Product Description
Each title of The Olympics examines the the Olympic Games from ancient times, then the revival of the 1890s through to today's multi-million pound business. From the history of the games to which events are included and why, and from scandals to record breakers, The Olympics puts the reader at the centre of the action with fact-packed text, dramatic full-colour photos, facts and statistics. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first complete history of the Games' most storied race. From ancient Greece to Atlanta 1996, the book chronicles the race's development--the heroes, the controversies, and the stories that emerged from the ultimate Olympic challenge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Stories and Easy Reading
This book is made up of 29 chapters, one for each Olympic Marathon race (through 1996).The chapters average 6 pages each, which makes this book very easy to read.Each chapter/race is a fascinating story.And the book is very well written.A great read. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents "great" moments in Olympic history that have taken place in track and field events, highlighting performances by athletes that were particularly spectacular. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Fine Discussion of the St. Louis Olympics of 1904
American's have long been fascinated by the modern Olympics, the winners and losers, the exotic locations where they are held, and the stories of the participants. Without question the Olympics have been a critical element in both the competition and cooperation of nations throughout the twentieth century. It has been a source of prestige and geopolitics for all nations involved as well as a marketplace for the interchange of cultures.

"America's First Olympics: The St. Louis Games of 1904" provides an excellent overview of the first Olympics held in the United States (odd that it was not New York or another more exotic American city), held in conjunction with the St. Louis World's Fair over nearly a six month period.

Accordingly, the subject matter of this work is both significant and timely. The work is based on the good use of several key sources, many of them primary. Accordingly, this offers a fine addition to the literature on the subject. The work is also well written and offers considerable reflection on this subject. It offers stories about the people mentioned in the text, their likes and dislikes, their perspectives on the world, their ideals and opportunism. There are telling anecdotes relayed and thoughtful stories told throughout. Finally, the last chapter offers a superb set of conclusions about the meaning of this Olympics for the summer games writ large and their place in American history. ... Read more

Product Description
Impressively enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM, The Smell Of Sweat: Greek Athletics, Olympics, And Culture is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of students of Hellenic Studies and/or Olympics Sports. This remarkable body of impeccable scholarship survey's Greek athletics from the Homeric era down through the fourth century BCE. There is a wonderful body of sound information on ancient religious and athletic centers, the festivals that were associated with Hellenic games; the unique culture of the'gymnasio' and more. The CD-ROM provides easy access to literally hundreds of ancient original sources in translation. With its extensive bibliography for further study, The Smell Of Sweat is enthusiastically recommended for personal and academic instructional and reference collections.

Also available:

The Meaning of Helen: In Search of an Ancient Icon - ISBN 0865165106
The Evocation of Virgil in Tolkien's Art: Geritol for the Classics - ISBN 0865161763

For over 30 years Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has produced the highest quality Latin and ancient Greek books. From Dr. Seuss books in Latin to Plato's Apology, Bolchazy-Carducci's titles help readers learn about ancient Rome and Greece; the Latin and ancient Greek languages are alive and well with titles like Cicero's De Amicitia and Kaegi's Greek Grammar. We also feature a line of contemporary eastern European and WWII books.

Some of the areas we publish in include:

Selections From The Aeneid
Latin Grammar & Pronunciation
Greek Grammar & Pronunciation
Texts Supporting Wheelock's Latin
Classical author workbooks: Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Catullus, Cicero
Vocabulary Cards For AP Selections: Vergil, Ovid, Catullus, Horace
Greek Mythology
Greek Lexicon
Slovak Culture And History ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A wonderful body of sound information
Impressively enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM, The Smell Of Sweat: Greek Athletics, Olympics, And Culture is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of students of Hellenic Studies and/or Olympics Sports. This remarkable body of impeccable scholarship survey's Greek athletics from the Homeric era down through the fourth century BCE. There is a wonderful body of sound information on ancient religious and athletic centers, the festivals that were associated with Hellenic games; the unique culture of the "gymnasion"; and more. The CD-ROM provides easy access to literally hundreds of ancient original sources in translation. With its extensive bibliography for further study, The Smell Of Sweat is enthusiastically recommended for personal and academic instructional and reference collections. ... Read more

Product Description
Relive the high drama and rich details of the past century’s Olympic marathons!

