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An expansive, authoritative history of the Olympic Games.
The Official History of the Olympic Games and the IOC is a dramatic account of the history of the world's foremost sporting spectacle. It is the lavishly illustrated story of the re-creation of the Olympic Games by Pierre de Coubertin, of the often controversial fortunes of the governing body, which was formed in 1894, and of the highs and lows of the Olympics themselves since the first Games in 1896.
It also tells the stories of the historic competitors - from Spyridon Louis (the inaugural marathon winner) and such heroes as Jim Thorpe, Paavo Nurmi, Sonja Henie, Jesse Owens, Fanny Blankers-Koen, Emil Zátopek, Herb Elliott, Kip Keino, Mark Spitz, Franz Klammer, Sebastian Coe and Carl Lewis through to Hicham El Guerrouj, Michael Phelps and Sun-Yu Jin. Each chapter begins with a personal reminiscence by either a famous champion or a notable IOC figure.
Detailed background is provided to the many crises: the Nazi Games of 1936; the massacre at Mexico City in 1968; the terrorist slaughter of Israelis at the 1972 Munich Games; the boycotts; the advent of professionals from 1988; and the Ben Johnson scandal and the ongoing threat of drug abuse.
As the sporting world awaits, with eager expectation, the 2012 Games in London, this book gives an unparalleled account of the Olympics story from its beginnings in Athens 1894 to the build-up to the Games in London.
About the Author
David Miller has been a journalist since leaving Cambridge University in 1956 and has covered 19 Summer and Winter Olympic Games, and 13 World Cup football finals. He is the former chief sports correspondent of The Times and currently writes for the Daily Telegraph. He is the author of biographies of Matt Busby, Stanley Matthews, Sebastian Coe, and Juan Antonio Samaranch (translated into eight languages), and is joint author of IAAF 80, a history of 80 years of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
"Handsomely illustrated and painstakingly researched" - The Observer
"Will become the standard work on the subject" - The Times
"A magesterial work" - Daily Telegraph
"The level of detail in this tome is, well, Olympian" - The Independent
"Written by the doyen of sports writers, which is not only official but authoritative" - The Spectator
"Miller joins gymnast Nadia Comaneci with his own series of 'perfect tens'" - Bud Greenspan, main Olympic film director and producer
Other Reviews
With the sporting world still on a high following the triumphant 2012 Games in London, The Official History of the Olympic Games and the IOC gives an unparalleled account of the Olympic story from its beginnings in Athens 1894 to the present day, including an in-depth account of the London Olympics. This lavishly illustrated story covers the re-creation of the Olympic Games by Pierre de Coubertin, the often controversial fortunes of the governing body, formed in 1894, and the highs and lows of the Olympics themselves since the first Games in 1896. It also tells the stories of the historic competitors - from Spyridon Louis (the inaugural marathon winner) and such heroes as Jim Thorpe, Paavo Nurmi, Sonja Henie, Jesse Owens, Fanny Blankers-Koen, Emil Zatopek, Herb Elliott, Kip Keino, Mark Spitz, Franz Klammer, Sebastian Coe and Carl Lewis through to Hicham El Guerrouj, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Yu-na Kim and Mo Farah. Detailed background is provided to the many crises: the Nazi Games of 1936; the massacre at Mexico City in 1968; the terrorist slaughter of Israelis at the 1972 Munich Games; the boycotts; the advent of professionals from 1988; and the Ben Johnson scandal and the ongoing threat of drug abuse. The mounting million-dollar investment by medal-obsessed nations is also questioned. This elaborate analysis is the definitive account of the world's foremost sporting spectacle.
ISBN: 9781845966119
ISBN-10: 1845966112
Audience:
General
Format:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 672
Published: 4th June 2012
Dimensions (cm): 28.8 x 24.2
x 4.3
Weight (kg): 2.899
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