
Al Bernstein
30 Years, 30 Undeniable Truths about Boxing, Sports, and TV
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
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $17.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Al Bernstein
-
By:
-
Al Bernstein
About this listen
For just over 30 years Al Bernstein has been one of the most recognizable and respected sportscasters in America. In those three decades, the “voice of boxing” reported the funny, poignant, and bizarre events that helped shape sports television, ESPN, boxing, Las Vegas, and Showtime. With an eclectic cast of characters that includes every big name in boxing, including Marvin Hagler, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao, as well as such names in the entertainment world as Rodney Dangerfield, Sylvester Stallone, Russell Crowe, Jerry Lewis, and Jack Nicholson, Bernstein's memoir will have you in stitches.
©2013 Al Bernstein (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Unbeaten
- By: Mike Stanton
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of The Prince of Providence comes a revelatory biography of Rocky Marciano, the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.The son of poor Italian immigrants, with short arms and stubby legs, Rocky Marciano accomplished a feat that eluded legendary heavyweight champions like Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson: He never lost a professional fight. His record was a perfect 49-0.
-
-
Great book, terrible accents in the reading
- By Ishmael Angaluuk Hope on 11-02-21
By: Mike Stanton
-
A Ringside Affair
- Boxing's Last Golden Age
- By: James Lawton
- Narrated by: Tim Bentinck
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For three decades at the end of the 20th century - throughout boxing's most engrossing era - James Lawton was ringside, covering every significant bout, spending time with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hitman Hearns, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and many other great fighters. Lawton found himself captivated by the sport as he followed it around the world.
-
-
great boxing book
- By Anonymous User on 02-27-24
By: James Lawton
-
The Boxing Kings
- When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring
- By: Paul Beston
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
An outstanding book on heavyweight champions
- By LSmith on 02-01-18
By: Paul Beston
-
The War
- Hagler-Hearns and Three Rounds for the Ages
- By: Don Stradley
- Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time. But in the months before the two finally collided on April 15, 1985, there was a feeling in the air that boxing was in trouble.
-
-
great war!
- By Anonymous User on 10-30-24
By: Don Stradley
-
The Fight
- By: Norman Mailer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaïre, two African American boxers were paid five million dollars apiece to fight each other. One was Muhammad Ali, the aging but irrepressible "professor of boxing." The other was George Foreman, who was as taciturn as Ali was voluble. Observing them was Norman Mailer, a commentator of unparalleled energy, acumen, and audacity.
-
-
I enjoyed the heck out of this audiobook
- By tinyclanger on 04-13-20
By: Norman Mailer
-
Undisputed Truth
- By: Mike Tyson, Larry Sloman
- Narrated by: Joshua Henry
- Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Philosopher, Broadway headliner, fighter, felon - Mike Tyson has defied stereotypes, expectations, and a lot of conventional wisdom during his three decades in the public eye. Bullied as a boy in the toughest, poorest neighborhood in Brooklyn, Tyson grew up to become one of the most thrilling and ferocious boxers of all time - and the youngest heavyweight champion ever. But his brilliance in the ring was often compromised by reckless behavior.
-
-
Fascinating story about a train wreck of a life
- By Brock on 11-19-13
By: Mike Tyson, and others
-
Unbeaten
- By: Mike Stanton
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of The Prince of Providence comes a revelatory biography of Rocky Marciano, the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.The son of poor Italian immigrants, with short arms and stubby legs, Rocky Marciano accomplished a feat that eluded legendary heavyweight champions like Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson: He never lost a professional fight. His record was a perfect 49-0.
-
-
Great book, terrible accents in the reading
- By Ishmael Angaluuk Hope on 11-02-21
By: Mike Stanton
-
A Ringside Affair
- Boxing's Last Golden Age
- By: James Lawton
- Narrated by: Tim Bentinck
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For three decades at the end of the 20th century - throughout boxing's most engrossing era - James Lawton was ringside, covering every significant bout, spending time with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hitman Hearns, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and many other great fighters. Lawton found himself captivated by the sport as he followed it around the world.
-
-
great boxing book
- By Anonymous User on 02-27-24
By: James Lawton
-
The Boxing Kings
- When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring
- By: Paul Beston
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
An outstanding book on heavyweight champions
- By LSmith on 02-01-18
By: Paul Beston
-
The War
- Hagler-Hearns and Three Rounds for the Ages
- By: Don Stradley
- Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The battle between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time. But in the months before the two finally collided on April 15, 1985, there was a feeling in the air that boxing was in trouble.
-
-
great war!
- By Anonymous User on 10-30-24
By: Don Stradley
-
The Fight
- By: Norman Mailer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaïre, two African American boxers were paid five million dollars apiece to fight each other. One was Muhammad Ali, the aging but irrepressible "professor of boxing." The other was George Foreman, who was as taciturn as Ali was voluble. Observing them was Norman Mailer, a commentator of unparalleled energy, acumen, and audacity.
