Rome 1960
The Olympics that Changed the World
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Narrated by:
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David Maraniss
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By:
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David Maraniss
About this listen
The athletes competing in the 1960 Rome Olympics included some of the most honored in Olympic history: decathlete Rafer Johnson, sprinter Wilma Rudolph, Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikila, and Louisville boxer Cassius Clay, who at 18 seized the world stage for the first time, four years before he became Muhammad Ali.
Along with these unforgettable characters and dramatic contests, there was a deeper meaning to those late-summer days at the dawn of the 60s. Change was apparent everywhere. The world as we know it was coming into view. Rome saw the first doping scandal, the first commercially televised Summer Games, and the first athlete paid for wearing a certain brand of shoes.
In the heat of the cold war, every move was judged for its propaganda value. East and west Germans competed as a unified team less than a year before the Berlin Wall. There was dispute over the two Chinas. An independence movement was sweeping sub-Saharan Africa, with 14 nations in the process of being born. There was increasing pressure to provide equal rights for blacks and women as they emerged from generations of discrimination.
Using the meticulous research and sweeping narrative style that have become his trademark, Maraniss reveals the rich palate of character, competition, and meaning that gave Rome 1960 its singular essence of theater, suspense, victory, and defeat.
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Texas girl Babe Didrikson never tried a sport too tough and never met a hurdle too high. Despite attempts to keep women from competing, Babe achieved All-American status in basketball and won gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympics. Then, Babe attempted to conquer golf. One of the founders of the LPGA, Babe won more consecutive tournaments than any golfer in history. But at the height of her fame, she was diagnosed with cancer. Babe would then take her most daring step of all....
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Great read
- By Jajam on 01-07-18
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Sweetness
- The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins
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At five feet ten inches tall, running back Walter Payton was not the largest player in the NFL, but he developed a larger-than-life reputation for his strength, speed, and grit. Nicknamed “Sweetness” during his college football days, he became the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, capturing the hearts of fans in his adopted Chicago.
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Honest Accounting Of A Fascinating Life
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By: Jeff Pearlman
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Spain
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- By: Graham Hunter
- Narrated by: Graham Hunter
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the story of the greatest achievement in the history of international football. After decades of failure, Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and then the World Cup in 2010. At Euro 2012 they became the first team to win three consecutive tournament titles. Graham Hunter was inside the dressing room as the players celebrated after the finals of the World Cup and Euro 2012.
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Insider look masterclass
- By Peter on 08-07-15
By: Graham Hunter
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The Comeback
- Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France
- By: Daniel de Vise
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Greg LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback. In 1989, he once again won the Tour - by a narrow margin of eight seconds. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. The Comeback chronicles the life of this great American athlete, from his roots in Nevada and California to the heights of global fame.
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Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
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The Boxing Kings
- When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring
- By: Paul Beston
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The Boxing Kings tells the story of the heavyweight title in the days when it was a defining institution in the United States. Author Paul Beston places special emphasis on those champions who held a central place in American culture beyond just in the boxing ring, including John L. Sullivan, who made the title a commercial property; Jack Johnson, who in 1908 became the first black man to claim the title; Joe Louis, whose contributions to racial tolerance and social progress transcended even his greatness in the ring; and many more.
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An outstanding book on heavyweight champions
- By LSmith on 02-01-18
By: Paul Beston
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The Missing Ring
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- By: Keith Dunnavant
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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
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By: Keith Dunnavant
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Their Life's Work
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The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s won an unprecedented and unmatched four Super Bowls in six years. A dozen of those Steelers players, coaches, and executives have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and three decades later their names echo in popular memory: "Mean" Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Mike Webster, Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann, and John Stallworth.
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Great Book
- By cap on 07-18-18
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Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
- The Untold Story of 18 African Americans Who Defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics
- By: Deborah Riley Draper, Blair Underwood, Travis Thrasher
- Narrated by: Leon Nixon
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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From burning crosses set on the Robinsons’s lawn to a Pennsylvania small town on fire with praise and parades when the athletes return from Berlin, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is full of emotion, grit, political upheaval, and the American dream. Capturing a powerful and untold chapter of history, the narrative is also a celebration of the courage, commitment, and accomplishments of these talented athletes and their impact on race, sports and inclusion around the world.
