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  • The Test

  • My Autobiography
  • By: Brian O'Driscoll
  • Narrated by: Aidan Kelly
  • Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (368 ratings)
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The Test cover art

The Test

By: Brian O'Driscoll
Narrated by: Aidan Kelly
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Summary

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Test, the stunning autobiography from rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll, read by Aidan Kelly.

Between 1999, when he made his international debut, and his retirement in 2014, there was no greater player in world rugby than Brian O'Driscoll.

In 2010 Rugby World magazine named him its world player of the decade - and since then the legend has only grown. Along the way he was tested - by personal loss, off-the-field pressures, and career-threatening injuries.

The Test is a book about how he took on those challenges - how a world-class talent developed a world-class work ethic and temperament. As he lost his youthful pace, O'Driscoll's reinvented himself as a player, revealing the remarkable character and drive behind the glittering gifts. In the latter years of his career, he put in a sequence of gladiatorial performances that etched themselves into the minds of every rugby fan every bit as indelibly as the legendary early tries in Paris and Brisbane.

Honest, gritty, and thoughtful, The Test is not just an essential sports book. It is an essential book about family, friends, hard work, courage, and imagination.

©2014 Brian O'Driscoll (P)2015 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about The Test

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  • Overall
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Brilliant

Best biography I've listened to, well done to all involved. A must if you like or love rugby.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Amusing start

The opening chapters painted a charming start to life- but a description of match after match, injury after injury actually became somewhat tedious. Fair play for a good and lengthy career though.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Pretty boring if I’m honest

A true legend of rugby but I found the book extremely boring. Skips over a lot of key details for me, would of been really good to get more insight and stories. Maybe he’s just a pretty tame boring bloke though.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • al
  • 07-10-22

brilliant just like BOD 👍 🇮🇪☘️

fantastic to listen to again and again. I've never forget the wonderful moments talked about in this book

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

If you're a fan of rugby union, in particular the Ireland team and of course Brian O'Driscoll then you'll love this book.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not the best narrated

Wasn’t impressed with the narrator as miss pronounced name of people and places. Apart from this it was good to hear the story of a great.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

Excellent audio book, really good insight into an Irish hero. Brought back so many wonderful memories of Leinster and Ireland successes

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good Biography, Decent insight but played it safe

I'm a big fan of O'Driscoll and the biography shows us a good portion of the man himself. Very interesting to see his major issues physically and mentally and ability to recognise when he is vulnerable and human.

There are no real controversial topics in the book and any issue he seems to take the peacemaker role. Everyone has bad points and it would have been good to see something beyond constantly being the nice guy. This could have been managed by mentioning some of the stories from the wild nights out he said has and how he would be in the middle of things on a nighg out but there is no story which tells us that. Maybe that is who he is though and he does come across as a very humble, caring, generous and a normal person who hasn't let any of it go to his head.

Worth a read on the beach

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

One for rugby lovers.

Really gets into BODs career, telling the tails of many of his most memorable performances. Small details made the man, and they make the book excellent for the fan.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

BOD

one of the all time greats on the field, very enjoyable listen and a real insight into his life and effort that went into turning him into the best 13 ever to wear the Lions jersey

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