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Blessed

The Breakout Year of Rampaging Roy Slaven

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Blessed

By: John Doyle
Narrated by: John Doyle
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About this listen

Who is Rampaging Roy Slaven? An Australian icon, a raconteur, an athlete of unsurpassable - and some may say improbable - sporting feats. Whether it was riding Rooting King to another Melbourne Cup victory, commentating the Olympics or hobnobbing with the country's upper crust, Rampaging Roy Slaven has lived an extraordinary life.

But even some of the greatest men come from humble beginnings. Before he shot to fame as Australia's most talented sportsman, he was just another kid in Lithgow, trying to avoid Brother Connell's strap and garner the attention of Susan Morgan from the local Catholic girls school.

Blessed follows one year in the life of the boy who would become Rampaging Roy Slaven, a boy who, even at the age of 15, knew he was destined for greatness but had to get through high school first.

John Doyle, the man who knows him best, delves into the early years of the master of midfield mayhem.

©2021 John Doyle (P)2021 Hachette Audio Entertainment & Celebrities Sports Celebrity Comedy Funny Heartfelt Witty Thought-Provoking
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Every Australian knows Rampaging Roy Slaven, the most successful sportsman ever thanks to his unbeaten prowess in footy, cricket and tennis.
Now we get the inside story on his breakout year back in Lithgow.
Riveting, truly beautiful and very funny. Don’t miss it!

The True Story of Rampaging Roy Slaven

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Doyle brings the characters to life with warmth and, well, recognition. I enjoyed it more than when I read it myself.

Loved it completely.

Better than when I read it myself

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I'm exactly the same age as John Doyle and it felt so familiar, excellent.

1967 captured

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great pseudo biography from doyle. inserts his fictional alter ego as the protagonist growing up as a young boy in lithgow. doyle is a friend of slaven and a recurring character. cant help but wonder how much of slavens story is really roys in particular his great love of his mother and disdain for his father. its a fairly original tale and where not much changes narratively. much like some stephen king novels or certain cult movies such as the big lebowski or once upon a time in hollywood this is a story about character interactions than anything else. enjoyable romp in 60's rural nsw with a lot of heart and some sports humour of course. doyle posses australias greatest trait -irreverance, in spades.

must for fans of doyle and roy

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Loved the way John Doyle intertwined his own story with that of the hero Roy. And how he invoked the feeling of country town life in the 50s and 60s with the names of popular brands and products and other sporting characters and the morals of the time, especially of a Catholic schooling. Roy was larger than life and that is just what true fans expect.

Outstanding writing and narration.

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An absolutely brilliant audio book, loved every minute of it. Extremely well written and narrated perfectly.

Sensational!

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Good to get the background on Roy. Can’t wait for more on his career.

John Doyle reading this made it or the more poignant. A great story

Doyle delivers a masterpiece

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Great listen. Thanks John Doyle for the voices... memories and love! What a character you've made from your Lithgow years with Mr Roy Slaven. The late 1960s. What a time to be alive!

Loved John's Tale of a Year in the life of Roy!

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Funny, whimsical and at times a little too close to home.
Doyle has beautifully captured a piece of Australian history that has slid through our fingers, a little like sand. Without realising it, most of these experiences are forgotten and must seem foreign to people listening today.

brilliant

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Having gone through school in Lithgow at the same time as John Doyle, I found this book to be an incredible journey through my adolescence. Reg the carpetlayer was my next door neighbour and my dad worked at Finley's. I knew almost every character in the book and by the time the book was finished I was quite sad it was over. Please John now write about 1968 and after that, 1969 and after that....

An extra layer of interest for me.

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