The Best There Ever Was
Dan Patch and the Dawn of the American Century
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The Best There Ever Was
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Narrated by:
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Rob Gorden
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By:
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Sharon B. Smith
About this listen
His winning percentage was well above Jordan’s shooting average or Woods’s domination of golf tournaments. And he sold products and drew spectators like no one had ever done. He was hands down the most famous athlete in America’s most popular spectator sport, and exactly one hundred years ago you would have been hard pressed to find anybody in the country who didn’t know his name. He was Dan Patch, and he was a racehorse. At the turn of the last century, harness racing drew larger crowds and offered bigger paychecks than any other sport.
Its stars were household names, and Dan Patch was both the most celebrated and the richest. As successful as he was on the track, Dan Patch was also America’s first “marketing machine”: the horse who could sell cigars, washing machines, stoves, automobiles, and animal feed, just by the presence of his name and photograph. The Best There Ever Was examines the evolution of sports marketing through the lives of Dan Patch and the three men who owned him: an Indiana breeder, Dan Messner; M. E. Sturgis, who sold the horse for $20,000 (a fortune in those days) and spent the rest of his life trying to buy him back; and Marion W. Savage of Minneapolis, whose entrepreneurial skills presaged today’s sports marketing geniuses.
Any athlete who can draw a 90,000-person crowd, offer up world records, and then sell a coal stove with his name on it may well be the best by anybody’s standards. A fun and fascinating listen for sports lovers.
©2013 Sharon B. Smith (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Before Babe Ruth…before Muhammad Ali…before Michael Jordan…there was Dan Patch.
The Best There Ever Was, narrated by a jolly and youthful-sounding Rob Gorden, follows the athletic exploits of legendary turn-of-the-century harness racing horse, Dan Patch, the most decorated "athlete" of his time and perhaps the very first sports marketing phenomenon.
Among other notable accomplishments, Dan Patch broke world speed records over a dozen times in his day and practically every American was riveted. Yet the name Dan Patch has quietly faded from public consciousness. This audiobook does a remarkable job of bringing it back. Eat your heart out, Seabiscuit.
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 171
In the wake of World War II, as turmoil and chaos were giving way to optimism, Americans were looking for inspiration and role models showing that it was possible to start from the bottom and work your way up to the top—and they found it in Stymie, the failed racehorse plucked from the discard heap by trainer Hirsch Jacobs. Taking listeners on a crowd-pleasing ride with Stymie and Jacobs, Out of the Clouds unwinds a real-life Horatio Alger tale of a dauntless team and its working-class fans who lived vicariously through the stouthearted little colt they embraced as their own.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Mostly about the people, not much about the horse
- By BDM on 11-12-20
By: Linda Carroll, and others
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American Pharoah
- The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner's Legendary Rise
- By: Joe Drape
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,517
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 4,044
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Story4 out of 5 stars 4,039
History was made at the 2015 Belmont Stakes when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown, the first since Affirmed in 1978. As magnificent as the champion is, the team behind him has been all too human while on the road to immortality. Written by an award-winning New York Times sportswriter, American Pharoah is the definitive account not only of how the ethereal colt won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, but how he changed lives. Through extensive interviews, Drape explores the making of an exceptional racehorse, chronicling key events en route to history.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Narrated like a Pre-School Teacher
- By Michael on 05-06-18
By: Joe Drape
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Come on, Seabiscuit!
- By: Ralph Moody
- Narrated by: Cameron Beierle
- Length: 4 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 127
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 108
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Story5 out of 5 stars 107
During the Great Depression, Seabiscuit captured American hearts from the soup kitchens to the White House. In this classic story, Ralph Moody recounts the true story of a plucky horse that refused to quit, a down-on-his-luck jockey determined to help his horse win, and the trainer who brought out the best in both.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A MUST read/listen!!!
