Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

awsome
I like this book.I like the olympic games and how the Greek language is printed.This is great by Toutatis!

Asterix and Ancient Greece
It is fun to travel to ancient Greece with our beloved Gaulish village. A story with a comical twist and a nice recreation of Athens with its golden Athena statue, Olympia and other beautiful places. Great work!

The fun doesn't get translated
French version is great, one of my favorite comics. English version is plain boring. They translated the words, not the fun.

A very good album - almost prophetic of the doping scandals
In this fine Asterix album, after learning that there is a Roman soldier in one of the garrisons surrounding the village preparing for the (ancient) Olympic Games, the Gaulish tribe decide they should participate too, much to the consternation of the Romans. So all the males in the village go to Olympia en masse, thinking that the magic potion will give them a natural advantage over their competitors. But once the Greeks learn about the magic potion, they won't have anything with athletes using it and threaten to disqualify the Gauls (remember, this book was written in the 1960s, many years before the doping scandals surrounding the Olympic Games). This forces Asterix to enter the games on his own, without the help of the potion, against (seemingly) much stronger opponents (Obelix, having fallen into Panoramix's pot as a child, is disqualified forever of participation in the games). A great book from the Goscinny and Uderzo series.

Asterix gets a little excercise in Greece
A bit of a change from other Asterix stories, this one lacks much usage of the famous "magic potion" when it would have helped, but the little Gaul manages just fine without.Very funny and a good lesson in ancient Greece. ... Read more

Product Description
Politics has always been an integral part of the Olympics - not an occasional intruder in the form of a boycott, protest, or act of terrorism. In this probing social history, distinguished by a lively mix of journalism and scholarship, Allen Guttmann discusses the intended and actual meaning of the modern Olympic Games, from 1896 to 2000. Recounting the memorable and significant athletic events of the Olympics in terms of their social and political impact, Guttmann demonstrates that the modern games were revived to propagate a political message and continue to serve political purposes. This second edition of Guttmann's critically acclaimed history includes coverage of the controversial tenure of Juan Antonio Samaranch as president of the International Olympic Committee, a period tainted by rising drug use among athletes and scandals accompanying the awarding of sites and marked by the debut of openly professional athletes and the significantly increased role of female athletes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Skims the surface
This is a frustrating book.On one hand, there is a lot of good detail and information on the inception and growth of the modern Olympic games.On the other, just when you think Guttmann is going to delve deeper into a topic he simply skips right on by and gives a quick recap of the medal winners in a given year.He barely even mentions the travesty of 1972 in Munich, and makes only passing mentions of some of the iconic moments of the last 50 years.Instead, he seems much more concerned with the behind the scenes wrangling amongst the various members of the IOC.Indeed, the subtitle of the book should be "A history of the IOC leadership."

Thus, a definitive history of the Olympic games remains to be written.Although the blurbs on the back claim this is a landmark in social and political history, it is anything but.Babe Didrickson, Billy Mills, etc are mentioned, but that's about it.Even his discussion of South Africa and the associated boycotts related to Apartheid are fractured and incomplete.

It's worth a read...but I wish I had visited the library for this one rather than spent my money on it.I recommend you do the same. ... Read more

Product Description
The Olympics thrill the world with spectacle and drama. They also carry a cultural and social significance that goes beyond the stadium, athletes and fans. The Games are arenas in which individual and team athletic achievement intersect with the politics of national identity in a global context. "The Olympics at the Millennium" offers essays that explore the cultural politics of the Games. The contributors investigate such topics as the emergence of women athletes as cultural commodities, the orchestrated spectacles of the opening and closing ceremonies, and the alternative sport culture offered via the Gay Games. Unforgettable events and decisions are discussed: Native American athlete Jim Thore winning - and losing - his two gold medals in 1912; why America was one of the few countries to actually send Jewish athletes to the "Nazi Olympics"; the disqualification of champion Ewa Klobukowska from competing as a woman, due to chromosomal testing in 1967. Written with the 2000 Sydney Games in mind, several essays address concerns with which every host country must contend, such as the threat of terrorism.Highlighting the difficult issues of racism and nationalism, another article explores the efforts of Australia's aboriginal people to define a role for themselves in the 2000 Games, as they struggle with ongoing discrimination. And with the world watching, Sydney faces profound pressure to implement a successful Olympics as a matter of national pride. ... Read more

Product Description
What was it like to attend the ancient Olympic Games?

With the summer Olympics’ return to Athens, Tony Perrottet delves into the ancient world and lets the Greek Games begin again. The acclaimed author of Pagan Holiday brings attitude, erudition, and humor to the fascinating story of the original Olympic festival, tracking the event day by day to re-create the experience in all its compelling spectacle.

Using firsthand reports and little-known sources—including an actual Handbook for a Sports Coach used by the Greeks—The Naked Olympics creates a vivid picture of an extravaganza performed before as many as forty thousand people, featuring contests as timeless as the javelin throw and as exotic as the chariot race.

