
Triumph
The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $14.61
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Michael Kramer
-
By:
-
Jeremy Schaap
About this listen
Drawing on unprecedented access to the Owens family, previously unpublished interviews, and exhaustive archival research, Jeremy Schaap transports us to Nazi Germany to weave this dramatic tale.
From the start, American participation in the games was controversial. A boycott, based on reports of Nazi hostility to Jews, was afoot, but it was thwarted by the president of the American Olympic Committee. At the games themselves, the plots and intrigues continued: Owens was befriended by a German rival, broad jumper Luz Long, who helped Owens win the gold medal at his own expense. Two Jewish sprinters were, at the last moment, denied the chance to compete for the United States out of misguided politeness to the Nazi hosts. And a myth was born that Hitler himself had snubbed Owens.
Like Neal Bascomb's The Perfect Mile, Triumph captures this momentous episode in sports - and - world, history in a nuanced yet page-turning narrative full of drama, suspense, and color.
©2007 Jeremy Schaap (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Perfect Mile
- Three Athletes. One Goal. And Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It
- By: Neal Bascomb
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the tradition of Seabiscuit, critically acclaimed author Neal Bascomb reaches back to the golden age of sport and crafts an utterly captivating narrative of what may be the most remarkable athletic feat of all time.
-
-
nailbiting, on the edge of your seat
- By Todd on 08-10-04
By: Neal Bascomb
-
Tigerland
- 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing
- By: Wil Haygood
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous periods in recent American history, as riots and demonstrations spread across the nation, the Tigers of poor, segregated East High School in Columbus, Ohio, did something no team from one school had ever done before: They won the state basketball and baseball championships in the same year. They defeated bigger, richer, whiter teams across the state and along the way brought blacks and whites together, eased a painful racial divide throughout the state, and overcame extraordinary obstacles on their road to success.
-
-
Flashback to the Late 1960s
- By Toni Bowes on 09-05-19
By: Wil Haygood
-
Cinderella Man
- James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History
- By: Jeremy Schaap
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lost in the annals of boxing is the sport's true Cinderella story. James J. Braddock, dubbed "Cinderella Man" by Damon Runyon, was a once promising light heavyweight for whom a string of losses in the ring and a broken right hand happened to coincide with the Great Crash of 1929.
-
-
Excellent
- By MA on 06-05-05
By: Jeremy Schaap
-
The Longest Race
- Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team
- By: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Narrated by: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. Kara was soon winning a World Championship medal, going to the Olympics, and standing on the podium at the New York and Boston marathons, just like her coach. But behind the scenes, Salazar was hiding dark secrets.
-
-
I won’t be purchasing any more Nike products:
- By Peter on 12-03-23
By: Kara Goucher, and others
-
The Boys in the Boat
- Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
- By: Daniel James Brown
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The number one New York Times best-selling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany, the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of '36, broadcast to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 80th anniversary of the boys' gold medal race. Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times - the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.
-
-
Dear Publishers of Audio Books
- By Lynn on 08-04-14
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
-
The Perfect Mile
- Three Athletes. One Goal. And Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It
- By: Neal Bascomb
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the tradition of Seabiscuit, critically acclaimed author Neal Bascomb reaches back to the golden age of sport and crafts an utterly captivating narrative of what may be the most remarkable athletic feat of all time.
-
-
nailbiting, on the edge of your seat
- By Todd on 08-10-04
By: Neal Bascomb
-
Tigerland
- 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing
- By: Wil Haygood
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous periods in recent American history, as riots and demonstrations spread across the nation, the Tigers of poor, segregated East High School in Columbus, Ohio, did something no team from one school had ever done before: They won the state basketball and baseball championships in the same year. They defeated bigger, richer, whiter teams across the state and along the way brought blacks and whites together, eased a painful racial divide throughout the state, and overcame extraordinary obstacles on their road to success.
-
-
Flashback to the Late 1960s
- By Toni Bowes on 09-05-19
By: Wil Haygood
-
Cinderella Man
- James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History
- By: Jeremy Schaap
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lost in the annals of boxing is the sport's true Cinderella story. James J. Braddock, dubbed "Cinderella Man" by Damon Runyon, was a once promising light heavyweight for whom a string of losses in the ring and a broken right hand happened to coincide with the Great Crash of 1929.
-
-
Excellent
- By MA on 06-05-05
By: Jeremy Schaap
-
The Longest Race
- Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team
- By: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Narrated by: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. Kara was soon winning a World Championship medal, going to the Olympics, and standing on the podium at the New York and Boston marathons, just like her coach. But behind the scenes, Salazar was hiding dark secrets.
