
Madden
A Biography
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Narrated by:
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Mark Moseley
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By:
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Bryan Burwell
About this listen
Several years after his playing career was cut short by injury before it had a chance to really begin, John Madden was hired as an assistant coach by the Oakland Raiders, one of professional football's most iconoclastic franchises. Two years later he was named the team's head coach and proceeded to lead the Raiders to five championship games in his first seven seasons. Following years of heartbreaking losses in some of history's most memorable games including the Immaculate Reception against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972 Madden and the Raiders finally reached the mountaintop, winning Super Bowl XI and giving Oakland its first title. One year later, Madden abruptly left the game he loved, retiring with the second-best winning percentage in NFL history. Had John Madden's football career ended there, his life would still be remarkable. The fact that it was only just beginning has made him an American icon and a beloved legend to millions of fans across the globe.
In Madden, longtime sports columnist Bryan Burwell has written the first comprehensive biography of this living legend. From his days as a star athlete in Daly City, California, Madden was driven to succeed, a trait that helped him persevere during his tumultuous years with the Raiders under Al Davis and compelled him to try his hand at broadcasting after his coaching career was over. Madden's incredible football knowledge, down-home sensibilities, and tireless work ethic made him arguably the most popular sports analyst in any sport and led to a long and storied career as a TV pitchman. In the third stage of his public life, the Hall of Fame coach became known to new generations of fans through his eponymous line of groundbreaking video games, which are among the best-selling titles of all time.
Madden is an entertaining, enlightening, and often poignant look back at the life of one of the greatest coaches, broadcasters, and beloved ambassadors the game has ever known.
©2011 Bryan Burwell (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Great, everything I hoped for, but...
- By Shortfellow on 11-30-14
By: Al Michaels, and others
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Dream Team
- How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
- By: Jack McCallum
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation. As a senior staff writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona.
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Great insight into the great basketball team ever.
- By James O'Brien on 09-04-12
By: Jack McCallum
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America's Game
- The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation
- By: Michael MacCambridge
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 22 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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America's Game traces pro football's grand transformation, from the World War II years, when the NFL was fighting for its very existence, to the turbulent 1980s and 1990s, when labor disputes and off-field scandals shook the game to its core, and up to the sport's present-day preeminence. A thoroughly entertaining account of the entire universe of professional football, from locker room to boardroom, from playing field to press box, this is an essential book for any fan of America's favorite sport.
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I wished for chronology…
- By Jason on 06-19-24
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Showtime
- Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling sportswriter Jeff Pearlman draws from almost 300 interviews to take the first full measure of the Lakers’ epic Showtime era. A dazzling account of one of America’s greatest sports sagas, Showtime is packed with indelible characters, vicious rivalries, and jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes stories of the players’ decadent Hollywood lifestyles. From the Showtime era’s remarkable rise to its tragic end - marked by Magic Johnson’s 1991 announcement that he had contracted HIV - Showtime is a gripping narrative of sports, celebrity, and 1980s-style excess.
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Offended at the style used to voice black characters.
- By NP on 01-15-22
By: Jeff Pearlman
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Head On
- A Memoir
- By: Larry Csonka
- Narrated by: Phil Thron
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Larry Csonka ran the football with audacity and authority. He lived his off-the-field life with equal abandon. As part of the NFL's 100th Anniversary, he and his undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins teammates were named the best team in NFL history. In Head On, Csonka shares how they achieved their legendary Perfect Season. From quitting football at a young age, to his often-combative relationship with Coach Don Shula, to brazen exploits with his NFL pals, Csonka narrates a life that is colorful, unbridled, and thrilling.
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My Childhood Hero
- By Amy MacDougall on 01-28-23
By: Larry Csonka
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Sweetness
- The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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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
- By RevInTampa on 08-19-15
By: Jeff Pearlman
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Swagger
- Super Bowls, Brass Balls, and Footballs - A Memoir
- By: Jimmy Johnson, Dave Hyde
- Narrated by: Chris Henry Coffey
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Hall of Fame football coach Jimmy Johnson’s house isn’t on the way to anything. Yet, his private sanctuary on the Florida Keys’ Islamorada islands is a popular destination to which college and professional coaches, general managers, and team owners regularly trek to seek advice—how to build a positive team culture, draft elite players, balance work and family life, and lead a team to win. Why? Because Jimmy Johnson has done it all. Now, written with sports journalist Dave Hyde, Johnson shares a candid account of his life experiences that have turned him into a legend in the coaching world.
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AMAZING AND NECESSARY READ FOR FOOTBALL FANS EVERYWHERE
- By elaine clancy on 01-24-23
By: Jimmy Johnson, and others
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The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban
- How Alabama's Coach Became the Greatest Ever
- By: John Talty
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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With coach Nick Saban at the helm, the Crimson Tide has won six of the last twelve national titles. The 2020 championship team showcased Saban's evolution as a leader and further solidified what many long suspected was true: Nick Saban is college football's greatest coach ever. Leaders of any kind, including coaches and beyond, stand to gain great wisdom and inspiration by learning from his success.
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A Regrettable Use of a Credit
- By Jeremy Barnett on 01-22-23
By: John Talty
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Path Lit by Lightning
- By: David Maraniss
- Narrated by: David Maraniss
- Length: 23 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Jim Thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport. Most famously, he won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, he was an All-American football player at the Carlisle Indian School, the star of the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and played major league baseball for John McGraw’s New York Giants. Even in a golden age of sports celebrities, he was one of a kind.