Coauthor David Martin—the foremost authority on the history of the race and the performances of the athletes in it—presents a unique and multifaceted look at the Olympic marathon. He and Olympic marathon expert Roger Gynn have teamed up to provide a definitive resource that goes beyond statistics to offer readers a vivid chronicle of the athletes and their memorable marathon performances. For every Olympic marathon since 1896, you’ll find a detailed narrative of how the race was run, fascinating biographical details of the top finishers, the political climate surrounding the race, and a map with street descriptions of the actual race course.

Generously illustrated, often with rare and never-before-published photos, a pictorial glimpse is provided into the contemporary atmosphere and dynamics of each race. From the first marathon winner, Spiridon Louis, to legends like Emil Zátopek, Frank Shorter, and Joan Benoit Samuelson, you'll find insights and race details you can't find anywhere else. If you're a fan of running or the Olympics, this is the one book you will enjoy again and again for many Olympic years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Description of The Olympic Marthons through 2000, Men and Women
Well done decent capsules on the Olympic Marathons up through the year 2000. The book contains very good descriptions of the contenders and the races as they unfold. Also contains a great collection of pictures such as Ron Clarke, who ran the 5K and 10K (medaled), leading the Tokyo marathon, finishing 9th. Beside the descriptions of the runners, the author includes the top finishers splits so you can see how they parried over the miles, includes a list of the top 10 finishers and the post race career of the gold medalist. The women of course join in 1984 when their first Olympic marathon comes into play. The stories, list of splits and finishers is just a great reference and the race descriptions are pleasant to read. One picture is so fitting and reminiscent of the seemingly bronze place finisher at the 2008 Olympics slipping to fourth in total helplessness on the last lap; there is an early picture of the leader of a race on the track running in the second lane on a curve while being passed on the inside by one and then a second runner, relegating the leader to bronze on that last lap and he appears, like the Ethiopian in 2008, to be defenseless.

David and Roger -
I have known David and Roger since the 70's and have other books by them.They love running foot races and it shows. You can count that this will be the best researched and well written book. I was not disappointed.I dug in and read the book over a couple of weeks.If it is not in this book then it is an unproved rumor.

Great Book for Runners
If you are a runner (especially a marathoner) you have to get this book.It goes through every marathon in Olympic history, giving each race history, events, course, statistics, etc.It is very thorough, while pacing itself to get in all the Olympic marathons into a single volume.And, it was written in an interesting and readable manner.

The competition and sport of the races themselves give a great basis for an exciting read.

If you are doing a research project (like I was) this was the only book I would recommend - or, at least the first book.I could not find a book anywhere that showed the 1960 Rome Olympic course.Martin and Gynn had it.In fact, their race course map was better than the map a friend obtained for me from the Italian Olympic Library (Federazione Italiana Di Ateletica Leggera).

Fantastic, encyclopedic, and detailed historical review.
The authors, Martin and Gynn, have put together an unbelieveably detailed review of every Olympic Marathon in the modern era.The detail provided brings the excitement of each successive Marathon alive.The Olympic Marathon is, perhaps, the most grueling Olympic event, and the comprehensive coverage of each race makes the reader feel as if it's taking place before their very eyes.Read this book and you'll get a sense of the drama of the event, the personal history of the runners, and the historical setting of each race.The authors have even reconstructed old Olympic documents to trace the paths each Olympic Marathon took.The information in this book is truly encyclopedic, and the authors have given us with a wonderful sense of what this race is about.This book is a gem. ... Read more

Product Description
Olympic Glory Denied is a biographical profile of eleven of the 'World's Greatest Athletes', all of whom, for reasons beyond their control, never reached the Olympic starting line. This book features portraits of great track athletes like Fait Elkins, Charley Hoff and Heino Lipp. For the most part they are forgotten ghosts of yesteryear, never able to take claim of the mantle, Olympic decathlon champion. Only one name is recognisable to most readers, that of current world record holder Dan O'Brien. In 1992 O'Brien failed to make the US Olympic team. But unlike his ten predecessors, O'Brien had another opportunity -- a second chance in Atlanta 1996. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Great subject - writing could be much better
I am very disappointed in Mr. Livingston's writing style.The subject matter is wonderful, the story great, the history interesting, but the writing is full of childish ananologies that would be ok if they were sporadic, but are so frequent that they are inappropriate and detract from the story."In the Great Lakes area, on the Malone football field, which is only a punt, pass and kick from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio....""The wind, a pole-vaulter's vane, is often fanged with sleet, which rattles off a man's skin like birdshot."I have not read Mr. Livingston before so do not know if this is typical, but given my experience with this book I don't plan on reading any more of his writing.

