debacles from Johnny Pesky's so- called hesitation throw, to the horrifying dribbler that slithered between Bill Buckner's legs, to last year's stunning extra-inning home run that kept the Sox without a World Championship for yet another year. Lively and filled with anecdotes, this is baseball folklore at its best.

Dan Shaughnessy (Author), Ken Coleman (Narrator)

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Free Byrd: The Power of the Liberated Life

Paul Byrd (Author), Tim Gregory (Narrator)

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I Never Had It Made

A straightforward yet inspiring story of what it took to be the first man of color to break into the white world of professional sports. Jackie Robinson's story is more than a telling of his tremendous talent; it is also a recollection that showcases his tenacious spirit, bravery and the courage of his ideals. From the early influences of family and friends, to his time at UCLA, to the army where he challenged racism and Jim Crow laws, Jackie Robinson traces his life to playing in the black leagues, frustrated by the abuses and restrictions of second-class status in professional baseball. As Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, began to look around for a player to break the color barrier in 1946, he knew he needed a man of character who could withstand the pressures of his "Noble Experiment." Choosing Robinson gave both of them the chance to prove what they believed in. Struggles that continued in his personal life and in response to the turbulent sixties are interpreted with insight by Robinson and will give listeners an added appreciation for the amazing strength of his character.

Jackie Robinson (Author), Ossie Davis (Narrator)

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A Champion's Mind

Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 consecutive weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible a record-setting fourteen Grand Slam titles. While his more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to let his racket do the talking. Until now. In A Champion's Mind, the tennis great who so often exhibited visible discomfort with letting people "inside his head" finally opens up. An athletic prodigy, Pete resolved from his earliest playing days never to let anything get in the way of his love for the game. But while this single-minded determination led to tennis domination, success didn't come without a price. The constant pressure of competing on the world's biggest stage-in the unblinking eye of a media machine hungry for more than mere athletic greatness-took its toll. Here for the first time Pete speaks freely about what it was like to possess what he calls "the Gift." He writes about the personal trials he faced-including the death of a longtime coach and confidant-and the struggles he gutted his way through while being seemingly on top of the world. Among the book's most riveting scenes are an early devastating loss to Stefan Edberg that led Pete to make a monastic commitment to delivering on his natural talent; a grueling, four-hour-plus match against Alex Corretja during which Pete became seriously ill; fierce on-court battles with rival and friend Andre Agassi; and the triumphant last match of Pete's career at the finals of the 2002 U.S. Open. In A Champion's Mind, one of the most revered, successful, and intensely private players in the history of tennis offers an intimate look at the life of an elite athlete.

Pete Sampras, Peter Bodo (Author), Mark Deakins (Narrator)

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The Mysterious Montague

He was a 1930s golf legend and Hollywood trickster who adamantly refused to be photographed. He never played professionally, yet sports-writing legend Grantland Rice still heralded him as "the greatest golfer in the world." Then, in 1937, the secrets of John Montague's past were exposed-leading to a sensational trial that captivated the nation. From three-time New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville John Montague was a boisterous enigma. He had a bagful of golf tricks, on and off the course. He could chip a ball across a room into a highball glass, and knock a bird off a wire from 170 yards-and when the big man arrived in Hollywood in the early 1930s, he quickly became a celebrity among celebrities. He lived for a time with Oliver Hardy (whom he could lift, one-handed, onto the country club bar) and played golf with everyone from Howard Hughes and W. C. Fields to Babe Ruth and his close friend Bing Crosby, whom he famously beat while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a bat. Yet strangely Montague never entered a professional tournament, and in a town that thrived on publicity, he never allowed his image to be captured on film. The reasons became clear when a Time magazine photographer snapped his picture with a telephoto lens … and police in upstate New York quickly recognized Montague as a fugitive wanted for armed robbery. As Montague was indicted in the tiny upstate town of Jay, New York, hordes of national media descended and turned a star-studded legal carnival into the most talked about trial of its day - the trial of "the Mysterious Montague." From the glamour of 1930s Hollywood, to John Montague's extraordinary skill and triumphs on the golf course, to the shady world of Adirondack rumrunners and bootleggers, three-time New York Times bestselling author Leigh Montville captures a man and an era with extraordinary color, verve, and energy. The Mysterious Montague is Leigh Montville's most entertaining achievement to date.

