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Jim Brown
- Last Man Standing
- Narrated by: Dave Zirin
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
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Publisher's summary
A unique biography of Jim Brown - football legend, Hollywood star, and controversial activist - written by acclaimed sports journalist Dave Zirin.
Jim Brown is recognized as perhaps the greatest football player to ever live. But his phenomenal nine-year career with the Cleveland Browns is only part of his remarkable story, the opening salvo to a much more sprawling epic. Brown parlayed his athletic fame into stardom in Hollywood, where it was thought that he could become "the black John Wayne." He was an outspoken Black Power icon in the 1960s, and he formed Black Economic Unions to challenge racism in the business world. For this and for his decades of work as a truce negotiator with street gangs, Brown - along with such figures as Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, and Billie Jean King - is revered as a socially conscious athlete.
On the most hypermasculine cultural canvases of the United States - NFL football, the Black Power movement, Hollywood's blaxploitation films, gang intervention both inside and outside prison walls - Jim Brown has made his mark. Yet in the landscape of the most toxic expression of "what makes a man" - numerous accusations of violence against women - he has left a jagged mark as well.
Dave Zirin's book redefines an American icon, and not always in a flattering light. At 81 years old, Brown continues to speak out and look for fights. His recent public support of Donald Trump and criticism of Colin Kaepernick are just the latest examples of someone who seems restless if he is not in conflict. Jim Brown is a raw and thrilling account of Brown's remarkable life and a must-listen for sports fans and students of the Black freedom struggle.
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Critic reviews
“Jim Brown is heroic but no hero. Dave Zirin gives us an extraordinary life of fame, manhood and masculinity that is not always a compliment to its subject but is undeniably important. Last Man Standing confronts the three third rails of American Life - race, class and gender - through an American icon whose triumphs are matched only by his flaws.” (Howard Bryant, author of The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism)
“Dave Zirin incisively explores the fault lines of race, gender, masculinity, and celebrity while chronicling the career of an American legend. As athletes and women speak out against racial and sexual violence, Jim Brown: Last Man Standing provides compelling context for understanding the urgency of today’s activism.” (Barbara Smith, black feminist author and activist, cofounder of the Combahee River Collective and Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press)
“In this deeply engrossing, bracingly honest book, Zirin reveals that ‘Jim Brown’ is far more than a mythic name, far more than one of the greatest athletes of all time. This is no fawning homage. This is a sculpted work of truth, a quintessentially American story that will resonate today in a time of burgeoning social activism among athletes.” (Jonathan Coleman, author of Long Way to Go: Black and White in America and coauthor (with Jerry West) of West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life)
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Performance
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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.
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Understanding Jackie Robinson's Best Performance
- By Kdoll on 04-03-14
By: Jackie Robinson
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Forty Million Dollar Slaves
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete
- By: William C. Rhoden
- Narrated by: William C. Rhoden
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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From Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe, African American athletes have been at the center of modern culture, their on-the-field heroics admired and stratospheric earnings envied. But for all their money, fame, and achievement, says former New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden, Black athletes still find themselves on the periphery of true power in the multibillion-dollar industry their talent built. Provocative and controversial, Rhoden's Forty Million Dollar Slaves weaves a compelling narrative of Black athletes in the United States.
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Book and Narrator Review
- By Leonor on 12-26-17
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Paterno
- By: Joe Posnanski
- Narrated by: Joe Mantegna
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Joe Posnanski's biography of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno follows in the tradition of works by Richard Ben Cramer on Joe DiMaggio and David Maraniss on Vince Lombardi. Having gained unprecedented access to Paterno, as well as the coach's personal notes and files, Posnanski spent the last two years of Paterno's life covering the coach, on (and off) the field and through the scandal that ended Paterno's legendary career.
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WoWoWoWoW
- By JA Hartman on 08-27-12
By: Joe Posnanski
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The Rejected Stone
- Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership
- By: Al Sharpton
- Narrated by: Al Sharpton
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Lord knows, Rev Al has had his personal and very public ups and downs - but he's come out bigger and better than ever. Though the host of MSNBC's PoliticsNation is as fiery and outspoken as ever about the events and issues that matter most, he's learned that the only way we can get right as a nation is by getting right from within. In this, his first book in over a decade, Rev Al will take you behind the scenes of some unexpected places - from officiating Michael Jackson's funeral, hanging out with Jay-Z and President Barack Obama at the White House, to taking charge of the Trayvon Martin case.