-
-
I enjoyed the heck out of this audiobook
- By tinyclanger on 04-13-20
By: Norman Mailer
-
Undisputed Truth
- By: Mike Tyson, Larry Sloman
- Narrated by: Joshua Henry
- Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Philosopher, Broadway headliner, fighter, felon - Mike Tyson has defied stereotypes, expectations, and a lot of conventional wisdom during his three decades in the public eye. Bullied as a boy in the toughest, poorest neighborhood in Brooklyn, Tyson grew up to become one of the most thrilling and ferocious boxers of all time - and the youngest heavyweight champion ever. But his brilliance in the ring was often compromised by reckless behavior.
-
-
Fascinating story about a train wreck of a life
- By Brock on 11-19-13
By: Mike Tyson, and others
-
The Big Fight
- My Life In and Out of the Ring
- By: Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Arkush
- Narrated by: Sugar Ray Leonard
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this unflinching and inspiring autobiography, the boxing legend faces his single greatest competitor: himself. Sugar Ray Leonard's brutally honest and uplifting memoir reveals in intimate detail for the first time the complex man behind the boxer. The Olympic hero, multichampionship winner, and beloved athlete waged his own personal battle with depression, rage, addiction, and greed.
-
-
Sugar Ray
- By KDeSantis on 11-09-18
By: Sugar Ray Leonard, and others
-
The Fight of the Century
- Ali vs. Frazier March 8, 1971
- By: Michael Arkush
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first meeting between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden, transcended the world of sports to become a major international media spectacle with tremendous social and political overtones. Sportswriter Michael Arkush draws from interviews with Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee; his doctor, Ferdie Pacheco; and more than 100 others to examine how the fight, watched by more than 300 million viewers around the world, ushered in a new era of sports marketing. From then on, every game would be turned into an "event," powered by over-the-top hype and carefully staged pageantry.
-
-
History brought to Life
- By Amazon Customer on 02-14-25
By: Michael Arkush
-
Robin
- By: Dave Itzkoff
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in Mork & Mindy and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations - all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed. But as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams’ comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt.
-
-
Disappointing but worth a read
- By Joe Moore on 05-18-18
By: Dave Itzkoff
-
Tiger Woods
- By: Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian
- Narrated by: Roger Casey
- Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2009, Tiger Woods was the most famous athlete on the planet, a transcendent star of almost unfathomable fame and fortune living what appeared to be the perfect life - married to a Swedish beauty and the father of two young children. Winner of 14 major golf championships and 79 PGA Tour events, Woods was the first billion-dollar athlete, earning more than $100 million a year in endorsements from the likes of Nike, Gillette, AT&T, and Gatorade. But it was all a carefully crafted illusion. As it turned out, Woods had been living a double life for years.
-
-
Schadenfreude For Non-Fans
- By Dubi on 02-16-19
By: Jeff Benedict, and others
-
Love Life
- By: Rob Lowe
- Narrated by: Rob Lowe
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Love Life serves up another delicious selection of intimate stories and observations from Rob Lowe's life, told with humor, warmth, and brutal honesty. After writing his acclaimed debut effort, Lowe felt he had more stories to share and many more friends to introduce. The result is a touching memoir about the business and craft of acting, the pitfalls of success, family, love, and much more.
-
-
Open, Honest, Sentimental... not quite as Intimate
- By Kelly on 01-07-16
By: Rob Lowe
-
There's Just One Problem...
- True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE
- By: Brian Gewirtz
- Narrated by: Greg Baglia
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades, wrestling was shrouded in secrecy. It had larger-than-life personalities, bone-crunching physicality and jaw-dropping theatrics, but backstage, it was an industry devoid of outsiders. Then in 1999, after working together on a special for MTV, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson turned to 26-year-old television writer Brian Gewirtz and asked, “You ever consider writing for WWE?” That question, and its answer, would have a profound effect on both of their lives for years to come. There's Just One Problem is a story about perseverance, tenacity, and steel chairs.
-
-
There's Just Obe Problem...Narration.
- By Joshua on 08-28-22
By: Brian Gewirtz
-
Always By My Side
- By: Jim Nantz
- Narrated by: Jim Nantz
- Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Always By My Side traces Jim Nantz's career, from creating his own imaginary TV studio he created as a boy to his college days rooming with future PGA Tour golfers to his chance meeting with NBC Sports producer Don Ohlmeyer that started him on a path that led to a successful CBS network audition at the age of 26. Along the way, he remembers his friendships with such sports royalty as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and Bill Walton.
-
-
great message for everyone who loves their dad and
- By Anonymous User on 04-06-19
By: Jim Nantz
-
Those Guys Have All the Fun
- Inside the World of ESPN
- By: James Andrew Miller, Tom Shales
- Narrated by: James Andrew Miller, Matt McCarthy, Joan Baker
- Length: 27 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
ESPN began as an outrageous gamble with a lineup that included Australian Rules Football, rodeo, and a rinky-dinky clip show called Sports Center. Today the empire stretches far beyond television into radio, magazines, mobile phones, restaurants, video games and more, while ESPN's personalities have become global superstars to rival the sports icons they cover.
-
-
You wish this was SportsCenter!
