Waterman
The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku
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Narrated by:
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Aaron Killian
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By:
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David Davis
About this listen
Waterman is the first comprehensive biography of Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968): swimmer, surfer, Olympic gold medalist, Hawaiian icon, waterman.
Long before Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz made their splashes in the pool, Kahanamoku emerged from the backwaters of Waikiki to become America's first superstar Olympic swimmer. The original "human fish" set dozens of world records and topped the world rankings for more than a decade; his rivalry with Johnny Weissmuller transformed competitive swimming from an insignificant sideshow into a headliner event.
Kahanamoku used his Olympic renown to introduce the sport of "surf-riding", an activity unknown beyond the Hawaiian Islands, to the world. Standing proudly on his traditional wooden longboard, he spread surfing from Australia to the Hollywood crowd in California to New Jersey. No American athlete has influenced two sports as profoundly as Kahanamoku did, and yet he remains an enigmatic and underappreciated figure: a dark-skinned Pacific Islander who encountered and overcame racism and ignorance long before the likes of Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, and Jackie Robinson.
Kahanamoku's connection to his homeland was equally important. He was born when Hawaii was an independent kingdom; he served as the sheriff of Honolulu during Pearl Harbor and World War II and as a globetrotting "Ambassador of Aloha" afterward; he died not long after Hawaii attained statehood. As one sportswriter put it, Duke was "Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey combined down here."
In Waterman, award-winning journalist David Davis examines the remarkable life of Duke Kahanamoku, in and out of the water.
The book is published by University of Nebraska Press.
©2015 David Davis (P)2017 Redwood AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Interesting
- By Always Honest on 10-10-16
By: Michael Clarkson
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The Billionaire and the Mechanic
- How Larry Ellison and a Car Mechanic Teamed Up to Win Sailing's Greatest Race, the America's Cup
- By: Julian Guthrie
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The America’s Cup, first awarded in 1851, is the oldest trophy in international sports, and one of the most hotly contested. In 2000, Larry Ellison, co-founder and billionaire CEO of Oracle Corporation, decided to run for the coveted prize and found an unlikely partner in Norbert Bajurin, a car radiator mechanic who had recently been named Commodore of the blue collar Golden Gate Yacht Club.
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Good but incomplete
- By Blaine on 01-29-16
By: Julian Guthrie
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The Masters
- Golf, Money, and Power in Augusta, Georgia
- By: Curt Sampson
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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The Masters golf tournament weaves a hypnotic spell. It is the toughest ticket in sports, with black-market tickets selling for $10,000 and more. Success at Augusta National breeds legends, while failure can overshadow even the most brilliant of careers. But as Curt Sampson reveals in The Masters, a cold heart beats behind the warm antebellum facade of this famous Augusta course.
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Okay Listen, but
- By Scott D. Loeffler on 05-02-08
By: Curt Sampson
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Jack London
- An American Life
- By: Earle Labor
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 16 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Jack London was born a working class, fatherless Californian in 1876. In his youth, he was a boundlessly energetic adventurer on the bustling West Coast - an oyster pirate, a hobo, a sailor, and a prospector by turns. He spent his brief life rapidly accumulating the experiences that would inform his acclaimed best-selling books The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The Sea-Wolf.
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Glad I chose this
- By SherryH on 04-14-19
By: Earle Labor
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Good Day!
- The Paul Harvey Story
- By: Paul J. Batura
- Narrated by: Paul J. Batura
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In Good Day!: The Paul Harvey Story, author Paul J. Batura follows the remarkable life of one of the founding fathers of the news media. Paul Harvey started his career during the Great Depression and narrated America's story day by day, through wars and peace, the threat of communism and the crumbling of old colonial powers, consumer booms and eventual busts.
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Should have been better
- By Royce Brown on 12-21-09
By: Paul J. Batura
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Get Out of Your Own Way
- How to Overcome Any Obstacle in Your Life
- By: Larry Winget
- Narrated by: Larry Winget
- Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
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You think you know what you want in life. You've tried to achieve those things. But if you still don't have them, the culprit may be closer than you think. In this perspective-altering program, the world-renowned Pitbull of Personal Development(tm), Larry Winget, exposes the things you are doing right now to unknowingly prevent your own success in the most important areas of your life.
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Was just OK
- By KatieReviewsStuff on 01-30-17
By: Larry Winget
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Strong Boy
- The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan, America’s First Sports Hero
- By: Christopher Klein
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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"I can lick any son of a bitch in the world." So boasted John L. Sullivan, the first modern heavyweight boxing champion of the world, a man who was the gold standard of American sports for more than a decade and the first athlete to earn more than a million dollars. He had a big ego, a big mouth, and even bigger appetites. His womanizing, drunken escapades, and chronic police-blotter presence were godsends to a burgeoning newspaper industry.
