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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.
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1
The Olympics, a history of the modern games
2002, University of Illinois Press
in English
- 2nd ed.
0252027256 9780252027253
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2
The Olympics, a history of the modern games
1992, University of Illinois Press
in English
0252017013 9780252017018
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3
The Olympics, a history of the modern games
1992, University of Illinois Press
in English
0252017013 9780252017018
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Libraries near you:
WorldCat
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Book Details
Table of Contents
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. [175]-179) and index.
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