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The Agony of Victory
- When Winning Isn't Enough
- Narrated by: Graham Corrigan
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
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The Agony of Victory
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Summary
What makes some men drive themselves to succeed in their chosen sport, no matter how daunting the odds? And what are the struggles that victory almost inevitably brings? Meet the swiftest and saddest cyclist of his time, a man whose craving for speed was outstripped by a terrible urge toward self-annihilation. Try to understand the most accomplished high-school runner in American history, whose long-distance records still astound and who, a few years later, abruptly abandoned his wife and three small children. Learn about the briefly glorious life of the leading scorer in Division I college basketball, one of the inner city’s great success stories . . . while it lasted.
This superbly narrated and insightful audiobook follows the paths of thirteen ravaged champions in solitary crafts such as cycling and running, bowling and boxing, hiking and golf. These men work at and master their sports, driven only by a burning need to prove themselves. Movingly detailed here are their painful journeys to grace, and their eventual realization that no victory brings lasting happiness. In short, here is the human experience, told in seconds and miles, scorecards and records.
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Editor reviews
The expression "it's lonely at the top" aptly applies to the tragic figures at the heart of Steve Friedman's examination of a selection of star athletes and their problems with depression, alcoholism, psychosis, crime, and even suicide. Friedman seeks to answer the question of whether these cyclists, runners, boxers and others have succeeded in their fields despite their problems or have somehow been driven by them. Full of anecdotes that are sometimes amusingly and often heartbreakingly personal this audiobook is performed with a stark and respectful journalistic tone by Graham Corrigan providing an engaging and intriguing listen.
What listeners say about The Agony of Victory
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ramo82
- 03-12-22
great for looking at the sad side of sports
this book looks at the success and failure of sport in general, it's really good but I wish all the stories were completed rather than missing bits out till the end
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan T
- 08-01-22
Interesting collection of stories
Unlike the previous reviewers I found the narration fine and aporopriate. The analytical style suited some of the extreme content of the book.
it's an varied and maybe uneven collection of essays and some are really quite gripping with some useful insights.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Simon
- 20-01-22
a bit shit
I got bored listening to this book and couldn't wait to finish it.
even though there were interesting elements, overall I was a little disappointed.
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