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Larger than life
- By Rusty Shackelford on 09-23-24
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Smoketown
- By: Mark Whitaker
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Mark Whitaker's Smoketown is a captivating portrait of this unsung community and a vital addition to the story of black America. It depicts how ambitious Southern migrants were drawn to a steel-making city on a strategic river junction; how they were shaped by its schools and a spirit of commerce with roots in the Gilded Age; and how their world was eventually destroyed by industrial decline and urban renewal. Whitaker takes listeners on a rousing, revelatory journey - and offers a timely reminder that Black History is not all bleak.
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Hopes for Pittsburgh aka "Up South"
- By Dr. Pepper on 05-01-18
By: Mark Whitaker
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Wonder Girl
- The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- By: Don Van Natta Jr.
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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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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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 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
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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.
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nailbiting, on the edge of your seat
- By Todd on 08-10-04
By: Neal Bascomb
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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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Road to Valor
- A True Story of World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation
- By: Aili McConnon, Andres McConnon
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on nearly 10 years of research in Italy, France, and Israel, including interviews with Gino Bartali's family, former teammates, a Holocaust survivor Bartali saved, and many others, Road to Valor is the first book ever written about the Italian cycling legend in English and the only book written in any language to fully explore the scope of Bartali's wartime work. An epic tale of courage, comeback, and redemption, it is the untold story of one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
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Hollywood .... look this story !!!
- By Fabiano on 04-03-19
By: Aili McConnon, and others
What listeners say about Waterman
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- adaspe
- 02-28-20
What a great man, what a great story!
I truly wish I could express my feelings & thoughts brought up during & after listening to his story. It seems to be well thought out & researched. I certainly won’t check out the validity of it, both the good or the bad. Some would argue that I just heard what I wanted to hear. But I would argue that nothing I have ever read, seen or heard about Duke Kahanamoku would contradict any of the great & wonderful things he accomplished or embodied. As a surfer & swimmer & mainly as a man I could not think of a greater example of all three than The Duke. The magnitude of his feats are awe inspiring, but his calm, gentle & dignified manner should be admired & emulated by all.
Aloha & mahalo 🐬🌈🌺
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kimberly R
- 08-16-24
I love being able to listen to this book but …
I love learning about the legend that is Duke Kahanamoku, whose story is surprisingly lesser known for how wide of a scope of influence and aloha this man spread around the world. It’s awesome being able to listen to this book while I walk and do my daily activities BUT… I have listened to other titles about Hawai’i narrated by Mapuana Makia for example and I think it’s doing this book a severe injustice by not having it be narrated by someone who understands the local Hawaiian words and dialect. I would consider an updated recording with a new narrator that will do the story properly and provide an accurate depiction of what this also white author was trying to convey. Would love to see more books about Hawai’i narrated by and written by Hawaiians. Thank you!
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- Chris
- 10-07-18
Outstanding
This book and it's stories fill a unique place in my personal being. I live in and grew up in Hawaii and know most of the places, people and events described in this book. I was 8 years old when the Duke passed, the same year my Parents signed me up as a member of the Outrigger Canoe Club. I also have a deep connection with the ocean and the variety of activities it offers. I love all things Hawaii and accept the good it has to offer while tolerating its negatives. If you are an American, The Duke lives in all of us in some unique way, read this book and find out your connections. If you're from Hawaii and listen to it, prepare yourself for the annunciation of some of the Hawaiian Words and places, they're not quite on, the narrator should've consulted the Bishop Museum or Kamehameha Schools. But, Thank You David Davis for Sharing this book with the world. Aloha and Mahalo, CW
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2 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 02-15-22
A Deeper Dive
This is a careful account of the storied life of a legend. But it peels falsehoods away so a human being may emerge: a magnificent Native Hawai'ian human being. The narrator's knack for accents makes his fleeting impressions of famous people especially entertaining but even without those, I found it to be a very satisfying and rewarding listen.
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- SelfMade
- 10-11-22
The butchering of the Hawaiian language
It’s painful to hear the narrator pronounce hawaiian names and places. I’m from Hawaii and couldn’t even make out what he was saying. It’s like nails on a chalkboard. The irony is that there are parts of the book that talks about the influence of the white man on shaping Honolulu and I feel like this is what an ignorant foreigner from that era would sound like.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Crystal Hoganson
- 06-30-23
waverider
I thought this was a fun read because my name is also Duke and the narrators skills with imitating the people in the story were good.
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