The Games
A Global History of the Olympics
WW Norton · Print & ebook · January 16, 2018
“A people’s history of the Olympics.”—New York Times Book Review A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Year The Games is best-selling sportswriter David Goldblatt’s sweeping, definitive history of the modern Olympics.
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- Who it’s for
- A sweeping account of how the Olympics grew alongside global conflict and change.
- Genres
- Olympics, Sports History, 20th-Century History
- Published
- WW Norton, January 16, 2018
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Start with this bookAbout this book
“A people’s history of the Olympics.”—New York Times Book Review A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Year The Games is best-selling sportswriter David Goldblatt’s sweeping, definitive history of the modern Olympics.
Continue reading
Goldblatt brilliantly traces their history from the reinvention of the Games in Athens in 1896 to Rio in 2016, revealing how the Olympics developed into a global colossus and highlighting how they have been buffeted by (and affected by) domestic and international conflicts. Along the way, Goldblatt reveals the origins of beloved Olympic traditions (winners’ medals, the torch relay, the eternal flame) and popular events (gymnastics, alpine skiing, the marathon). And he delivers memorable portraits of Olympic icons from Jesse Owens to Nadia Comaneci, the Dream Team to Usain Bolt.
Sport Meets History
A sweeping account of how the Olympics grew alongside global conflict and change.
Come here for
- The Games’ long history, from Athens in 1896 to Rio in 2016
- How medals, the torch relay, and familiar events began
Expect
- Sports history in conversation with domestic and international conflicts
- Portraits of Olympic icons, from Jesse Owens to Usain Bolt
Where it sits
| Olympics | 98% |
|---|---|
| Sports History | 40% |
| 20th-Century History | 30% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Social History
- Olympics
- Authors
- David Goldblatt
- Publisher
- WW Norton
- Published
- January 16, 2018
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Social History