Peeling away the layers of myth, Perrottet lays bare the ancient sporting experience—including the round-the-clock bacchanal inside the tents of the Olympic Village, the all-male nude workouts under the statue of Eros, and history’s first corruption scandals involving athletes. Featuring sometimes scandalous cameos by sports enthusiasts Plato, Socrates, and Herodotus, The Naked Olympics offers essential insight into today’s Games and an unforgettable guide to the world’s first and most influential athletic festival.

"Just in time for the modern Olympic games to return to Greece this summer for the first time in more than a century, Tony Perrottet offers up a diverting primer on the Olympics of the ancient kind….Well researched; his sources are as solid as sources come.It's also well writen….Perhaps no book of the season will show us so briefly and entertainingly just how complete is our inheritance from the Greeks, vulgarity and all."
--The Washington Post ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

The truth about the Olympics
I've never been a sports fan, so I thought I might find this book rather a bore.But in fact there isn't a dull moment in this very entertaining account of what the Olympic Games were like in ancient Greece.

It is fascinating to learn that the games themselves were only a part of the events that took place, with religious celebrations predominating. Enormous numbers of animals were sacrificed to the gods in the course of the games. The events were a lot more colourful than the modern Olympics, with violence and bloodshed not uncommon.Men competed in the events naked, which you may or may not find an agreeable thought.Married women were not allowed to attend the Games, though women had their own seperate festival where foot races were run.Single women were allowed to attend, and there were prostitutes in plenty.

This is the sort of book I love, packed with fascinating facts that make me exclaim "Gosh, I never knew that!" at frequent intervals.Well worth reading.

Pretty much a drawn-out high school school book report
When I picked up this book (thankfully from the library), I thought that, like any decent non-fiction book, a book about the Ancient Olympics would probably be written by someone who knew what he was talking about.Nope.This guy is not a classical scholar.His "primary sources" are all translations.Further, he began studying the Ancient Olympics explicitly for the purpose of writing this book, which means he does not have a broad background of knowledge.

The book is essentially a very long list of regurgitated facts about the games.While the facts themselves are interesting, the writer is not.He didn't have enough to say to fill up an entire book, so he repeats many of the facts throughout the text.His style of presentation is completely unispired and a little disorganized.Further, there are obvious errors.The most glaring exmaple is the discussion of the javelin throw.Perrottet wrote, "Ancient authors claimed that throws of over 90 meters/270 feet were possible, about half the length of the Stadium and far beyond the modern record of 60 meters." (110)Remember that old game from "Highlights" magazine, "What's Wrong With This Picture?".Let's play.First - no source given on the measurement.Second - elsewhere in the text the author claims the Greeks didn't much care about measurements, throws were generally not measured, and ancient measurements should not be given much worth.Third -90 meters is not 270 feet!.90 meters is about 295 feet.The 270 figure is not even close.If he said "over 90 meters/300 feet" I would buy that as about right, but the 270 feet figure is simply inexcusable.Fourth - the modern javelin record is not 60 meters .That's two egregious factual errors in the same sentence.The modern javelin world record is 98.48 meters.This isn't just a boo-boo typo.It means the author's entire claim - that the ancient javelin went further - is completely bogus.Why should I believe any of the other things this guy wrote down?

Whipping away the shroud of time
"The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games" by Tony Perrottet is a wonderful book describing the ancient Greek games. It's aptly titled, too, in two different ways. First, in the ancient Olympics, the contestants performed nude, without clothing that would prevent spectators from admiring their glorious physiques. But more importantly, Perrottet lifts the respectable veneer that is so often draped over classical times. Many writers have difficulties describing the past. Either they write with such awe that the ancients seem to have been gods, instead of mortals, or the writers write in such a way that we seem to be viewing through a dust-covered lens that makes everything seem old and faded.

Perrottet, though, brings the past alive in a way that makes the reader see and hear and even taste, feel and smell - especially smell! - what it was like to participate in these ancient games. Through a variety of different ancient sources, including contemporary texts, vase paintings, statues and a visit to the ruins of Olympia, he is able to give us a well-rounded experience. He guides us through the importance of the games in honoring the gods, how athletes trained, including specific, faddish diets that they followed, the evolution of the different events, the role that women played (unfortunately very little), the discomfort felt by the crowds, and even how physicians treated injuries. "The Naked Olympics" is great fun, and even though the Olympics are not being held in Athens this year, it's worth reading this book to appreciate them wherever they take place (the winter Olympics are taking place in Turin, Italy in 2006).

A Good Read
The more books I read about ancient history, the more I come to realize that the best ones are NOT written by historians!Archaeologist Tony Perrottet does a great job describing life in Ancient Greece and the evolution of sport in western society.

I picked this up right after the '04 games in Athens, still in the grip of Olympics fever.But don't wait until '08 to read this wonderful book.

