The Story of the Tour de France - Volume 1: 1903-1975
How a Newspaper Promotion Became the Greatest Sporting Event in the World
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The Story of the Tour de France - Volume 1: 1903-1975
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Narrated by:
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David L. Stanley
About this listen
At the dawn of the 20th century, French newspapers used bicycle races as promotions to build readership. Until 1903 these were one-day events. Looking to deliver a coup de grâce in a vicious circulation war, Henri Desgrange - editor of the Parisian sports magazine L’Auto - took the suggestion of one of his writers to organize a race that would last several days longer than anything else, like the six-day races on the track, but on the road.
That’s exactly what happened. For almost three weeks, the riders in the first Tour de France rode over dirt roads and cobblestones in a grand circumnavigation of France. The race was an electrifying success. Held annually (suspended only during the two World Wars), the Tour grew longer and more complex. Desgrange kept tinkering with an ever-changing set of rules for the Tour, looking for the perfect formula for his race.
Each year a new cast of riders assembles to contest what has now become the greatest sporting event in the world.
©2019 Bill McGann (P)2020 Bill McGannListeners also enjoyed...
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- By: Adin Dobkin
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 111
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 96
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Story4 out of 5 stars 96
On June 29, 1919, one day after the Treaty of Versailles brought about the end of World War I, nearly seventy cyclists embarked on the thirteenth Tour de France. From Paris, the war-weary men rode down the western coast on a race that would trace the country’s border, through seaside towns and mountains to the ghostly western front. Traversing a cratered postwar landscape, the cyclists faced near-impossible odds and the psychological scars of war. Most of the athletes had arrived straight from the front, where so many fellow countrymen had suffered or died.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Encyclopedia, Anyone?
- By Sheryl on 08-24-21
By: Adin Dobkin
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Faster
- How a Jewish Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler's Best
- By: Neal Bascomb
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 209
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 186
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
As Nazi Germany launched its campaign of racial terror and pushed the world toward war, three misfits banded together to challenge Hitler’s dominance at the apex of motorsport: the Grand Prix. Their quest for redemption culminated in a remarkable race that is still talked about in racing circles to this day - but which, soon after it ended, Hitler attempted to completely erase from history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Almost perfect, but lousy sound cuts and splicing
- By F. on 06-08-20
By: Neal Bascomb
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The Art of Cycling
- By: Cadel Evans
- Narrated by: Alan King
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 177
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 158
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 159
The autobiography of a cycling legend that will become a much-loved classic. The much-anticipated autobiography of the greatest Australian cyclist of all time. Famous in the sport for his meticulous preparation and an athlete who prided himself on his ability to leave it all on the road, Evans writes about the triumphs, the frustrations, the training, the preparation, the psychology of the sport, his contemporaries, the legends and his enduring love of cycling. A riveting and forensic account of his life on the bike....
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Favorite For Sure.
- By S. Gray on 04-14-21
By: Cadel Evans
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The First Tour de France
- Sixty Cyclists and Nineteen Days of Daring on the Road to Paris
- By: Peter Cossins
- Narrated by: Joseph Kloska
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
From its inception, the 1903 Tour de France was a colorful affair. Full of adventure, mishaps, and audacious attempts at cheating, it was a race to be remembered. Cyclists of the time weren't enthusiastic about participating in this "heroic" race on roads more suited to hooves than wheels, with bikes weighing up to 35 pounds, on a single fixed gear, for three full weeks. Assembling enough riders for the race meant paying unemployed amateurs from the suburbs of Paris, including a butcher, a chimney sweep, and a circus acrobat.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great rendition of the tour then and now.
- By Amazon Customer on 03-17-19
By: Peter Cossins
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The Comeback
- Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France
- By: Daniel de Vise
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 351
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 310
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Story5 out of 5 stars 312
Greg LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback. In 1989, he once again won the Tour - by a narrow margin of eight seconds. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. The Comeback chronicles the life of this great American athlete, from his roots in Nevada and California to the heights of global fame.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good book. Flawed reading.
- By david savage on 07-23-18
By: Daniel de Vise
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26 Marathons
- What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career
- By: Meb Keflezighi, Scott Douglas
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 980
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 847
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Story5 out of 5 stars 844
When Meb Keflezighi - the first person in history to win both the Boston and New York City marathons as well as an Olympic marathon medal - ran his final marathon in New York in 2017, it marked the end of an extraordinary distance-running career. Meb's last marathon was also his 26th, and each of those marathons has come with its own unique challenges, rewards, and outcomes. In 26 Marathons, Meb takes listeners on those legendary races, along every hill, bend, and unexpected turn of events that made each marathon an exceptional learning experience, and a fascinating story.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Another Great Book by Meb!
- By jda9ball on 04-16-19
By: Meb Keflezighi, and others
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Shut Up, Legs!
- My Wild Ride on and off the Bike
- By: Jens Voigt, James Startt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 276
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 247
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 248
Beloved German cyclist Jens Voigt isn't a superstar in the traditional sense of the word. Although he won three stages of the Tour de France - and wore the yellow jersey twice - Voigt never claimed an overall victory. He became a star because he embodies qualities that go beyond winning and losing: sacrifice, selflessness, reliability, and devotion. European and American crowds were drawn to his aggressive riding style, outgoing nature, and refreshing realness.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Unlike Jensie, the performance lacks
- By Brian Muncy on 03-12-19
By: Jens Voigt, and others
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Aussie Grit
- My Formula One Journey
- By: Mark Webber
- Narrated by: Nicholas Osmond
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 233
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 215
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 214
Mark Webber was at the centre of one of the most captivating chapters in the history of Formula One. In 2010, while racing for Red Bull, he and his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, went head to head for the World Championship. There could be only one winner. Since retiring from Formula One, Mark has concentrated on endurance racing, including the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race.