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Authors can’t always narate
- By SH on 09-05-22
By: David Maraniss
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Chuck Noll
- His Life's Work
- By: Michael MacCambridge
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Chuck Noll won four Super Bowls and presided over one of the greatest football dynasties in history, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 70s. Later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his achievements as a competitor and a coach are the stuff of legend. But Noll always remained an intensely private and introspective man, never revealing much of himself as a person or as a coach, not even to the players and fans who revered him.
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One of the Best Football books available
- By JBC on 09-09-17
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Talking to GOATs
- The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard
- By: Jim Gray
- Narrated by: Tom Brady, Jim Gray, Carol Burnett, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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A journalist who many iconic athletes have trusted to tell their stories (of both triumph and disgrace), Jim has had unprecedented access to the people, places, and extraordinary events in the world of sports. Asking tough but fair questions, he has broken numerous stories, and landed squarely in the middle of others, from the Ben Johnson and Barry Bonds steroid scandals, to Michael Jordan’s surprise retirement, to the off-the-court Kobe/Shaq feud which led to their on-the-court break up, to being part of the live broadcast for 22 Super Bowls.
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Writing a book is not easy, Dan.
- By TheDadAbides on 11-17-20
By: Jim Gray
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Out of the Pocket
- Football, Fatherhood, and College GameDay Saturdays
- By: Kirk Herbstreit, Gene Wojciechowski - contributor
- Narrated by: Kirk Herbstreit
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Kirk Herbstreit is a reflection of the sport he loves, a reflection of his football-crazed home state of Ohio, where he was a high school star and Ohio State captain, and a reflection of another Ohio State football captain thirty-two years earlier: his dad Jim, who battled Alzheimer’s disease until his death in 2016.
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Great read for true college FB fans
- By Bbmc on 08-30-21
By: Kirk Herbstreit, and others
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Rickey
- The Life and Legend of an American Original
- By: Howard Bryant
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Few names in the history of baseball evoke the excellence and dynamism that Rickey Henderson’s does. He holds the record for the most stolen bases in a single game, and he’s scored more runs than any player ever. “If you cut Rickey Henderson in half, you’d have two Hall of Famers,” the baseball historian Bill James once said. But perhaps even more than his prowess on the field, Rickey Henderson’s is a story of Oakland, California, the town that gave rise to so many legendary athletes like him.
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An All Time Grewt
- By Anonymous User on 10-09-23
By: Howard Bryant
What listeners say about Madden
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- MovieGuy
- 03-08-16
Essential For Raider And Madden Fans
I'm not going to lie, this book is pretty flawed in many ways. It doesn't seem to be that well researched. In particular the coaching years don't seem to be covered that well, and I was pretty disappointed with the coverage. Also the narrative structure is deeply flawed. When talking about particular, notable football games in Madden's life, the writer first starts with the outcome (why?) and then describes the game (ugh). And the writing, in general, leaves a lot to be desired.
That said... there is still a lot of really great stuff in there, that Madden and Raider fans really can't afford to pass this up. There's a little bit about him and John Robinson growing up together, there's some stuff about Madden and his college years as a student and football player, and then of course his years as a coach, and finally as a broadcaster. The broadcaster years are actually pretty in-depth and insightful and probably the highlight of the book.
I'm still hoping that someone will come out with a better biography of John Madden, but until they do, this book is worthy of a listen. I'm very glad that I got it.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Joe Hunk
- 12-13-23
Author
Loved the author’s impersonation of John Madden. It added to the story. Made Madden’s comments come to life
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-23-20
Very enjoyable
A fun book for any fan. The old Raider stories make me relive my early childhood. When I liked that team with the pirate on their helmet.
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2 people found this helpful
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- sheryl
- 12-20-22
Truly amazing
What a read. Madden has brought so many people into the fold of football and to hear about him and his view just gives you a little more .
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- Scott Rago
- 11-01-24
The value of family
Great coach great person new to view
Football as a love of life god family football in that order.
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- Carl B
- 01-17-22
Well written, a riveting account of a respected football legend, a must listen to!
The book provides an inside perspective but not gossipy. I enjoyed the references and antidotes of players I grew up watching I the 1960-70’s. John and Virginia’s compassion given to Darryl Stingley was moving. I probably will listen to this entire book again.
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- bryan stevenson
- 05-25-23
What a great Book!
I thought all aspects of this audio book were great! The book itself is very well written with such a great look into the life of a Football Legend! Narration is spot on as well. It’s not easy to impersonate a verse that most people listening to this book, have actually heard in real life. Yet the narrator does a great job of just that. Highly recommend for any fan of Madden or someone wanting to learn who he was.
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-23-23
Great story and good narration
Kept my attention from start to finish. If you like football you should listen to this.
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- Shane King
- 01-08-22
Amazing book.
I really enjoyed this book, it provided and great look into his life and the performance was amazing.
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- MBR
- 02-09-22
John Madden, America’s real deal!
The insightful inside story about the life of football legend, Hall of Fame Coach John Madden. From his childhood days to his video game enterprise success and everything in between, this audible book endears you to the regular, down to earth personality of “The Coach”. I’ll be listening again, it’s too enjoyable to have to stop because it’s over.
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