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My Losing Season Audiobook
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(3.01) - 4,238 listener ratings
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A deeply affecting coming-of-age memoir about family, love, loss, basketball—and life itself—by the beloved author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini During one unforgettable season as a Citadel cadet, Pat Conroy becomes part of a basketball team that is ultimately destined to fail. And yet for a military kid who grew up on the move, the Bulldogs provide a sanctuary from the cold, abrasive father who dominates his life—and a crucible for becoming his own man. With all the drama and incandescence of his bestselling fiction, Conroy re-creates his pivotal senior year as captain of the Citadel Bulldogs. He chronicles the highs and lows of that fateful 1966–67 season, his tough disciplinarian coach, the joys of winning, and the hard-won lessons of losing. Most of all, he recounts how a group of boys came together as a team, playing a sport that would become a metaphor for a man whose spirit could never be defeated. Praise for My Losing Season “A superb accomplishment, maybe the finest book Pat Conroy has written.”—The Washington Post Book World “A wonderfully rich memoir that you don’t have to be a sports fan to love.”—Houston Chronicle “A memoir with all the Conroy trademarks . . . Here’s ample proof that losers always tell the best stories.”—Newsweek “In My Losing Season, Conroy opens his arms wide to embrace his difficult past and almost everyone in it.”—New York Daily News “Haunting, bittersweet and as compelling as his bestselling fiction.”—Boston Herald
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"Pat Conroy has a way about him that makes you forget you're reading, and you just get sucked into whatever story he's telling you. This autobiographical story is no different. I don't particularly like basketball, and I've never experienced life at a military school, but I was pulled into this story and felt like I was right there with him, experiencing everything he was writing about. When it's all said and done, it's not really a book about basketball and military school - it's a book the human condition, about a boy who does something he's not particularly good at because he loves to do it, and about his struggles to figure out who he is in an environment that he doesn't entirely fit into. As with just about everything else Conroy has written, this book is well-written, thoroughly engaging, and very much enjoyable. It reads more like a novel than an autobiography."
— Elizabeth (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Anyone who has ever sat in the bleachers and rooted for the home team will connect with this powerful sports memoir written by one of America’s finest storytellers…Chuck Montgomery’s performance is a winner. At home with the sports jargon used in the many on-court action sequences, Montgomery infuses energy into what could be a tedious recounting of statistics.”
— AudioFile -
“A superb accomplishment, maybe the finest book Pat Conroy has written.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“A wonderfully rich memoir that you don’t have to be a sports fan to love.”
— Houston Chronicle -
“A memoir with all the Conroy trademarks…Here’s ample proof that losers always tell the best stories.”
— Newsweek -
“Haunting, bittersweet, and as compelling as his bestselling fiction.”
— Boston Herald -
“As heartfelt and poignant a memoir as they come and a splendid contribution to the literature of sport.”
— Los Angeles Time Book Review -
“In My Losing Season, Conroy opens his arms wide to embrace his difficult past and almost everyone in it.”
— New York Daily News
Awards
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Winner of a 2003 YALSA Alex Award
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
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Winner of Alex Award, 2003
My Losing Season Listener Reviews
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Scott, 12/19/2019
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" My Losing Season is an autobiographical novel about Conroy's senior year, playing basketball at Citadel. I bought the book because I was curious to read the chapter about Joe Monte, Conroy's high school English teacher at Gonzaga HS. I was surprised at how much I liked the book --and I have zero interest in the game of basketball! The book is really about a boy who tried so hard to prove his worth to his father --and the basketball court is the stage where Conroy sought his father's approval. "
— Bonnie, 2/12/2014 -
" I love this author, and expected so much more from his autobiography. It was thoroughly boring and I would never recommend it. In fact, there was so much basketball in here, he should have just taken a ball to the court for all I got out of this. What a waste of a good writer's skill. "
— Kiessa, 2/3/2014 -
" Pat Conroy has done it again, what a amazing book! I was hesitant in reading the book because it did not look all that interesting judging by the Synopsis but when I started reading it, I could`nt put it down. The characters were unique and fresh and very believable. It had me almost crying on one chapter and had me laughing in other. Pat Conroy is not your typical author, he writes Literature, he does not write romantic novels or drama. He impeccable writer, he uses so much description and his choice of words would have you loving his writing technique. I will recommend this book to anyone,it is so gripping and thought provoking! "
— Michael, 2/3/2014 -
" I liked this book because you are able to see how a white boy struggles inside himself. You get to read about how he grows up and develops his own values. I liked it enough to read other books by Pat Conroy. "
— Marnie, 2/2/2014 -
" The basket ball fans in the group loved it. Others hated it. "