Leigh Montville (Author), Stephen Hoye (Narrator)

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Always By My Side

Jim Nantz (Author), Jim Nantz (Narrator)

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The 33-Year-Old Rookie: How I Finally Made It to the Big Leagues After Eleven Years in the Minors

Chris Coste dreamed of playing major-league baseball from the age of seven. But after eleven grueling years in the minors, a spot on a major-leage roster still seemed just out of reach - until that fatefull call came from the Philadelphia Phillies in May 2006. At age thirty-three ('going on eighty'), Coste was finally heading to the big time. The 33-Year-Old Rookie is like a real-life Rocky, an unforgettable and inspirational story of one man's unwavering pursuit of a lifelong goal. Beginning in a single-parent home in Fargo, North Dakota, and ending behind home plate on the flawless diamond of the Phillies' Citizens Bank Park - where fans and teammates call him 'Chris Clutch' because of his knack for getting timely hits - this intimate account of Coste's baseball odyssey is a powerful story of determination, perseverance, and passion.

Chris Coste (Author), Chris Coste (Narrator)

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Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery, and My Return to the NFL

As a linebacker for the New England Patriots, who had just won their third Super Bowl in four years, Tedy Bruschi was no stranger to pain or to overcoming a challenge. But even 11 years in the NFL had not prepared him for what happened at four o'clock in the morning on February 16, 2005. Tedy awoke with an intense headache and was forced to crawl to the bathroom because his left arm and leg were not working very well. Seven hours later - as he lay on an ER gurney, his vision blurred, his arm and leg useless - he was stunned to learn that he had had a stroke. A few days later, he confessed to his family and his team that he believed his football-playing days were over. In Never Give Up, Tedy Bruschi tells the powerful and inspiring story of the day when everything he believed about himself and his future was turned upside down, and how its long and grueling aftermath challenged his faith, his marriage, and his career. From the heartbreak of being warned by doctors not to pick up his children to the terrifying prospect of heart surgery, Tedy paints a vivid portrait of the obstacles faced by stroke survivors. Tedy has a vital message for stroke survivors: You can do it. You can take charge of your recovery, reclaim your life, and achieve the goals you set for yourself before disaster struck. It won't be easy; it will be the hardest thing you've ever done, but you'll have plenty of help. You'll have the expert care of highly trained doctors and therapists, the loving support of family and friends, and the inspiring example of Tedy Bruschi's unforgettable memoir, Never Give Up.

Ted Bruschi, Tedy Bruschi (Author), Mark Adams, Mark Lee Adams, Michael Holley (Narrator)

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Breaking Free: My Life With Dissaociative Identity Disorder

In Breaking Free, Herschel tells his story -- from the joys and hardships of childhood to his explosive impact on college football to his remarkable professional career. And he gives voice and hope to those suffering from DID. Herschel shows how this disorder played an integral role in his accomplishments and how he has learned to live with it today. His compelling account testifies to the strength of the human spirit and its ability to overcome any challenge.

Herschel Walker (Author), Andre Teamer (Narrator)

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Playing With the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams

In 1940, at just 15 years old, small-town baseball star Gene Moore was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who saw in him the potential to become one of the great catchers of all time. Before that could happen, though, WWII intervened. Gene's story, a surprising paean to the power and humanity of a game, is told here by his son, a first-time author who exhibits the confidence and pacing of a pro. His gripping material certainly helps: after several years overseas in the Navy's touring baseball team, Gene was brought back to Louisiana and assigned to guard secret German POWs, whose U-boat was captured just days before the storming of Normandy. There, Gene teaches his German captives how to play baseball, with a number of unintended and life-altering consequences. When Gene's finally able to return home to Sesser, Ill., he's 'on crutches, depressed and embarrassed,' holing up in the local bar and prompting one bartender to lament, 'he's become one of us, when we were hoping he would make us like him.' Gene's journey from promise to despair and back again, set against a long war and an even longer post-war recovery, retains every bit of its vitality and relevance, a 20th-century epic that demonstrates how, sometimes, letting go of a dream is the only way to discover one's great fortune.

Gary Moore (Author), Toby Moore (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sports Audiobooks in Biography & Memoir