Power, Politics, and the Olympic Games: A History of the Power Brokers, Events, and Controversies that Shaped the Games

Alfred Erich Senn

Human Kinetics, 1999 - Fiction - 315 pages

Power, Politics, and the Olympic Gamesoffers the most up-to-date and comprehensive history of the Olympic movement on the market. It is not a record book full of sterile results and statistics. Rather, it is an insightful and accessible exploration of the history of the Olympics and how big a role politics has played since the modern Games began in 1896. The book covers the entire 20th century and includes Sydney's bid and preparation for their 2000 Games.

This book provides an analytical and judicious interpretation of the myths surrounding the games and shows you the political and economic realities as ritual, sports, politics, and show business are combined in the largest regularly scheduled international gathering in the world. You'll learn who serves on the International Olympic Committee and what they do, how the various host cities are chosen, and even which countries, teams, and athletes get to participate. The unique visibility of the Games make them an attractive target for political and social causes, and Power, Politics, and the Olympic Gamesdiscusses in detail many of these controversies.

Many of today's controversies are not all that new, and Power, Politics, and the Olympic Gamesoffers you a unique historical perspective into the who, what, when, where, how, and-most importantly-why behind the many disputes and conflicts that have plagued the modern Games.

About the author

Alfred Erich Senn, PhD,is professor emeritus of history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he has taught since 1961.

He received a PhD in East European history at Columbia University in 1958. Senn is the author of eight books, several monographs, and numerous scholarly articles. His book, Gorbachev's Failure in Lithuania, was awarded the Edgar Anderson Presidential Prize by the American Association of Baltic Studies in 1996.

Professor Senn lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, LaVonne.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Power, Politics, and the Olympic Games: A History of the Power Brokers, Events, and Controversies that Shaped the Games
• Author: Alfred Erich Senn
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Human Kinetics, 1999
• ISBN: 0880119586, 9780880119580
• Length: 315 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / General; Sports & Recreation / General; Sports & Recreation / History; Sports & Recreation / Olympics