-
-
I won’t be purchasing any more Nike products:
- By Peter on 12-03-23
By: Kara Goucher, and others
-
The Boys in the Boat
- Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
- By: Daniel James Brown
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The number one New York Times best-selling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany, the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of '36, broadcast to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 80th anniversary of the boys' gold medal race. Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times - the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.
-
-
Dear Publishers of Audio Books
- By Lynn on 08-04-14
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
-
The Radical King
- By: Cornel West - editor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Narrated by: LeVar Burton, Gabourey Sidibe, Cornel West, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wanda Sykes, LeVar Burton, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Gabourey Sidibe head a cast of beloved actors performing 23 selections from the speeches, sermons, and essays of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—many never recorded during his lifetime. For the first time, teachers, students, and thoughtful listeners can hear dramatic interpretations of Dr. King’s words, chosen and introduced by Cornel West.
-
-
Not the best MLK audiobook
- By Nathan White on 02-07-19
By: Cornel West - editor, and others
-
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon
- The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Cofounder
- By: Kenny Moore
- Narrated by: Paul Cirzan
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No man has affected more runners in more ways than Bill Bowerman. During his 24-year tenure as track coach at the University of Oregon, he won four national team titles and his athletes set 13 world and 22 American records. He also ignited the jogging boom, invented the waffle-sole running shoe that helped establish Nike, and coached the US track and field team at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
-
-
Very Inspiring!
- By Patrick Norris on 05-01-16
By: Kenny Moore
-
All About Me!
- My Remarkable Life in Show Business
- By: Mel Brooks
- Narrated by: Mel Brooks
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 95, the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television, film, and the stage. Now, for the first time, this EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner shares his story in his own words.
-
-
Wonderful and nostalgic
- By GAT on 12-07-21
By: Mel Brooks
-
Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
- By: Sarah Vowell
- Narrated by: Sarah Vowell, John Slattery, Nick Offerman, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of Assassination Vacation and Unfamiliar Fishes, a humorous account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette - the one Frenchman we could all agree on - and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States is a humorous and insightful portrait of the famed Frenchman, the impact he had on our young country, and his ongoing relationship with instrumental Americans of the time.
-
-
You likely haven't heard it this way...
- By William L. Scott III on 06-04-16
By: Sarah Vowell
-
When the Men Were Gone
- A Novel
- By: Marjorie Herrera Lewis
- Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Football is the heartbeat of Brownwood, Texas. Now, the war has changed everything. Most of the Brownwood men over 18 and under 45 are off fighting, and in a small town, the possibilities are limited. Could this mean a season without football? But no one counted on Assistant Principal Tylene Wilson, who learned the game at her daddy’s knee. She knows more about it than most men, so she does the unthinkable, convincing the school to let her take on the job of coach.
-
-
Narration takes the story to the next level
- By Hall Ways on 06-29-19
-
The Templars
- The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1307, as they struggled to secure their last strongholds in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Templars fell afoul of the vindictive and impulsive king of France. On Friday, October 13, hundreds of brothers were arrested en masse, imprisoned, tortured, and disbanded amid accusations of lurid sexual misconduct and heresy. They were tried by the Vatican in secret proceedings. But were they heretics or victims of a ruthlessly repressive state?
-
-
Unexpected
- By Protogere on 10-30-17
By: Dan Jones
-
Choosing to Run
- A Memoir
- By: Des Linden, Bonnie D. Ford - contributor
- Narrated by: Des Linden
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Des woke up on April 16, 2018, the morning of the Boston Marathon, it was 39 degrees and raining, with high, gusty winds. The weather didn’t bother her. In fact, she thought it might be a blessing. She was far from peak form—recovering from illness and questioning her running future—and didn’t expect much of herself that day. But as she ticked off mile after mile in the brutal conditions, passing familiar landmarks on the course she knew and loved, something shifted. Opportunity unexpectedly presented itself. Des tapped into her inner strength and found a reason to race.
-
-
Not great
- By Anonymous User on 04-26-23
By: Des Linden, and others
-
The Accidental President
- Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
- By: A. J. Baime
- Narrated by: Tony Messano
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The dramatic, pulse-pounding story of Harry Truman's first four months in office, when this unlikely president had to take on Germany, Japan, Stalin, and the atomic bomb, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
-
-
Exceptional
- By Jean on 11-14-17
By: A. J. Baime
-
Undefeated
- Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
- By: Steve Sheinkin
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When superstar athlete Jim Thorpe and football legend Pop Warner met in 1904 at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, they forged one of the winningest teams in American football history. Called "the team that invented football", they took on the best opponents of their day, defeating much more privileged schools such as Harvard and Army in a series of breathtakingly close calls, genius plays, and bone-crushing hard work.
-
-
I don't even like sports.