Like New!! Quick Shipping!!
Overall, very satisfied. The book looks like I bought it from Barnes & Nobles.
I would purchase again anytime.

Altius!
A great read for anyone who's curious about what kind of dedication it takes to bring home the gold as an American competitor in Track and Field. The book sheds light on the fact that, unlike in many other countries, there's really no support structure for Olympic athletes here in the 'States -- just blood, sweat, tears, and dedication.Not to mention the fact that (surprise, surprise) sailing through the air at 15+ feet above the ground can and has killed men aspiring for greatness in pole vaulting. Livingston's renditon of Tim Mack's quest for the gold is a fascinating read with a serious potential to reach out and grab anyone even vaguely interested in Olympic athleticism.

Fabulous read...
It helps to be a track and field fan while reading this amazing book, but it's certainly not required.The writing is so good and the stories so compelling that anyone who picks up the book will get hooked.

If you thought that the act of pole vaulting could be described in a couple of sentences, beware.Livingston could make a rainbow from one color.His descriptions of the danger, the art, the complexity, and the mystery of the event will make you start watching pole vaulting in a new and exciting way.

Get the book.Get several and send them to friends for Christmas.

Up, up and away
I spent my high school years in the high jump pit and was always jealous of the glory guys who needed a pole to achieve lift-off.
Now I know why I was jealous. Pole vaulters really are more interesting than the rest of us, regardless of whether we've ever competed in track and field.
Bill Livingston's crackerjack telling of Tim Mack's high flown adventures is the most interesting book I've read all year -- and there's not a high jumper in it.
"Above and Beyond" proves that some of the best writing in this country is done by the lonely guys way up there fighting deadline pressure in a stuffy press box. Livingston is one of the sportswriting's finest practitioners. And Mack's story is infinitely worth the telling.
... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, 2nd ed., brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 638 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The Early Civilizations in the Americas Reference Library provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the regions of the American continents in which two of the world's first civilizations developed: Mesoamerica (the name for the lands in which ancient civilizations arose in Central America and Mexico) and the Andes Mountains region of South America (in present-day Peru and parts of Bolivia, northern Argentina, and Ecuador). In both regions, the history of civilization goes back thousands of years. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, 2nd ed., brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 4849 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The Early Civilizations in the Americas Reference Library provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the regions of the American continents in which two of the world's first civilizations developed: Mesoamerica (the name for the lands in which ancient civilizations arose in Central America and Mexico) and the Andes Mountains region of South America (in present-day Peru and parts of Bolivia, northern Argentina, and Ecuador). In both regions, the history of civilization goes back thousands of years. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