Appropriate release time
Now that the summer Olympics are upon us, this book, which tells the reader about the original Greek Olympoics in Olympia, is particularly welcome. It goes through a typical Olympics, showing the religious aspects of the games, and also the various events that were held.It doesn't stint on the darker side of the games, but the approach to the book is rather light-hearted, and even with that a lot of new information is imparted to the reader. It's well worth reading, and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Book about the 200 Metre Swimming Obstacle Race & More
It does exactly what it says on the cover, the complete guide. It would have been nice for them to wait until after the 2008 games, but it's still great. It tell's you everything you need to know about each olympic's event and winners from the 200 Metre swimming Obstacle race to the Marathon and Croquet to Synchronized Swimming. It also gives you a brief history of each olympics, the issues and the tables. But the main bit's are the event's. It makes a nice change from the books that just tell you generally about the games and main event's. It's a brillant book and a must have

Everything a Summer Olympics fan could dream of...
... except the 2008 results.And of course, when David Wallechinsky produces THAT, I'll grab that updated volume, too.Not only do the authors give every little detail about the most famous events--Jesse Owens', Mark Spitz's, Wilma Rudolph's--but this volume is packed full of little-known facts about people whose tales are otherwise lost in today's 24/7 world.Yes, the IOC has some management details that are distasteful, but there are stories told in this book that are heartwarming: the swimmer from Equatorial Guinea whose 2000 trip gave him his very first dip in an Olympic-size pool, who finished last in twice the time of the event winner, but who received a standing ovation from the crowd.Who was the oldest competitor?The youngest?The only athletes to compete in five, or seven, Games?They're all here.The authors also tell some of the prequels and sequels to Olympic journeys: who died in subsequent accidents or wars, who overdosed, you name it.This book is indeed "complete," and deserves a spot on the shelf for frequent referrals in months and years to come.

This Olympics BIble is a Treasure!
Wallechinsky's newest book is a treasure trove of Olympic proportions.Everything you ever wanted to know about all the Summer Olympic events are detailed in this superb resource!

Neat book
I really liked this book; however, it was more of an almanac than a picture book. Very cool.

Two Important Improvements
The last few editions of this book were titled "The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics", because the winter Olympic Games were covered in a separate volume. They still are. Perhaps the previous publisher wouldn't let the current one use the word "summer" in the title. But that is a minor quibble.

Two long-need changes have finally been made to this quadrennially updated reference. These alone make it worth purchasing. First, after the listings for track and field events, the remaining sports are listed alphabetically. Previously, sports were placed in various groupings, such as "aquatics", "team sports", and "individual sports". For some sports, trying to find the proper group in the table of contents was a nightmare. Second, every odd-numbered page has guidewords at the top that tells the user which sport and event's results are listed on it. For example, on page 511 is the advisory, "Cycling: Men's Road Time Trial". Now users don't have to flip through page after page, wondering which results they are looking at. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Photography
This coffee table book has some absolutely beautiful pictures of Salt Lake City, the Wasatch Mountains and surrounding areas. The photographers did a fantastic job capturing light, and the pictures are extremely well printed. This would be a great book to have on hand while watching the olympics.

It is also a good book for people who want tohave a coffee table book about Utah.

The book itself starts with a brief overview of the Salt Lake Bid, and the resulting Olympic bidding scandal. It then takes us on a tour of the geology of Utah and the mountain west. The book includes pictures of both the mountains in Northern Utah, and the Colorado plateau in Southern Utah. It provides a summary of historical and cultural information about the Salt Lake Valley.

In the last quarter of the book, we get into sports photography, and we can see some high quality shoots of skiers and other athletes.

All in all, it is a well made and designed coffee table book. The main reason to buy it is the high quality photography. You will definitely enjoy having it on hand while you watch the Olympics. The book covers a great deal of information, mainly at a summary level; so it really would not serve as a reference book.

Finally, having been written before the Olympics, there are no actual pictures of 2002 Olympic events.My guess is the book was written before 9/11/2001, and there is no mention of the international tensions which will be in everyone's mind during the events.

Great Overview
This is a great overview of the Salt Lake Olympics and Salt Lake Valley.If you want one handy reference book with information all in one place, this is your move. ... Read more

Product Description
Athletics and politics collide in a critical event for Nazi Germany and the contemporary world.The torch relay—that staple of Olympic pageantry—first opened the summer games in 1936 in Berlin. Proposed by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry, the relay was to carry the symbolism of a new Germany across its route through southeastern and central Europe. Soon after the Wehrmacht would march in jackboots over the same terrain.

The Olympic festival was a crucial part of the Nazi regime's mobilization of power. Nazi Games offers a superb blend of history and sport. The narrative includes a stirring account of the international effort to boycott the games, derailed finally by the American Olympic Committee and the determination of its head, Avery Brundage, to participate. Nazi Games also recounts the dazzling athletic feats of these Olympics, including Jesse Owens's four gold-medal performances and the marathon victory of Korean runner Kitei Son, the Rising Sun of imperial Japan on his bib. 25 b/w photographs ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Well worth reading
A very well written book filled with about as much information about the 36 Olympics and the events leading up to it as anyone could have a right to expect. There's lots of various facts about the games, did you know that Jesse Owens was one of 19 Black American atheltes to participate in the games? Or that Owens felt more resentment against Roosevelt for failing to welcome him home after the games than against Hitler for refusing to shake his hand? However, if there is a villain in this piece, it's not Adolf Hitler, it's Avery Brundage, the head of the US Olympic committee and later the International Olympic Committee, who held steadfast against various efforts to boycott the 36 Games, and even removed 2 Jewish athletes from a US relay team just before the final event.