- By Melmonie on 03-12-18
By: Steve Sheinkin
-
Seabiscuit
- An American Legend
- By: Laura Hillenbrand
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail.
-
-
See you in the winner's circle
- By Janice on 06-26-13
-
Good for a Girl
- A Woman Running in a Man's World
- By: Lauren Fleshman
- Narrated by: Lauren Fleshman
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lauren Fleshman has grown up in the world of running. One of the most decorated collegiate athletes of all time and a national champion as a pro, she was a major face of women’s running for Nike before leaving to shake up the industry with feminist running brand Oiselle and now coaches elite young female runners. Every step of the way, she has seen the way that our sports systems—originally designed by men, for men and boys—fail young women and girls as much as empower them. Written with heart and verve, Good for a Girl is a joyful love letter to the running life.
-
-
Authentic and Relatable
- By AnneMarie on 01-28-23
By: Lauren Fleshman
-
The Watermen
- The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man's Fight to Capture Olympic Gold
- By: Michael Loynd
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the surface, young Charles had it all: high-society parents, a place at an exclusive New York City prep school, summer vacations in the Adirondacks. But the scrawny teenager suffered from extreme anxiety thanks to a sadistic father who mired the family in bankruptcy and scandal before abandoning Charles and his mother altogether. Charles’s only source of joy was swimming. But with no one to teach him, he struggled with technique—until he caught the eye of two immigrant coaches.
-
-
The OG of American Swimming
- By Steve Adams on 06-26-24
By: Michael Loynd
Critic reviews
"Snappy and dramatic, with an eye for the rousing climax....Schaap makes good use of his prodigious research." (Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about Triumph
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tim Guy
- 01-01-24
Thorough yet strangely misses a key historical event
Schaap though thorough about this focal point in American and German Olympic political history, misses the biggest snub of all that Jesse Owens experienced: when President Franklin Roosevelt invited all of the white athletes to the White House, but none of the blacks. How in the world the author was able to omit this episode we can only assume shows a protective bias towards FDR and the Democratic Party and hence makes him a disappointing, if not worthless historian. This is so sad because otherwise, the book is a great read, and does cover the other important facts incredibly thoroughly. 😢 Hopefully someone else can write another book that can fill in that particular event.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- S
- 02-03-09
What an amazing athlete
I learned much about Jesse Owens as an athlete and a man. Good pace and narrator. Definitely worth a listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Kate O
- 01-10-11
Excellent Book
Really great storey. Was very interesting learning about who and what Jesse Owens was about. Worth reading. Good narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 08-05-14
History
What did you love best about Triumph?
Really learned a lot about the history surrounding the 1936 Olympics. May be too detailed for some listeners.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Andy
- 04-26-07
race headwinds
This book was a great history of not only Jesse Owens, but how African Americans lived in the years just before World War II. The author does a great job of taking us right into the Olympics in Berlin. It provides a close up view on what is is like to be a member of a minority group in the run up to world class competition.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hebern
- 07-30-21
The most famous Olympics
This book is about Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics, but I guess I should say JC Owens. His name wasn’t Jesse. It was James Cleveland Owens and everyone called him JC, until he switched schools. His new teacher heard the kids calling him JC and thought they were saying Jesse. She asked him if that was right, being a shy kid he said yes and was Jesse from then on. I knew little about Owens before the book, so there was a lot of new information like that in the book for me. The 1936 Olympics are probably the most famous Olympics in modern history because they were hosted by Hitler just before the world found out just how evil he really was. Even what we knew then created debates on when the games should be moved from Germany and if not whether the US should boycott. Ultimately neither were done, but the debates were interesting. I’ve read several books that featured the 1936 Olympics and each has interesting details that I didn’t know before. This one was shorter than most I do at a little less than eight hours, but it was packed with information about Owens, Hitler and the era. Covering both sports and history, it was right up my alley. The author is Jeremy Schaap, son of longtime sports writer and broadcaster, Dick Schaap.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cup of Cold Sun
- 05-22-12
Outstanding Story... Performance a little slow
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
For the subject matter, yes. I wish this book had been done by a more engaging reader.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Jesse Owens
What three words best describe Shelly Frasier???s voice?
Just so so.
Do you think Triumph needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
No, the story stands on its own.
Any additional comments?
No
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 07-27-22
Athletics awakens respect and value across races.
Brilliantly establishes the context of a past world so troubled with hate and racism and tells a story of determination and courage that won over many hearts and minds to the idea that race doesn't determine the value of a man.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Norm Brock
- 07-30-24
Sports and history can it be better?
Summer Olympics are happening as I write this quick review, makes the timing great. I love historical biography and sports. It's hard to beat this story of a great American Champion and his "Triumph" in the face of Hitler at the 1936 games. If you love sports and history get this one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!