The Olympics, a history of the modern games
By: Allen Guttmann
Series: Illinois history of sport
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Published: 1992
Place of publication: Urbana [Ill.]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 191
ISBN-13: 9780252017018
Subjects: History; Olympics; Geschichte (1896-1988); Histoire; Olympische Spiele; Olympische Spelen; Jeux olympiques
Description: Glories and fiascos, triumphs and tragedies, records and near misses--all are included in this vivid history of the modern Olympics. Using as a backdrop the athletic events that draw television audiences in the billions, Allen Guttmann has written an interpretive social history of the games. What did the founders of the Olympic Games intend them to mean? And what have they, in the course of a century of tumultuous change, become? Guttmann probes the political, economic, social, and even religious significance of the games, presenting the most complete and readable account to date. In the broadest sense, Guttmann argues, politics has always been a part of the Olympics, not an occasional intruder whose presence may take the form of a boycott, protest, or act of terrorism. The book includes lively accounts of individual competitions. An early marathon through the streets of Paris, for example, brought complaints from the U.S. team that the course had been designed to allow French contestants to take shortcuts. Guttmann also provides insight into the behind-the-scenes maneuvering involved in site selection, as well as little-known facts about the general history of the games and about longtime IOC leader Avery Brundage.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [175]-179) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: The Olympic Games Are More Than Games --; title: The Baron's Dream --; title: Growing Pains and Increasing Success --; title: The Games Reach Maturity --; title: The Most Controversial Olympics --; title: Destruction and Recovery --; title: In the Shadow of the Cold War --; title: The Era of (Relative) Good Feelings --; title: Organizational Strains --; title: A Time of Troubles --; title: The Era of the Boycott --; title: Calgary and Seoul--But Not Pyongyang --; title: Juan Antonio Samaranch as CEO --; title: After the Cold War.