- By Jason on 06-09-11
By: James Andrew Miller, and others
-
Angry Optimist
- The Life and Times of Jon Stewart
- By: Lisa Rogak
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Angry Optimist, Lisa Rogak charts his unlikely rise to political stardom, from his early stand-up days to the short-lived but acclaimed Jon Stewart Show. Drawing on interviews with current and former colleagues, she reveals how things work behind the scenes at The Daily Show.
-
-
Narration was a poor choice. The read was forced and distracting
- By loose id production on 05-09-16
By: Lisa Rogak
-
Top of the Morning
- Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV
- By: Brian Stelter
- Narrated by: Brian Stelter
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just as The Late Shift did for late night television, Top of the Morning reveals the dish and dirt behind the polite smiles and perky demeanors of morning television. Listeners will be fascinated by the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes stories about the cutthroat battle for first place before dawn. The book is based on all-new reporting at the highest levels.
-
-
You ignored the obvious white male privilege in Morning TV?
- By isaiah Jones on 04-23-21
By: Brian Stelter
-
How I Got This Way
- By: Regis Philbin
- Narrated by: Regis Philbin
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this entertaining memoir, the irrepressible Regis Philbin - consummate talk show host, man about town, loving husband, father, and yes, obsessive sports fan - looks back at his years in show business. How I Got This Way is filled with stories of lessons learned with extraordinary, and often unsuspecting, teachers: David Letterman, Donald Trump, Jack Nicholson.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By Linda on 07-27-18
By: Regis Philbin
-
From Saturday Night to Sunday Night
- My Forty Years of Laughter, Tears, and Touchdowns in TV
- By: Dick Ebersol
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders, Dick Ebersol
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Think of an important moment in live TV over the last half-century. Dick Ebersol was likely involved. Dropping out of college to join the crew of ABC’s Wide World of Sports, Ebersol worked the Mexico City Olympics during the famous protest by John Carlos and Tommie Smith as well as the Munich Olympics during the tragic hostage standoff. He went on to cocreate Saturday Night Live with Lorne Michaels and later produced the show for four seasons, helping launch Eddie Murphy to stardom.
-
-
TV fan
- By Mary Ann Mattingly on 01-13-25
By: Dick Ebersol
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Al Bernstein
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dan
- 04-17-13
Just Loved it! Al talking Sports...with ME!
What did you love best about Al Bernstein?
The whole audiobook made me feel like I was sitting across the table from Al. His friendly personality and voice, that I have grown to love over the years watching boxing, really comes through when you listen to it here. All in all, it just blended perfectly for me. Al is a VERY funny man and great storyteller! Enjoy...
What was one of the most memorable moments of Al Bernstein?
Loved the story about his interview getting "KO'd" by Mike Tyson
What about Al Bernstein’s performance did you like?
All of it. He is the voice of Boxing.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I did. I had to stop once to get a fresh adult beverage. This is PERFECT for a one sitting listen.
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
- David
- 05-08-13
An Undeniable Pleasure
What did you love best about Al Bernstein?
It didn't feel like a book, but rather a night sitting drinking with a new friend listening to their stories. The inside personal look at boxing and sportscasting was a wonderful trip through a world that the fan and spectator doesn't get to see or experience. A trip between the ropes, into the locker room and behind the door of the training gym. While I've been never been much more than a casual boxing fan, aware of the 'big' stories, but not the inner drama. This reignited my interest in the sport, its personalities and its history. Thanks for the virtual "night out" Al!
What other book might you compare Al Bernstein to and why?
None that I've read recently come to mind.
What about Al Bernstein’s performance did you like?
His passion, his authenticity, his vulnerability all added to the experience of sharing the book with him.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
If I was reading the physical book, rather than listening to the audio book (an experience I'm not particularly familiar with), I think this would be a book I would find myself reading long after my bedtime. I'd be forcing myself to stop for the night to get a little sleep instead of reading.
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
- Benjamin
- 11-02-18
Light-hearted, informative, quick read
This book was fun. If you like boxing and stories behind people involved in the sport, you'll enjoy this book. There's no venom in it, just facts and colorful tales. Al Bernstein is a great story teller.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sean
- 05-15-13
Funny and Insightful
The insight that Al brings to the table is priceless. I was delighted with the books candor, Al's comedic quality, as well as the detail of events as only Al Berstein can deliver.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- James M. Dusablon
- 04-16-13
Wow! What a great book.
I enjoyed every story and felt like Al was talking just to me. He has a great sense of humor and his insights into boxing and the entertainment scene are right on.
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
- Rubi
- 04-13-16
great book
al Bernstein roller-coaster life but at the end it turned out good would recommend to boxing and sport lovers
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Miz Mizeerryy
- 06-10-16
boxing goru
I am a person who loves facts, and that is exactly what Al has put together here. great book, great read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Juan Manuel Valverde
- 10-22-16
I was expecting more
Its not a very good boxing book. There's a lot inside this book that involves agenda. Did it really need to include an Andre Ward chapter praising him as "super"? I liked the parts when Al talked about Ray Robinson and the golden age of boxing. Some of his stories about Ray Mancini and George Foreman were also good. Overall its just not a very good boxing book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!