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The Rev We Didn't Know
- By Yankee Registered Nurse on 03-21-24
By: Al Sharpton
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Boom!
- Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the '60s and Today
- By: Tom Brokaw
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Boom! One minute it was Ike and the man in the grey flannel suit, and the next minute it was time to "turn on, tune in, drop out". While Americans were walking on the moon, Americans were dying in Vietnam. Nothing was beyond question, and there were far fewer answers than before.
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boring survey of a generation
- By Andy on 01-01-08
By: Tom Brokaw
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Righteous Troublemakers
- Untold Stories of the Social Justice Movement in America
- By: Al Sharpton
- Narrated by: Al Sharpton
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Righteous Troublemakers shines a light on everyday people called to do extraordinary things—like Pauli Murray, whose early work inspired Thurgood Marshall, Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus months before Rosa Parks did the same, and Gwen Carr, whose private pain in losing her son Eric Garner stoked her public activism against police brutality. Sharpton also gives his personal take on more widely known individuals, revealing overlooked details, historical connections, and a perspective informed by years of working in the social justice movement.
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Thank God for this book knowledge is power
- By JOAN REID on 02-23-22
By: Al Sharpton
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Sound and Fury
- Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship
- By: Dave Kindred
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Muhammed Ali and Howard Cosell, a legendary athlete and a television icon, were individually interesting, but together they were mesmerizing. They were profoundly different, young and old, black and white, a Muslim and a Jew, Ali barely literate, Cosell an editor of his university's law review. Yet they had in common forces that made them unforgettable: both were unprecedented performers who covered enormous insecurities by demanding, loudly and often, public acclaim.
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Great insight into Ali & Cosell
- By Steve on 05-04-06
By: Dave Kindred
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Defining Moments in Black History
- Reading Between the Lies
- By: Dick Gregory
- Narrated by: James Shippy
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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With his trademark acerbic wit, incisive humor, and infectious paranoia, one of our foremost comedians and most politically engaged civil rights activists looks back at 100 key events from the complicated history of Black America. Defining Moments in Black History is an essential, no-holds-bar history lesson that will provoke, enlighten, and entertain.
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How we see the world matters to how we tell storie
- By Adam Shields on 10-03-18
By: Dick Gregory
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Playing Through the Whistle
- Steel, Football, and an American Town
- By: S. L. Price
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Aliquippa, Pennsylvania is famous for two things: the Jones and Laughlin Steel mill, an industrial behemoth that helped win World War II; and football, with a high school team that has produced numerous NFL stars, including Mike Ditka and Darrelle Revis. But the mill, once the fourth largest producer in America, closed for good in 2000. What happens to a town when a dream dies? Does it just disappear?
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This is not a football book
- By radchick on 04-19-17
By: S. L. Price
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The Missing Ring
- How Bear Bryant and the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide Were Denied College Football's Most Elusive Prize
- By: Keith Dunnavant
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Very few institutions in American sports can match the enduring excellence of the University of Alabama football program. Across a wide swath of the last century, the tradition-rich Crimson Tide has claimed twelve national championships, captured 25 conference titles, finished 34 times among the country's top ten, and played in 53 bowl games.
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Fantastic
- By John Rogers on 03-29-18
By: Keith Dunnavant
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Can't Stop Won't Stop
- A History of the Hip-Hop Generation
- By: Jeff Chang
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Forged in the fires of the Bronx and Kingston, Jamaica, hip-hop became the Esperanto of youth rebellion and a generation-defining movement. In a post-civil rights era defined by deindustrialization and globalization, hip-hop crystallized a multiracial, polycultural generation's worldview and transformed American politics and culture. But that epic story has never been told with this kind of breadth, insight, and style.
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Not About Hip Hop Music
- By A. Yerkes on 09-06-19
By: Jeff Chang
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We Gon' Be Alright
- Notes on Race and Resegregation
- By: Jeff Chang
- Narrated by: Jeff Chang
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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In these provocative, powerful essays acclaimed writer/journalist Jeff Chang (Can't Stop Won't Stop, Who We Be) takes an incisive and wide-ranging look at the recent tragedies and widespread protests that have shaken the country. Through deep reporting with key activists and thinkers, passionately personal writing, and distinguished cultural criticism, We Gon' Be Alright links #BlackLivesMatter to #OscarsSoWhite, Ferguson to Washington, DC, and more.