Brilliant overview of a watershed event
Historian David Clay Large has provided a brilliant overview of the carefully orchestrated machinations that went into producing the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a propaganda event meant to affirm the dominance of the so-called "master-race." Tracing out the development and planning of the 1936 games as well as the Olympic movement itself, Large leaves few stones unturned as he probes the way the Nazis twisted the symbolism of international sport to recast themselves as the modern embodiment of the ideals of the ancients. Large writes vividly, and although he is a serious scholar who knows this material as well as anyone alive, he never gets bogged down in minutiae. Reading 'Nazi Games' you feel as if you are right there in Berlin seeing the games as they really unfolded. Particularly chilling, for me, was Large's discussion of the surprisingly favorable way the 1936 Olympics were seen by many Americans, from Anne Morrow Lindbergh to Thomas Wolfe to respected writers for The New Yorker magazine. If you are interested in the history of the Nazi movement, the history of world sport, or just modern European history in general, this book is a must read.

Extremely interesting, timely work
While the author's prose is often too colloquial for my taste, his well organized, expertly researched account of the 1936 Berlin games is both interesting reading and valuable historical reference.He also provides a very good history of the modern Olympics leading up to the titled games and consequently gives the reader a valuable perspective from which to examine those that followed...including/especially the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

A Masterpiece
David Clay large has written a terrific book about the 1936 Berlin Olympics.He traces the history of the modern Olympics before and after Berlin, skillfully describes the failed effort to boycott the games, and presents a lively retelling of the games themselves.But it is the story of the political intrigues surrounding the competition that makes the book worth reading.With the 2008 Beijing Olympics fast approaching, this book will show how totalitarian states will pull out all the stops to host successful Olympics and score public relations victories.

Olympics Then & Now, Same Old Stuff.
The Beijing Olympics are following the 1936 Germany approach to world peace and both are controversial and ill-timed.Germany's took place before the world knew of the concentration camps and killing of the Jewish race from different countries.This year's bad timing has to do after China took over Tibet and killed some of the monks.The nuns were traveling America to let us know what was going on.Therefore, no matter how Berlin came out smelling like a mum, we now have media and protesters to keep us aware of China's human rights molestation.Also, their manufacturing with poisons on products shipped to America.It is appalling.Will these Olympics take place as scheduled or will they turn out like the Moscow 1980 games?

During the time of The Olympics in 1936 Germany, the Nazis were experimenting with the concentration camp prisoners with lethal drugs, stealing their gold teeth before/after being gassed into extinction. Searching for a truth drug to use on military prisoners, their guiena pigs were dosed with powerful narcotics to see what makes a stressful person talk about private things. It was the beginning of brain washing captured Allies too end the War. The 1936 men's basketball first recognized as an Olympic sport had 23 teams from four continents. The American team won gold in a bizarre situation playing in six-inch standing water on a rain-soaked tennis court. Like the "Leathernecks" football team of 1890, their uniforms became muddied. But no Alvin York play was needed.

Perhaps after the first twenty years of Olympic basketball, miracles were needed, especially in 1972 and 1988. It protrayed a false public image, like the KTA and KAT. America's entrant in decathlon, Glenn Morris, won the gold --also had a fling with the producer of a documentary of the Berlin games, Leni Riefenstahl, also know as Hitler's woman. He was a 24-yr. old from Denver, and chosen the best all-around athlete in the world. Like othrs before him, he tried acting in movies in America but floundered and failed in that sport.

The Getapo selected women to de-rail the Olympic athletes from ohter countries to engage in decedent sexual favors. In the "Love" Garden in the Village woods, each female chose her sportive partner but held onto his Olympic badge to prove her progeny had a good origin. This was part of Hitler's plan for a new Aaryan race.

Let's hope nothing like that will occur 72 years later in Beijing, China, after the parade was delayed by the opposition in France while the flame was being transported. After the attempt to kill our pets with poison in foods produced in China, and babies by lead paint on popular toys manufactured there, the Olympics should be cancelled as those in 1980 Russia. In France, the banners of protest depicted the Olympic rings as handcuffs hung on the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame cathedral. These banners were also put up on the Golden Gate bridge in America. A day earlier, London saw opposition of this travesty, calling it a form of sabotage by Tibetan separatists. "The buildup to these '08 games are to separate openness in China and to faciliate improvements in its record on human rights." The Olympics should supersede politics but, as we know from past places and crime running rampant, there is no way this could be possible. ... Read more

Product Description

With a thorough exploration of the political climate of the time and the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, this book describes the repercussions of Jimmy Carter’s American boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Despite missing the games they had trained relentlessly to compete in, many U.S. athletes went on to achieve remarkable successes in sports and overcame the bitter disappointment of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity dashed by geopolitics.