A Clash of isms and a Cry of Foul
I cannot compete with Jeremy Schaaps research or scholarship. My objection to this work is more visceral and based on my own research of the period and by statements from Marty Glickman and from newspaper sources. Mano o mano, I've written a novel, and it's only time away that I will stand in some cubicle arguing my belated point. But if truth be known, the period sources must say that a great injustice herein lies to the Brown Thunderbolt. Marty Glickman was a lifelong friend of Jesse Owens. He credited him for trying to defy the coaches and Brundage for not letting Sam Stoller and him compete in the four man marathon run. Owens was exhausted by then, had already lost about ten pounds and wanted to go home. He was told to shut up and do what he was told. To suggest that HE was really jockeying behind the scenes to run for his fourth gold medal does not fly. He was no double agent, befriending Glickman and Stoller. It was not this gentle giant who was the instrument that helped lead to the total marginalization of Jews that was implicit in these Games. To suggest otherwise is a great disservice and blunts the impact of how powerful were the forces behind the rise of the Third Reich--specifically, the American corporations and financiers who profited unmercifully from Hitler's fledgling government and whom Avery Brundage served with all his might. I spent twenty-seven years writing my story and though Schaap is sometimes poetic, even brilliant in getting the pulse of the place, I think he does no service to Jesse or the commeraderie of the intermingled races that were evident in the Eleventh Olympiad that may have set the almost unbreakable bonds created twenty years later when Blacks and Jews marched through Montgomery together. What is not explored in this novel is the innocence, and ultimate betrayal of the American dream. While American athletes were competing, Americans also lay dying in Spain. Fifteen thousand white Americans were getting ready for a lynching of a Negro in Kentucky, and President Roosevelt was sailing aboard his yacht in Maine. I hope my novel,as historical fiction and often told as parody(Arian Bandage is the arch-villain) addresses some of these issues and brings that sorry period to a more fitful rest.

Robert Rubenstein
Author, Ghost Runners
on AmazonGhost Runners

Interesting Look
Interesting look at an historic time in history - the Olympics of 1936 (Hitler's Olympics) and the man of the hour, Jesse Owens. The author brings the reader into the politics of the time - the good, bad and the ugly. He sets up Jesse's background and how he arrived on the world stage as well as what happened to him after all the hoopla died down. There's a little something for everybody - history, politics, intrigue and the Olympic games in an uncomfortable social/political setting.

Informative
I listened to the audio version of this title. It was well read and held my attention. Made me appreciate for all our societal failings in the area of race relations just how far we've come since Jesse Owen's time. A timeless story of triumph over adversity.

great service
I bought this for my niece's husband, who has taken up marathons.Arrived quickly and in great shape.

I wouldn't recommend this book
As a student at The Ohio State University, for two years I lived next door to a building named after Jesse Owens. He is considered a hero, and rightfully so. I have always been interested in getting to know more about his life, and thought this book would be a good start. I was wrong.

There are a lot of inconsistencies about Mr. Schaap's book. The most frustrating one to me is that he paints the title as if Jesse Owens was involved in the politics of the Third Reich. Owens admittedly didn't care about politics at this time in his life. He was doing it because he couldn't live a great life without winning Olympic Gold. Owens, later in life, made mention that Hitler was nicer to him about winning a Gold Medal then FDR (because Roosevelt never congratulated him and Hitler at least waved to him).

Second, the story isn't very fluid. As we all know, Hitler hated blacks, Jews, the disabled, and anyone else that didn't fit his bigoted mold. But at the same time, this book covers Hitler's anti-semitism more then his hatred of blacks and Christians. Covering Hitler's hatred of those (since Owens was both Black and Christian) would have been more on topic. This gave me the feeling that I was reading two books at once. One about Owens, the other about Hitler's hatred of the Jews.

Finally, there are some topics that don't seem to contribute anything to the story. Schaap mentions a documentary about the Olympics many times in the book, but doesn't really connect the dots. Sure, it had Owens in it (to Hitler's annoyance) but there were more important things to talk about then a director and her getting the right camera angles during parts of the games.

Overall the book has a few parts that are fun to read, but it's nothing more then that. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
Juan Antonio Samaranch became President of the Olympic Committee in 1980. He took charge of a movement that was on the edge of collapse. The combined effects of terrorism, financial mismanagement and international boycotts, which had characterised the Games at Munich, Montreal and Moscow, had severely damaged the credibility of the Olympics. Twelve years later Samaranch presides over a highly successful organization, whose future is secure, and whose gross revenue between 1989 and 1992 will exceed $1.8 billion. David Miller has maintained close links with Samaranch throughout his IOC presidency, and with the help of many of Samaranch's colleagues and advisers, has produced a portrait of a man who has, in the course of his presidency, had to travel nearly two hundred million miles, meeting with many of the world's top political leaders, forging compromise and contributing to the stabilization of East-West sporting relations that ultimately produced a virtually boycott-free Seoul Olympics.This book takes the reader through the early days of deep and bitter internal political wrangling where Samaranch's diplomacy was tested to the limit - often reading like the machinations of a spy novel - the controversy surrounding the intense commercialism of the Los Angeles Olympics and the Ben Johnson drug incident. ... Read more

Product Description
Hardcover book with amazing photos of Olympic athletes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Well Worth the Money
I've found some of Annie's more recent fashion photography to be some what hit and miss; with some of it relying too heavily on props and sensationalism in an attempt to be edgy or original. This book however made me respect her skill anew. What stood out was the superb composition of the photographs, only bested perhaps by the master of portraiture (in my opinion) of Edward Steichen.