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a conversation that needs to happen
- By Angie B on 03-11-17
By: Jeff Chang
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Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too
- How the Left Is Ruining Sports with Politics
- By: Clay Travis
- Narrated by: Clay Travis
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
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Sports media superstar Clay Travis wants to save sports from the social justice warriors seeking to turn them into another political battleground. Having ruined journalism and Hollywood, far-left-wing activists have now turned to sports. Travis argues it’s time for right-thinking fans everywhere to put down their beers and reclaim their teams and their traditions. In Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too, he replays the arguments he’s won and lays out all the battles ahead. His goal is simple: to make sports great again.
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Love or hate him you should love this book
- By Mike on 10-03-18
By: Clay Travis
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Patriarchy Blues
- Reflections on Manhood
- By: Frederick Joseph
- Narrated by: Preston Butler III, Novell Jordan
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In this thought-provoking collection of essays, poems, and short reflections, Frederick Joseph contemplates these questions and more as he explores issues of masculinity and patriarchy from both a personal and cultural standpoint. From fatherhood, and “manning up” to abuse and therapy, he fearlessly and thoughtfully tackles the complex realities of men’s lives today and their significance for society, lending his insights as a Black man.
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Great read!
- By BlissfullyT on 11-15-23
By: Frederick Joseph
What listeners say about Jim Brown
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Zachary Phelps
- 08-06-18
Performance leaves a lot to be desired
The story is well done, dutifully covering Jim Brown’s life from his birth to today in great detail. The problem lies with the performance. For example, the narrator annoyingly says “Quote-Unquote” for the first chapter or two, then changes halfway through to no longer say it for quotes. This and other problems create a painful listening experience that takes away from an otherwise interesting book.
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- Sonia Allison
- 01-11-19
Wow This Is So good!
Conscience Black radical femiminism reckoning with our struggles to stop lynching atrocities inflicted on Black Women's lives. Grateful.
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- Roosevelt J Price
- 03-10-19
Very Rich!
This book is very rich with Black history, American history. It's a great contribution to the archives for current and future generations to come.
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- Thomas J. Muench Jr.
- 02-15-21
Wow
I learned so much from this book. I knew Jim as an athlete but never understood him.
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- Clint Zenk
- 05-22-20
Looking for a biography, look elsewhere
Previous to this book, I've read That First Season re Vince Lombardi, Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend, and Muhammad Ali's autobiography. Each of those books were in depth looks at sports figures and their off the field effects, good or bad, and kept the backdrop of the on the field accomplishments in mind while journeying through time & events.
LMS spent just over one chapter discussing Jim Brown's actual football accomplishments despite it spanning nearly a decade and him being, as most suggest, the greatest football player ever. I thought that was odd but it was only Chapter 2 so I thought I'd give it more time.
From there, the book spiraled into portrayals of his off the field actions, some good (Black Economic Union & AmeriCAN contributions), some bad (his violence against women). The backdrop to all of this discussion literally seemed to be focused on Jim Brown's 'member' via various references to Manhood & literal descriptions of his genitals at times. Yes, Brown did say some of these things in his own quotes but the predominant take here consists of a critique of toxic masculinity in the football world (they literally used the phrase to open a chapter) and the dominance of women outside of it. Again, I thought maybe it was a few chapters but the overwhelming substance of the book was basically taking that down while at the same time attempting to portray Brown positively as a trailblazer.
Obviously having read Ali's autobiography & having Being Kareem next on my listening list, I'm happy to hear about social changes that occurred over time and how an athlete influenced that so I was prepared to hear how Brown was such a big part of that. What I didn't sign up for was a minimum of sports coverage on the greatest football player ever and 90% of the rest of the book somehow exposing his actions when they've been visited by the press countless times before, even referenced herein. This book has no business putting Brown in a Browns uniform on the cover when it has basically nothing to do with that period. They should have titled it: 'Woke: Taking Down The Last NFL Player Standing.' It would have been more appropriate. Truly the worst book I've ever read on Audible since becoming a member roughly a year ago.
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- MIGS
- 01-06-24
Just Ok
It’s always great to hear stories about great athletes but however, there was nothing new learned about Jim Brown and it really didn’t have any substance. I definitely would not recommend this book.
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