Customer Reviews (16)

A compelling argument to keep politics out of sports
As the 2008 Summer Olympics came to an end, my mind wandered back to the 1980 Olympics and the team that didn't travel to Moscow. In the face of the Soviet Union's continued aggression, President Jimmy Carter announced the US Olympic team would not be traveling to Moscow. Hoping to galvanize the rest of the world, Carter withheld the US team hoping other nations would join the boycott and embarrass the Soviet Union into withdrawing troops. At the center was the US Olympic team and athletes who had spent a lifetime preparing for competition. Ultimately, the Olympics continued without the US team and US athletes were relegated to asterisk status... might have beens. Faced with the threat of withheld passports and the US Olympic Committee acting on their behalf, athletes who had spent years single mindedly working towards Olympic competition, athletes were suddenly cut adrift. Left to watch the competition on TV, many were beset by the thought of what might have been. While all the athletes were given a Congressional Medal in recognition of their sacrifice, the athletes were largely unrecognized for their efforts and loss. Only a few went on to capture Olympic glory in the wildly successful LA Olympics four summers later. Most had to let go of the dream and move onto the next phase of their lives. Some athletes banded together and sued, only to be dismissed out of hand.

Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli have gathered the memories of various athletes about that turbulent summer. They blend these memories and the ongoing political wrangling into a comprehensive look at the few who paid a huge price. Described as the "most painful decision" of the Carter administration was later summed up by Vice president Walter Mondale 28 years later. "I know the athletes were asked to pay a price that couldn't be repaid."

Boycott.
I am usually sceptical about reading sports books because many times they devolve into stats, averages and numbers. But as I read this book, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very well written book about an important moment in American history. I was deeply saddened to see how athletes who had slaved and worked so hard to become Olympians, saw their dreams snatched away because of politics.

Olympians have a very short window of opportunity in which to achieve their goals. They make so many sacrifices, physically, mentally, emotionally and in many cases financially. Many who qualified for the 1980 Olympics thought they had it made as they would be able to compete against the best in the world. Unfortunately for them, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and President Jimmy Carter decided that among the ways to show US disapproval would be to enact trade sanctions, food sanctions and withdrawing its athletes from the Olympics which were to be held in Moscow. The saddest part about this was that for many of these athletes, they would never again compete as some were not able to sustain the heights they attained just before the 1980 Olympics. Many found that they were either physically unable to stay in Olympic shape or that they just lost the drive to try again. It is hard to accept that these young people's quest for excellence was thwarted by Carter's need to make a symbolic gesture. What exactly did the boycott achieve? Carter meant to punish the Soviets but in a way he punished the American athletes. Not a single life was saved by anyone not showing up for the games. The conflict in Afghanistan went on for many years after the boycott so what really was accompolished?

I found it ironic the pressure that was put to bear on the USOC to pass a vote to boycott the Olympics. Alot of the rhetoric used is very reminiscent of what I see in politics today. The USOC was told " If the US decides to participate in the Olympics, it would be a tacit approval of Soviet actions" and "If you vote not to support the president, you are doing the worse thing you can possibly do". In addition to all the rhetoric, it appears that undue pressure was applied to sponsors to renege on deals that they had made to the USOC. Of course the government denied any involvement in this but the coincidence is hard to ignore.

Some athletes are still angry, they feel robbed. But the vast majority of the eighteen athletes interviewed for this book, have come to take it in stride. Many believe that the boycott was a bad idea and should not have happened, others think that Carter took the best decision he could under the circumstances and in accordance with his advisers. I have to say that I was very proud of all of the athletes in this book. Despite the fact that their dreams were shattered, most have chosen to see the benefits that Olympic training provided them in all facets of their lives. One of the most disappointing things to see is that to this day Walter Mondale, the then Vice President and a key player in this event, still insists that the right decision was made. Maybe I just wanted him to show that he really understood what he and his government took from these talented people. In the foreward to the book he does acknowledge the loss that these Olympians suffered but I felt it was a bit hollow. Just my view, some one else may read the same thing and think he came across as sincere.

This book is so well constructed as the authors present the story without interjecting any personal agenda. The story unfolds from the mouths of the athletes themselves without any commentary added to sway opinions. As you read you make your own assessments and judgements as to how you feel about what occured. Another strength of the book was that interspersed with the athletes stories is the timeline and unfolding of the conflict in Afghanistan and the political events that led to the boycott. This fact made the book much more than just a sports book but a greatly informative rendering of history. A great read and I would highly recommend.

