Chronicle of the Olympics [Hardcover]

DK Publishing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996 | Series: 1st ed

A visual tour of the history of the modern Olympic Games uses a chronological newspaper-style format that gives facts in the present tense, placing reader in the period of Olympic events from their 1896 inception through the 1996 games. 50,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Atlanta 1996 marks the centenary of the modern Olympic Games. Featuring more than 750 spectacular photographs by top sports journalists, this book brings to life every Summer and Winter Olympic Games since Athens 1896. Witness the triumphs -- Jesse Owens' four gold medal wins at the 1936 Berlin Games, Mark Spitz winning seven golds at the 1972 Munich Games -- and the disappointments -- Ben Johnson being stripped of his 100-meter gold at the 1988 Seoul Games. Entertaining and nostalgic, Chronicle of the Olympics also features a comprehensive appendix listing the competitive events and medalists since the beginning of the Games.

From Publishers Weekly

The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta will mark the centenary of the modern games, and this lavish volume, with more than 750 photos in color and b&w, is an impressive tribute. Here are the historical background to their founding by French nobleman Pierre de Coubertin and accounts of the summer and winter (the latter founded in 1925) events, from the moving victory of Greek athlete Spiridon Louis in the first marathon in Athens to the 16-day winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994. All the stars of past Olympiads are shown and their exploits detailed. Told by King Gustav in 1908 that he was the world's greatest athlete, Jim Thorpe, ever the democrat, replied, "Thanks, King." The 1924 games saw the first swimming victory of future cinematic Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller, an American; in the winter games the following year, Norwegian Sonja Henie, another future movie star, debuted in the ice rink. In 1936, African American runner-jumper Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the controversial Nazi-hosted games in Berlin; in 1972, American swimmer Mark Spitz took an unprecedented seven golds in the midst of a Palestinian terrorist attack in Munich. This book, too, deserves a gold.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; 1st Ed. (U.K.) edition (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078940608X
• ISBN-13: 978-0789406088
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,478,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and informative..., January 30, 2002

By 

meiringen "meiringen" (the Midwest) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Olympic Games: Athens 1896-Sydney 2000 (Hardcover)

A very good coffee-table book about the Olympic Games. Excellent photography, text, and results of all the Olympic Games.

If you're looking for one book to have in your collection, this is an excellent choice. I hope there will be an update in the future!

5.0 out of 5 stars For Olympics buffs, March 6, 2001

By 

saliero (NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Olympic Games: Athens 1896-Sydney 2000 (Hardcover)

A real compendium of information for the armchair buff or visiting Olympics spectator. Each Olympic games, both summer and winter is covered. It is lavishly illustrated - the stories are told via the pictures which are all well-captioned.

As well, there is a comprehensive list of results (Gold Silver and Bronze medal winners) for every event in every games.

This is the definitive Olympics compendium and I thoroughly recommend it.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Howzat! A hole in one!, April 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Chronicle of the Olympics (Updated Edition) (Hardcover)

A great little book which covers all aspects of the even greater Olympic games - great for reference, casual reading or if you just love the odd nutty fact! A must for sea-farers (great sailing section)