A Life's Calling

The riveting autobiography of iconic American sportscaster Tom Durkin
Sports have become indelibly linked to the voices that describe the action, from Al Michaels at the Olympics to baseball's Vin Scully and basketball's Marv Albert. In horseracing, perhaps no single voice did as much to reshape, modernize, and improve the soundtrack of the sport as Tom Durkin.
In A Life's Calling: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races, Tom Durkin, alongside longtime turf writers Paul Volponi and Lenny Shulman, shares his fascinating story. Readers will revel in his tales of life in the backwater stops of the Midwest learning horse racing among rickety grandstands and local hustlers, and of the day when he called the first Breeders' Cup and ended up at an after-party surrounded by Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Cary Grant. Durkin also candidly recounts how the pressure to describe each race with flawless accuracy became too much, leading him to step away from the spotlight while still at his prime.
Durkin's life is as colorful as his description of a come-from-behinder weaving his way through horses toward a photo finish. A Life's Calling is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more about the voice behind many of horse racing's greatest calls.

Tom Durkin is a retired American sportscaster specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing and the iconic voice of the Breeders' Cup and Kentucky Derby. He was the race caller for NBC Sports from 1984 through 2010 and served as announcer for the New York Racing Association for over two decades. He lives in New York.
Paul Volponi is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of over 20 books, including Black and White, Rikers High, The Final Four, and Famous First Impressions. His recent work, The 32 Principles: Harnessing the Power of Jiu-Jitsu to Succeed in Business, Relationships, and Life (co-authored with Rener Gracie), made a trio of bestseller lists. He lives in New York.
Lenny Shulman is an Emmy Award-winning television and film writer. He is the author of Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory; Ride of Their Lives; and Head to Head. He received the prestigious Walter Haight Award for lifetime achievement as a turf writer. He lives in Kentucky.

Introduction
Chapter 1: Nature and Nurture
Chapter 2: I Hear a Voice Calling
Chapter 3: I Am Who I Am
Chapter 4: The Lie That Took Wing
Chapter 5: Nomadic Race Caller
Chapter 6: I'm a Game-Show Contestant
Chapter 7: Kicking Down the Doors
Chapter 8: Changing the Face of Race Calling
Chapter 9: Artistic Influences
Chapter 10: The Breeders' Cup Gig
Chapter 11: Remembering All Those Horses' Names
Chapter 12: The Mayor Daley and Signature Lines
Chapter 13: Big Apple Bound
Chapter 14: New York by Night
Chapter 15: Confronting My Battle with Stress and Anxiety
Chapter 16: My Irish-Italian Soul
Chapter 17: Oh, Shit! I Get the Kentucky Derby!
Chapter 18: (Failed) Triple Crown Chances
Chapter 19: Breeders' Cup Moments: From Epic to Tragic
Chapter 20: Breeders' Cup Moments: Surprises, Cigar, and American Pride
Chapter 21: My Breeders' Cup After-Parties
Chapter 22: Saratoga is Saratoga
Chapter 23: Arrrrr, Oddities, and Challenging Names
Chapter 24: Splash-tastic (The Last Call)
Chapter 25: Retirement
Chapter 26: Horse Ownership
Chapter 27: One More Belmont Stakes
Conclusion