An Unbiased Story about the Boycott of the 1980 Olympics
In 1980, President Carter made the decision for the United States to boycott the summer Olympics which was to be held in Russia.This decision was made because the United States wanted to make a statement protesting the USSR's brutal invasion of Afghanistan.For the most part, the United States Olympians were devastated by this decision.Many of them had put in thousands of hours training for the opportunity to represent the United States.Many of the athletes were at their peak and this would be the only opportunity that they would have to participate.
"Boycott" tells the stories of the athletes and how President Carter's decision impacted their lives.Information about what was happening at the time is interspersed in between the athlete's stories.I felt that the inclusion of this information makes the book unbiased.If I had just read the athlete's stories, I would have been very angry that this boycott occurred. Having read the history of what was going on; I gained a greater understanding of why President Carter made his decision. I still don't agree with it, but I do have a better understanding.
After reading "Boycott" I agreed with many of the athletes who recommended that the United States not be present during the opening and closing ceremonies. I think that this would have made a greater statement to the world. By not participating at all, I felt like the athletes were being punished, and the USSR was being handed medals that could have been won by many of our athletes.In effect, we were handing them the opportunity to achieve greater fame for their country because they didn't have us to compete with.The effect of our boycott faded in time on everyone, except the athletes who lost their dreams of participating.I was fourteen years old when this happened and had no memory of it until I read this book.If we had participated in the games, but boycotted the ceremonies, I believe that we would still be seeing the clips from the ceremonies, as a reminder, every Olympic year.
The athletes really impressed me.At the time this was happening, most of them were just kids.Some of the insight gained by them is shared in "Boycott." I found many of their attitudes to be inspiring to me.I wish that things could have been different for them.My grandfather was a gold medalist in the 1932 Olympics.He had the opportunity to participate in a rowing event.He was proud of his win, but his true passion was in wrestling.After the Olympics, he decided that he would compete in wrestling in the 1936 games.Unfortunately, a serious neck injury ended that dream.While he was proud of his medal, I always felt that he regretted not being able to represent our country in the sport that he was most passionate about.I felt that this was the case with these athletes; they had some that they were passionate about and wanted to show the world their abilities.By denying them their opportunity to compete, we denied them their chance to shine and we denied ourselves the gift of showing them off to the world as representatives of the United States.
Brothers Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli make a winning writing team.I appreciate their willingness to share both sides of the story.Being that we are in an Olympic year, I was pleased to have the opportunity to learn about an important historical event regarding the Olympics and United States athletes.Considering that the 2008 Olympics took place in a country historically and currently known for its abuse of people, I found the timing of "Boycott" to be perfect.This is definitely a thought compelling book.

Excellent detailed account of an historic event
This is an excellent detailed account of the decisions that lead to and ultimate effect of the 1980 Olympic boycott.Highly recommended.

An eye opening and tragic account of the personal damage done
For some, the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was not just a war; it was the beginning of the end of their dreams. "Boycott: The Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games" tells the stories of America's Olympic caliber athletes during the 80s boycott of the Moscow games. Stories of the people who trained all their life for the ultimate competition yet were denied the opportunity and speculations of gold medals that could have been won lost fill this seminal volume. With a special foreword by former Vice President Walter Mondale, "Boycott" is an eye opening and tragic account of the personal damage done by the 1980 Olympic games boycott.
... Read more

Product Description
This book examines, from a legal perspective, the numerous developments in the rules and institutions of the Olympic Games from antiquity to the modern day. It offers a well-informed and insightful explanation of the Lex Olympica, and analyses the legal and institutional aspects that arise in the Olympic Movement (OM), such as its definition, composition and general organisation, its three principal constituents, its three satellite organisations and its organs. Furthermore, it addresses contemporary legal questions and inherent consequences the OM encounters, such as eligibility criteria, legal protection of the Olympic symbol, protection of the environment, advertising and ambush marketing, athletes' freedom of expression and Olympic boycotts. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first comprehensive examination of Olympic victor lists. The origins, development, content, and structure of Olympic victor lists are explored and explained, and a number of important questions, such as the source and reliability of the year of 776 for the first Olympics, are addressed. Olympic victor lists emerge as a clearly defined type of literature that is best understood as a group of closely related texts. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Watched every two years by more than 2.5 billion people, the Olympics are much more than the world's largest regularly scheduled sporting event; they're an international political and economic colossus. The meaning of the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius now applies as much to the fast media saturation, high financial stakes, and strong political interests of today's Games as it does to the athletes' performances in the sports competition itself.

Power, Politics, and the Olympic Games chronicles the influential individuals, groups, and events that have shaped the Olympics since the modern Games began in 1896. This insightful and highly readable work offers a critical, historical perspective of the political and social controversies that have surrounded the world's greatest sports spectacle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Politics of the Olympics
I read this book for my term paper for 8th grade on the Politics of the Olympics.We could choose any topic from history, so that's what I chose, because I'm a swimmer.It was really helpful and interesting.It's sad there's so much fighting that has nothing to do with the sports, but that's the way the world is.I wish I could take Prof. Senn's college course.

Politics and Sports Intertwined in the Olympic Games
Alfred Senn is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison History Dept., and that is where he first developed his course entitled "The Political History of the Modern Olympics."This book is theresult of two decades of research and interviews of athletes, sportsfederation administrators, and Olympic officials beginning during the USboycott of the Moscow Games in 1980.This book is a comprehensivepresentation of much of the information from his lectures, and forms thebasic text of the course for undergraduate students.Readers withinacademia will benefit from its quality scholarship and solid documentation. The general public will enjoy its easy readability and gain a broaderknowledge of the "behind the scenes" maneuvering and politickingof the leaders of international sport. What this book can offer that othersoften cannot is the view from the other side of the "IronCurtain."Senn is a Soviet scholar by training and his book includesa large amount of material gathered exclusively from Soviet files andinterviews, a resource closed to many other authors.In the final pages ofthe book he devotes considerable attention to the breakup of the SovietUnion and the athletic consequences of that disintegration for the EasternEuropean sports "machines." I strongly recommend this text toanyone wishing to expand his or her knowledge of the workings of theInternational Olympic Committee and the political conflicts that havearisen over the years within the Games themselves or the Olympic structure. ... Read more

Product Description

IN 1936, Adolf Hitler welcomed the world to Berlin to attend the Olympic Games. It promised to be not only a magnificent sporting event but also a grand showcase for the rebuilt Germany. No effort was spared to present the Third Reich as the newest global power. But beneath the glittering surface, the Games of the Eleventh Olympiad of the Modern Era came to act as a crucible for the dark political forces that were gathering, foreshadowing the bloody conflict to come.