Fascinating Look at the Challenges of Sports Photography
Clearly, Annie Leibovitz is as talented as they come these days for black-and-white portraits of people who are used to posing (like actresses, actors, singers, and models).What happened when she took on athletes as her subject, looking at the preparations by Americans for the Atlanta games in 1996?

The portraits are usually stunning, as might be expected.Many of the action photographs leave something or much to be desired.But that's part of what makes the book interesting.I came away with a new respect for those terrific sports action photographs that I love so much.

As Ms. Leibovitz says, "Each time I worked with an athlete I had two possibilities: . . . concentrate on the person or . . . on the sport.""Sometimes I was able to do both."And those moments when she did both are sublime!

The motion shots are the difficulty.She nicely states the problem."If you see it, you've missed it."So you have to shoot with an expectation of what is likely to follow, and keep shooting.I suspect that she did not allow enough time to get enough of all the kinds of shots that sports photographers have led us to expect."The fixed image . . . has to be just the right slice of time, [to]. . . stand for -- and suggest -- the whole movement."

Her talent as a portrait photographer serves her well.The young women and men take on superhuman auras in stunningly composed frames.By focusing on the preparations for the games rather than the games themselves (which are very commercial now), she harkens back to the original Greek ideal of sport as a way to pursue mental and physical perfection.

If I liked the work so much, why did I grade it down one star?As I mentioned earlier, many of the motion shots were either unexciting or below the standard I am used to seeing.In addition, the pages in this book are too small for the images so many photographs have a fold right through critical details.The design is quite weak in that sense.

Here are my favorite images:

Jon Olsen (p. 17)

Amy Van Dyken (p. 19)

Mark Lenzi (p. 21)

Mihai Bagiu (p. 35)

Dominique Moceanu (p. 37)

Dominique Moceanu and John Roethlisberger (p. 39)

Men's Eight (pp. 54-55)

John Godina (p. 66)

Esther Jones, Gwen Torrence, Carlette Guidry (pp. 80-81)

Gwen Torrence (pp. 88-89)

Julie Foudy (pp. 102-103)

Chanda Rubin (pp. 104-105)

Darrick Health (pp. 132-133)

Becky Dyroen-Lancer, Heather Simmons-Carrasco, and Jill Savery (pp. 134-135)

Kevin Burnham and Morgan Reeser (pp. 174-175)

I suggest that you take up Ms. Leibovitz's challenge yourself, by photographing children practicing sports.Your subjects will be delighted with the attention, and they will be easier to shoot because they don't move as fast as adult athletes.

Shoot first, and review the contact sheets later!

Not Olympic-quality photography
Disappointing.Technically very good, but overall lacking in originality.Most of these photographs could have been taken by any newspaper sports photographer.

talent
I have gotten several copies of this book, I think these photographs are amazing and deserve an award.

Gold Medal for Leibovitz
This collection of photography at first struck me as being quite gloomy and severe.However, after a closer study of each image I realized that Leibovitz expertly captures so much of the primal emotion of physicalexertion.The images range from eerily erotic to firecely competitive--while also maintaining the dignity of each individual athlete. I'mtypically not a big fan of b&w photography but here it really works.The starkness of each image allows the humanness of each athlete to reallycome through while simultaneously allowing the terror, agony, and glory ofthe human body in competition to shine. ... Read more

Product Description
Each title of The Olympics examines the the Olympic Games from ancient times, then the revival of the 1890s through to today's multi-million pound business. From the history of the games to which events are included and why, and from scandals to record breakers, The Olympics puts the reader at the centre of the action with fact-packed text, dramatic full-colour photos, facts and statistics. ... Read more