- By skater on 08-08-19
By: Ralph Moody
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The Eighty-Dollar Champion
- Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation
- By: Elizabeth Letts
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 332
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 292
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Story5 out of 5 stars 288
November 1958: the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Into the rarefied atmosphere of wealth and tradition comes the most unlikely of horses - a drab white former plow horse named Snowman - and his rider, Harry de Leyer. They were the longest of all longshots - and their win was the stuff of legend.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Heartwarming and historical
- By Skipper on 07-01-20
By: Elizabeth Letts
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The Horse God Built
- The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World’s Greatest Racehorse
- By: Lawrence Scanlan
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 104
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 94
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 94
In The Horse God Built, best-selling equestrian writer Lawrence Scanlan has written a tribute to an exceptional man that is also a backroads journey to a corner of the racing world rarely visited. As a young black man growing up in South Carolina, Eddie Sweat struggled at several occupations before settling on the job he was born for - groom to North America's finest racehorses. As Secretariat's groom, loyal friend, and protector, Eddie understood the horse far better than anyone else.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent book and perfectly written
- By Jeffrey P. Allen on 09-01-17
By: Lawrence Scanlan
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Two Hours
- The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon
- By: Ed Caesar
- Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 78
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
Two hours to cover 26 miles and 385 yards. Its running's Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. Now we can glimpse the mountaintop. The sub-two-hour marathon requires an exceptional feat of speed, mental strength, and endurance. The pioneer will have to endure more, live braver, plan better, and be luckier than any who has run before. Ed Caesar takes us into the world of elite runners: the greatest marathoners on Earth.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I liked it!
- By Amazon Customer on 05-07-16
By: Ed Caesar
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I Invented the Modern Age
- The Rise of Henry Ford and the Most Important Car Ever Made
- By: Richard Snow
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 728
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 631
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 626
In many ways, Henry Ford's story is well-known; in many more ways, it is not. Richard Snow masterfully weaves together a fascinating narrative of Ford's rise to fame through his greatest invention, the Model T. A highly pleasurable listen, filled with scenes and incidents from Ford's life, I Invented the Modern Age shows Richard Snow at the height of his powers as a popular historian and reclaims from history Henry Ford, the remarkable man who, indeed, invented the modern world as we know it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Complicated Man
- By Jean on 11-23-13
By: Richard Snow
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Seabiscuit
- An American Legend
- By: Laura Hillenbrand
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,862
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,464
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,469
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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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See you in the winner's circle
- By Janice on 06-26-13
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Major Taylor
- The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men Who Helped Him Achieve Worldwide Fame
- By: Conrad Kerber, Terry Kerber
- Narrated by: Barrie Buckner
- Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 61
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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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3 out of 5 stars
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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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Saving Baby
- How One Woman's Love for a Racehorse Led to Her Redemption
- By: Jo Anne Normile, Lawrence Lindner
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 91
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 82
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
Jo Anne Normile was not supposed to keep the foal, an exuberant Thoroughbred with only a few white hairs on his reddish-brown forehead. But she fell in love with the young horse, who had literally been born into her arms. The breeder finally said she could keep the colt, whom she nicknamed "Baby" - but only if she raced him. It was difficult to take Baby away from the safety of his pasture. But Normile had made a promise.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent book! Worth reading or listening to it.