Customer Reviews (5)

I'm sorry to go against the consensus opinion
But I must. Maybe it is a personal bias, but I can't stand sensationalism with no redeeming qualities. Everything said in this book has been said many times before (see the "related works" on this very page), but the authors find a way to muddle things up in a very negative way. Aims at the lowest instincts of man. Of course, this is the modus operandi of the author which becomes clear if you consider his other works.
Avoid.

THE ONLY THING AMATEUR ABOUT THE OLYMPIC GAMES ARE THE COMPROMISED FOOLS WHO RUN THE I.O.C
Guy Walters book is a worth while read. For a time the Nazi party formed an unholy marriage with the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C), just long enough to hold the '36 Olympic Games. Walter's shows the corruption, greed and manipulation of the games by the Nazi party and the I.O.C. But such blatant abuse is hardly exclusive to one regime or country. The sub heading of the book "How the Nazi's Stole the Olympic Dream" is incorrect. The I.O.C were and still is a combination of corrupt, greedy business men and women hiding behind a banner of sporting unity to sell their product; "The Olympic Games." The Nazi's were able to convince fools, anti Semites and appeasers as to the positive outcome of a Berlin Olympics.
The Olympic dream is honored by some individual athletes, but is only a slogan to the I.O.C who would have the world believe they are the world leaders in integrity and selflessness.
Hitler used the Berlin games to give credibility to his regime. In 2008 the Chinese did the same. If the money flows, and human rights violations are hidden or not overly publicized then the show go's on.

Politics and the Berlin Games of 1936.
Very relevant as the world looks to Beijing in 2008.In 1936, the Nazis hosted both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games in Germany.The Nazis used the politics of the Olympic Games to glorify the new Germany.Walters depicts how the Nazis hid the discrimination of the Jews, the political oppression of its opponents, the economic misery, and the military domination to give the world a false picture of the new Germany.Many informed people were not fooled, and told the world that this picture was false.A boycott movement was formed, but the majority of governments chose to look the other way and participate in the games.The games did indeed glorify the German government.Three years later, the World was at War, and the Holocaust began.

Walters summarizes the complete details of these Olympics with all the world politics thrown in.The Nazis lying and barbarous methods are detailed in the selection of German athletes and the politics of holding the Games.It is a wonder so many people were fooled by the methods of this regime.A good read and very relevant today.

A Chronicle of Hypocrisy
This book is an interesting, and long overdue, chronicle of not just the 1936 Olympic Games themselves (held in Hitler's Germany) but also of the many machinations that went on behind the scenes to ensure that the Games would be held despite the Nazis' treatment of the Jews and others considered to be undesirable.

Thus, despite the fact that the Nazis had passed the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 (forbidding, e.g., marriage or sexual relations between Jews and Germans), the International Olympic Committee worked with the Nazis to ensure that the games went on and colloborated in pretending that there was no actual discrimination.

In this regard, placed in a particularly bad light are American sports officials who more often than not were guilty of racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism against their own citizens.(E.g., much to do was made in the American press about the (apparently false) story that Hitler snubbed Jesse Owens by refusing to shake his hand, yet Jesse Owens came home to a country whose citizens as a whole treated him worse than the Germans he dealt with during the Olympics.)

In the end, however, despite all the much-deserved hoopla about Jesse Owens, the real winners of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were the Nazis as they impressed the world with their efficiency (a record number of countries, over 4 dozen, participated in the Games) and the Games were a propaganda bonanza for them.For example, the Nazis instituted the practice of carrying the Olympic torch from Olympia to the site of the games, an event which they heavily publicised.In addition, their organization of the Games was impeccable (including premier housing for the athletes), their Olympic Stadium (holding over 100,000 spectators) was a monumental showpiece, and the Games even turned a profit.In this respect, perhaps the most telling moment of the Games was the opening ceremonies when the speaker's podium was decorated not just with the familiar Olympic symbol of five interlocking Olympic rings but a giant German eagle clutching the Olympic rings in its talons.

Interspersed within the story of the politics surrounding these Olympics is a treasure trove of information about the background of many of the athletes (including their personal prejudices) and the events at these Games.

Overall, the book is a very well written and interesting account of the 1936 Olympic Games that exposes much of the hyprocrisy that allowed them to go on after the Nazis came to power and also reveals much about many of the athletes who participated in the Games.

Documents Don't Lie, People Do
The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin was a watershed moment for sports and politics, with its ramifications rippling through history some 70 years later.

