Thinking the Olympics

[T]his book has much to offer all historians. Highlighting the value of sport as an alternative, indeed frequently revealing, prism through which to view past and present, Thinking the Olympics offers illuminating insights into changing perspectives over time regarding the classical tradition; the invention of tradition, and particularly the use of an idealized version of ancient Greece for both overt and covert present-day purposes at varying time periods for diverse audiences; and the problem that "so much is speculation" because of fragmentary and partial evidence. -- Peter J. Beck, Kingston University * The Historian *
Individual papers are in general of high quality and the book is well edited. Many classicists will no doubt be attracted by the chapters dealing with the ancient Olympics. But the most notable achievement of the volume lies perhaps in drawing attention to the complex and diverse impact of ancient Greek athletics on modern sport practices and ideas about sport. -- Zinon Papakonstantinou, University of Illinois at Chicago * The Classical Review *
The overall quality of this eclectic collection is very high, and both experts and non-experts will find much of interest. Better still, while focused and erudite, the essays are nevertheless generally accessible to non-insiders and will be valuable to instructors looking to diversify their course readings ... [A]welcome and useful contribution to a growing field. -- Jacques A. Bromberg * American Journal of Philology *