— Shawn, 1/26/2014 -
" This book is about a young Pat Conroy and his life at the Citadel. He played basketball there and tells of his passion for the game. His decription of the Citadel and basketball career is intertwined with the story of his life and abuse he suffered by his Marine Pilot father. He has used his life story as the premise for many of his bestselling novels such as The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, Beach Music, Etc. I am enjoying it but skimming some of the basketball desription. "
— susanlsimon, 1/16/2014 -
" saddest prologue I have ever read. "
— Karen, 1/7/2014 -
" Proof that you can learn more from losing.. "
— Dustin, 1/6/2014 -
" The first line says it all. "I was born to be a point guard, but not a very good one". Great read. "
— Troy, 12/29/2013 -
" A never ending sports page, can't recommend and I love sports. "
— Steven, 12/22/2013 -
" His earlier books like this are his best I think. "
— Laverne, 9/25/2013 -
" Not quite as good as "The Great Santini" or "The Prince of Tides" because it is non-fiction and a different genre for Mr. Conroy. Nonetheless, it is definitely worth picking up and reading; especially if you like watching college basketball or even playing it. "
— Shaun, 8/9/2013 -
" it's pat conroy who can be a tad "dramatic", you have been forewarned. "
— Roy, 7/23/2013 -
" An Intensely personal, sometimes heart-breaking and brutally honest lesson on loss that was ultimately uplifting. "
— Christine, 6/20/2013 -
" Pat Conroy is one of my top ten authors. I love everything he has written. "
— Rod, 6/19/2013 -
" One of my favorites of all time. Losing was winning to this young man. Often more is learned by losing than winning in life. "
— Mary, 5/4/2013 -
" Leave it to Pat Conroy to take a losing basketball season in college and make it a metaphor for life. It is a great book....but be warned, there is a lot of basketball in the book. :-) Thanks for the recommendation, Andy! "
— Tiffany, 3/28/2013 -
" This book is top notch. The story of the author growing up with an abusive father, and finding refuge in the game of basketball. Conroy is awesome once again. "
— Sharon, 2/19/2013 -
" If you love basketball and can deal with the abusive father stuff this is a great book. Great writing. I'm not that into basketball, but was amazed at the arc of the story. "
— Chris, 2/19/2013 -
" I love Pat Conroy! He is a wordsmith extraordinaire. My losing season made me wish I had played basketball. "
— Margaret, 11/28/2012 -
" I don't love basketball, but this book was fantastic. Highly reccommend. "
— Joanna, 10/16/2012 -
" Wonderful biography by Pat Conroy about his last season of college basketball. Sentimental but very honest. Loved it. "
— Marianne, 9/14/2012 -
" Intense coming-of-age, real life story. Conroy desribes the pain, hope and final forgiveness he experienced in language that is so beautiful I couldn't put the book down. "
— Maria, 7/22/2012 -
" Thoughtful account of Conroy's basketball years at The Citadel. Would be better if it had been edited more but, as always, he tells a good tale. "
— Liz, 11/18/2011 -
" just a brief note- i could read pat conroy write about ANYTHING. "
— Amy, 6/14/2011 -
" This nonfiction account of Pat Conroy's basketball career at The Citadel, particularly one season of struggles and losses, is satisfying to his fans and those who are into sports. Not as good as his best fiction, but worthwhile. "
— Tim, 5/24/2011 -
" 4.5 stars. I do not like basketball, but I do like Pat Conroy. This is a heartbreaking story of sports, friendship, family, abuse, writing, and of course, losing. Conroy manages to make you feel every ounce of both his pain and his victories. "
— Andy, 5/9/2011 -
" I laughed out loud while whipping through Conroy's excellent prose. Highly recommended. "
— Zachary, 3/28/2011 -
" didn't think i would love this one, but it is one of my favorites of conroy's. good one for those who experience march madness losses... "
— Cathy, 3/22/2011 -
" Really like it due to the basketball substance. Not a thriller, but had a nice flow "
— Stephen, 3/10/2011 -
" Conroy explores his life and his college basketball team at the Citadel. It's a very honest memoir and consistent with other books delving into his life. "
— Sjo, 2/6/2011 -
" Only Pat Conroy can take a losing and unremarkable basketball season and turn it into an engrossing book. Only Pat Conroy! "
— Mary, 2/3/2011 -
" I love Pat Conroy! He is a wordsmith extraordinaire. My losing season made me wish I had played basketball. "
— Margaret, 1/21/2011 -
" If you love basketball, you'll love this book. "
— Natalie, 1/19/2011 -
" Bought it for my Kindle after reading the prologue. Does anyone paint sports scenes as well as Conroy? I couldn't give it five stars because there were places it was a bit self-indulgent, but I highly, highly recommend it. "
— Jane, 1/13/2011 -
" I don't even like baseketball, and yet, I loved this book. <br/> <br/>I enjoy Pat Conroy's writing style and that is probably why I enjoyed this book. "
— Monica, 1/10/2011 -
" the way conroy describes basketball is amazing. "
— Kim, 12/25/2010
About Pat Conroy
Donald Patrick “Pat” Conroy (1945–2016) was an American author of acclaimed novels and memoirs, two of which made it to #1 on New York Times bestsellers list: Beach Music and South of Broad. Four of his novels were made into major motion pictures: The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini, Conrack, and The Lords of Discipline. The novel on which the movie Conrack was based, The Water Is Wide, won an NEA Human and Civil Rights Award and an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.
About Chuck Montgomery
Chuck Montgomery is a skilled narrator who has lent his voice to the works of a number of the world’s most celebrated authors, including H. W. Brands and Pat Conroy. His voice-over credits include Lone Star Nation, My Losing Season, and Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times.