Author Guy Walters does impeccible research of documents and individuals to bring a complete picture of how the Nazi Party virtually took over the International Olympic movement as it set the stage for war. Though the Games were awarded to Germany before the Nazi Party took full control of the government and Hitler was initially not in favor of holding the event, the benefits from a propoganda machine operating from every home to each Olympic venue became too great to pass up.

Though athletic officials and politicians knew about the growing oppression in Germany, Walters uses documents and quotes culled from meetings to show the utter appeasement that occurred. For example, American sports official Avery Brundage had written that Hitler was "a god," and then did everything in his power to successfully discredit and destroy the movement in the U.S. to boycott the competition.

Brundage did not see anything wrong with the Nazi ideal, but he did deal harshly with a top female swimmer on the U.S. team. She was kicked off the squad due to her partying on the ocean liner that was taking the team to Europe.

There were athletes who wanted to use the world stage to destroy the myths surrounding the Nazi movement. A German wrestler - who was a member of the Communist Party - hoped to parlay a winning performance by refusing to give the Nazi salute on the medal stand and use a live-radio interview as a means to tell the world about the real Germany.

There were other athletes who used the Olympics for different goals. A South African boxer was so taken with the Nazi Party that he was later recruited as a spy and became part of a plot to assassinate the president of his nation.

Add in the dress-rehearsal for the summer competition, the 1936 Winter Games in Bavaria, the reoccupation of the Rhineland and legendary athletes like Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, the Berlin Games was a backdrop to the excellence of competition and the viciousness of totalitarianism.

And in the end, Walters rips apart the screen that so many toadies of the Nazi Party had hid behind for too many years. ... Read more

Product Description
The Olympics are the quintessential athletic competition. But beyond athletics lies a network of investment, organization, and case studies in leadership. For sponsors, a key byproduct of these networks is a strong brand halo--the focus of John Davis' interesting new book. Davis brings a keen academic and business eye to the brand halo associated with the competition. And this book will be an important resource and practical guide for firms in evaluating Olympic sponsorship.
Glenn Hubbard
Dean and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics
Columbia Business School

John Davis' new book provides a treasure of information to guide companies as they evaluate marketing in sports in general and the Olympics in particular. Highly constructive checklists throughout the book will help companies evaluate the potential of their sponsorship investments. And the coverage of the lows as wells as the highs of Olympic-related marketing reinforces the realism and credibility of this well-written book.
George Foster
Paul L. and Phyllis Wattis Professor of Management
Director of the Executive Program for Growing Companies
Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Interweaving history and economics with vignettes of heroes ancient and modern, John Davis illustrates how the Olympic Games have become the premier "heritage brand" in the era of experiential marketing. Differentiating and managing brands are perennial priorities for Marketing Science Institute's corporate sponsors. Davis details why so many have chosen to be major Olympic sponsors. Importantly, he provides a comprehensive checklist of questions to help other companies explore the potential and pitfalls of such sponsorships.
Earl L. Taylor, PhD
Chief Marketing Officer
Marketing Science Institute

This book is worth its weight in gold medals. Learn how Coca-Cola, Visa and other great companies took wing and flew to even greater success on the high power updraft of the Olympics. A must-read for any company wanting to become a top global brand.
Rod Beckstrom
Co-author, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations

John Davis' book brings to life the history and intricacies of the Olympic Games, and illustrates the best practices of sports marketing and sports sponsorship that are relevant in today's dynamic sports scene. This book deserves to be widely read.
Oon Jin Teik
Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Sports Council
Singapore Olympian, 23rd Olympic Games, 1984 Los Angeles, USA ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Must Read for All Marketers
Using the Olympics as a backdrop, this book is a tremendous read for marketers of all types. From guerilla marketing tactics to big-company branding efforts, Davis covers it all. The book belongs on the shelf of any marketing professional, but not just to sit there. It will be used and referenced for years to come.

Branding at it's best
Even though they are removing baseball from the Olympics, John Davis' new book hits it out of the park.As only John can, he uses interesting and entertaining vignettes to illustrate his points about the brand halo.More importantly John provides a complete list of guidelines to help other companies understand the potential of Olympic sponsorship.Making this must read for anyone involved in developing a top global brand. ... Read more

Product Description

Olympic Cities provides the first full overview of the changing relationship between cities and the Olympic events since 1896. With eighteen specially commissioned and original essays written by a team of distinguished international authors, it explores the historical experience of staging the Olympics from the point of view of the host city.

A thought-provoking analysis of the relationship between Olympic festivals and urban spectacle it:

• provides overviews of the urban impact of the four component Olympic festivals – the Summer Games, Winter Games, Cultural Olympiads and the Paralympics
• comprises systematic surveys of four key aspects of activity involved in staging the Olympics – finance, place promotion, managing spectacle and urban regeneration
• consists of nine chronologically arranged portraits of host cities, from 1936 to 2012, with particular emphasis on the first four Summer Olympic games of the twenty-first century.

As controversy over the growing size and expense of the Olympics continues unabated, this book’s incisive and timely assessment of the Games’ development and the complex agendas that host cities attach to the event will be essential reading not only for urban and sports historians, urban geographers, planners and all concerned with understanding the relationship between cities and culture, but for anyone with an interest in the staging of mega-events.

Product Description