The Olympics: A History of the Modern GamesThe classic account of the modern Olympic movement This second edition of Guttmann's critically acclaimed history discusses the intended and actual effects of the modern Olympic Games from 1896 to 2000. The glories and fiascoes, the triumphs and tragedies--Guttmann weaves them all into a vivid and entertaining social history. As Guttmann shows, politics has always been one of the Olympics' major events. He also delves into the colorful history of the athletics, from the Paris marathon course that invited French runners to take shortcuts to the odyssey of Egyptian gym teacher Youssef Nagui Assad, who made three different Olympic teams only to be recalled home each time due to boycotts. Guttmann also provides insight into the byzantine maneuvering involved in site selection, as well as little known facts about the Games' history and figures like longtime Olympics czar Avery Brundage. |
Contents
The Barons Dream | 7 |
Growing Pains and Increasing Success | 21 |
The Games Reach Maturity | 37 |
The Most Controversial Olympics | 53 |
Destruction and Recovery | 73 |
In the Shadow of the Cold War | 85 |
The Era of Relative Good Feelings | 103 |
Organizational Strains | 113 |
A Time of Troubles | 125 |