- By L. Collins on 10-05-17
By: Jo Anne Normile, and others
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Beautiful Jim Key
- The Lost History of the World’s Smartest Horse
- By: Mim Eichler Rivas
- Narrated by: Mim E. Rivas
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
The horse Jim was known as Beautiful Jim Key from the moment he stepped into the American spotlight in 1897 at age eight until his death in 1912. This horse was beloved for his remarkable intelligence, cultivated by human kindness and patience. No less extraordinary was the man who trained Jim, Dr. William Key of Shelbyville, Tennessee, a former slave who in his life had seen horrific cruelty toward humans and animals. Bill Key was a self-schooled veterinarian and Black entrepreneur who refused to use force in any guise while breaking and training horses.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Interesting subject, but horrible narration
- By Ken M. on 10-05-21
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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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Overall5 out of 5 stars 351
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 310
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Story5 out of 5 stars 312
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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5 out of 5 stars
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Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
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Fins
- Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit
- By: William Knoedelseder
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 114
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
This audiobook chronicles the birth and rise to greatness of the American auto industry through the life of Harley Earl, an eccentric six-foot-five, stuttering visionary who dropped out of college and went on to invent the profession of automobile styling, thereby revolutionized the way cars were made, marketed, and even imagined. Harleys Earl’s story qualifies as a bona fide American family saga. It began in the Michigan pine forest in the years after the Civil War, traveled across the Great Plains on the wheels of a covered wagon, and eventually settled in Hollywood, California.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Great report of amazing history but could do without the WOKE lean..
- By joshua Shaw on 07-02-22
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The Man Who Listens to Horses
- By: Monty Roberts
- Narrated by: Ed Sala
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 265
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 238
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Story5 out of 5 stars 236
Monty Roberts' father, a traditional horse trainer, had taught his son to dominate a horse in order to "break" it. But when he was 13, Monty made a discovery that changed his life. As he watched a mare tame a rebellious colt, Monty saw that she was speaking to it through eye and body movements. Astonished, Monty realized that he could train horses by using their language, speaking to them in ways that would form trust and understanding. Developing techniques based on what he learned from the horses around him, Monty embarked on a remarkable career - one that would bring him international fame as the real Horse Whisperer.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great read/listen for any horse lover
- By Anonymous User on 09-07-18
By: Monty Roberts
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The World's Fastest Man
- The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero
- By: Michael Kranish
- Narrated by: David Sadzin
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 148
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
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Story5 out of 5 stars 134
In the tradition of The Boys in the Boat and Seabiscuit, a fascinating portrait of a groundbreaking but forgotten figure - the remarkable Major Taylor, the Black man who broke racial barriers by becoming the world’s fastest and most famous bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era.
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5 out of 5 stars
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before there was Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson
- By Leo on 07-29-19
By: Michael Kranish
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One Summer
- America, 1927
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,585
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,048
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,030
One of the most admired nonfiction writers of our time retells the story of one truly fabulous year in the life of his native country - a fascinating and gripping narrative featuring such outsized American heroes as Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, and yes Herbert Hoover, and a gallery of criminals (Al Capone), eccentrics (Shipwreck Kelly), and close-mouthed politicians (Calvin Coolidge). It was the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things and came of age in a big, brawling manner. What a country. What a summer. And what a writer to bring it all so vividly alive.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Why 1927?
- By Mark on 10-18-13
By: Bill Bryson
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Out of the Shadow of Greatness
- By: Michael Hembree
- Narrated by: Robert Sams
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 56
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
The story of NASCAR's legendary racer - newly revised Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name virtually assured that his life would not be ordinary. Over the past decade, he has fulfilled that destiny. His father, one of the most successful drivers in the history of international motorsports, gave his son more than his name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. placed Dale Jr. in position to follow the footsteps and tire tracks he had left from Darlington to Daytona, from coast to coast, from one championship to the next.
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4 out of 5 stars
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do better research
- By David Thom on 08-05-22
By: Michael Hembree
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Battle for the Big Top
- P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus
- By: Les Standiford
- Narrated by: B.J. Harrison
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Millions have sat under the “big top,” watching as trapeze artists glide and clowns entertain, but few know the captivating stories behind the men whose creativity, ingenuity, and determination created one of our country’s most beloved pastimes. In Battle for the Big Top, New York Times best-selling author Les Standiford brings to life a remarkable era when three circus kings - James Bailey, P. T. Barnum, and John Ringling - all vied for control of the vastly profitable and influential American Circus.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic!
- By IsleWait on 09-30-22
By: Les Standiford