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2 out of 5 stars
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this story change my perspective of Mark Webber.
- By Neb on 09-01-16
By: Mark Webber
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The World's Fastest Man
- The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero
- By: Michael Kranish
- Narrated by: David Sadzin
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 148
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 136
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Story5 out of 5 stars 134
In the tradition of The Boys in the Boat and Seabiscuit, a fascinating portrait of a groundbreaking but forgotten figure - the remarkable Major Taylor, the Black man who broke racial barriers by becoming the world’s fastest and most famous bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era.
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5 out of 5 stars
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before there was Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson
- By Leo on 07-29-19
By: Michael Kranish
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Two Hours
- The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon
- By: Ed Caesar
- Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 78
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
Two hours to cover 26 miles and 385 yards. Its running's Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. Now we can glimpse the mountaintop. The sub-two-hour marathon requires an exceptional feat of speed, mental strength, and endurance. The pioneer will have to endure more, live braver, plan better, and be luckier than any who has run before. Ed Caesar takes us into the world of elite runners: the greatest marathoners on Earth.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I liked it!
- By Amazon Customer on 05-07-16
By: Ed Caesar
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The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman
- A Bone-Shaking Tour Through Cycling’s Flemish Heartlands
- By: Harry Pearson
- Narrated by: Harry Pearson
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Committed Belgophile and road cycling obsessive Harry Pearson takes you on a journey across Flanders - through the lumpy horizontal rain, up the elbow-juddering cobbled inclines, past the fans dressed as chickens and the shop window displays of constipation medicines as he follows races big, small and even smaller, through one glorious, muddy spring. Ranging over 500 years of Flemish and European history, Pearson examines the characters, the myths and the rivalries that make Flanders a place where cycling is a religion and the riders its Lycra-clad priests.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Once A Year….
- By Ryan Shadrin on 05-02-23
By: Harry Pearson
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The Tour According to G
- My Journey to the Yellow Jersey
- By: Geraint Thomas
- Narrated by: Dafydd Pritchard
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 92
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 78
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
For years Geraint Thomas appeared blessed with extraordinary talent but jinxed at the greatest bike race in the world: twice an Olympic gold medallist on the track, Commonwealth champion, yet at the Tour de France a victim of crashes, bad luck and his willingness to sacrifice himself for his teammates. In the summer of 2018, that curse was blown away in spectacular fashion - from the cobbles of the north and the iconic mountain climbs of the Alps to the brutal slopes of the Pyrenees and, finally, the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Not a fan of GT but really enjoyed the book
- By Richy on 01-27-19
By: Geraint Thomas
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Hell on Two Wheels
- By: Amy Snyder
- Narrated by: Sheila Stasack
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 104
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 96
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Story4 out of 5 stars 94
Three-time Ironman finisher Amy Snyder takes the wraps off the best kept secret in the sports world, the Race Across America (RAAM), a bicycle race like no other. Unlike its famous cousin the Tour de France, RAAM is much crazier, more gothic, and even savage: Once the gun goes off the clock doesn't stop, and the first rider to complete the prescribed 3,000-mile route is the victor. In Hell on Two Wheels, Snyder follows a group of athletes before, during, and after the 2009 RAAM.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A documentary of the toughest bike race
- By James on 12-19-13
By: Amy Snyder
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Relentless
- Secrets of the Sporting Elite
- By: Alistair Brownlee
- Narrated by: Alistair Brownlee
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 55
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 55
In his quest to define ‘sporting greatness’, double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee has spent nearly four years interviewing and training with some of the greatest minds in sport to discover what it takes to become—and remain—a champion.
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5 out of 5 stars
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🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅 What's With The Bad Reviews?!!
- By Rachel on 12-02-21
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The Perfect Mile
- Three Athletes. One Goal. And Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It
- By: Neal Bascomb
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 494
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 292
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 290
In the tradition of Seabiscuit, critically acclaimed author Neal Bascomb reaches back to the golden age of sport and crafts an utterly captivating narrative of what may be the most remarkable athletic feat of all time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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nailbiting, on the edge of your seat
- By Todd on 08-10-04
By: Neal Bascomb
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Win at All Costs
- Inside Nike Running and Its Culture of Deception
- By: Matt Hart
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 183
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 164
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 164
In May 2017, journalist Matt Hart received a USB drive containing a single file—a 4.7-megabyte PDF named “Tic Toc, Tic Toc. . . .” He quickly realized he was in possession of a stolen report prepared a year earlier by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, part of an investigation into legendary running coach Alberto Salazar, an endocrinologist named Dr. Jeffrey Brown, and cheating by Nike-sponsored runners. Combining sports drama and business exposé, Win at All Costs tells the full story of Nike’s running program, uncovering a corporate win-at-all-costs culture.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Nicely done
- By Pete Sakalowsky on 09-23-21
By: Matt Hart
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Out of the Shadow of Greatness
- By: Michael Hembree
- Narrated by: Robert Sams
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 56
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
The story of NASCAR's legendary racer - newly revised Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name virtually assured that his life would not be ordinary. Over the past decade, he has fulfilled that destiny. His father, one of the most successful drivers in the history of international motorsports, gave his son more than his name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. placed Dale Jr. in position to follow the footsteps and tire tracks he had left from Darlington to Daytona, from coast to coast, from one championship to the next.
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4 out of 5 stars
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do better research
- By David Thom on 08-05-22
By: Michael Hembree