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History I never knew...
- By Malcolm Drewery on 10-01-21
By: Deborah Riley Draper, and others
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The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
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- Narrated by: Charles Constant
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The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
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👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
- By Anonymous User on 08-22-24
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
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Major Taylor
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- By: Conrad Kerber, Terry Kerber
- Narrated by: Barrie Buckner
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In the wake of the Tour de France’s fallen heroes, the story of one of history’s most legendary cyclists provides a much-needed antidote. In 1907 the world’s most popular athlete was not Cy Young or Ty Cobb. Rather, he was a black bicycle racer named "Major” Taylor. In his day, Taylor became a spiritual and athletic idol. He was the fastest man in America and a champion who prevailed over unspeakable cruelty. The men who aided him were among the most colorful to emerge from the era.
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Great book terrible narrator
- By B. P. H. on 10-31-18
By: Conrad Kerber, and others
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14 Minutes
- A Running Legend's Life and Death and Life
- By: Alberto Salazar, John Brant
- Narrated by: Danny Pardo
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
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14 Minutes is the memoir of Alberto Salazar, the most accomplished, charismatic, and controversial marathoner in history. The narrative follows Alberto's boyhood in New England, his rise to stardom at the University of Oregon, his dramatic victories in the New York City and Boston Marathons, his long malaise due to injuries, which resulted in a near-suicidal depression; his resurgence due to intense spiritual experiences and discipline; his close alliance with Phil Knight and the Nike corporation; and describes his numerous near-death experiences.
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Terrible and Distracting Narration
- By Mark on 06-04-14
By: Alberto Salazar, and others
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What listeners say about Rome 1960
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Teri
- 05-06-24
Super good book & story telling
My father played in the 1960 Olympics for the Mexican basketball team. I grew up hearing stories he told. I had no idea of all the “firsts” this particular Olympics is historically now known for. Fascinating story, well written and read (I listened to audio book), and I felt I was there. What a tremendous part of history! And now that my father has been gone for 30 years, I wonder how aware he was of all the politics, both among nations and among teams, he was aware. Each time I heard of team members going to this or that restaurant while in Italy, I wonder if that’s the restaurant my father told me about where he and his teammates Ahmad he’d crystal wine goblets against the rock fireplace, just because they were “cool Olympic team members” and they could.
I recommend this book for anyone above 21 who is interested in sports, politics and Olympics. I supposed anyone younger who has the capacity to understand and appreciate the politics & history of what was going on in the world at that time (Bay of Pigs, Berlin Wall, Cold War, etc) would appreciate reading this book as well, but I don’t think there will be many. Haha.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-01-22
Excellent
No idea how many important events and impactful people were involved. Well worth the listen
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Overall
- Jay
- 07-30-08
Very Good Book
I found this book to be very enlightening. The author did a great job of telling the stories of the 1960 Rome Games in light of how they changed the way the Olympic games would be viewed after that. This is a great read, especially since the Summer Games are just around the corner.
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6 people found this helpful
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- GF Love
- 08-25-21
A wonderful story well told
David Manarsis is a talented story teller. I was seventeen in 1960 and I remember many of the athletes who are the focus of this Book. I enjoyed learning about their backgrounds. It is sad to see we are still dealing with the same race issues.
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- Reed McLennan
- 06-19-21
Good book but missing material from the text
The audiobook is missing while sentences and bits of key story information that is in the paperback version. Im doing a report on this for history class and I just realized that audible is not the way to go. I would advise using this in partnership with the paperback so you don’t miss a bunch of stuff like I did.
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- jade jones
- 10-09-24
Skipped a lot of text
The story was very intriguing, but the author skipped a lot of content while reading, sometimes even skipping entire paragraphs. I was following along in the book and would often get very lost. In listening to the audiobook, you don’t get the full story.
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-22-22
Why does is it skip so much?
I’m reading along with the book, and the audiobook skips on so much text during the first chapter. I play this is in 2x, so it is really throwing me off when the audiobook skips a sentence, phrase, and in a few cases, a whole paragraph.
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2 people found this helpful