This study investigates the politics behind 100 years of Olympic history, from Baron de Coubertin's revival of the Games to Atlanta in 1996. The author asks who holds power within it, how it is financed and how the costly business of bidding for the Games works. He then covers recent history: the Cold War Games of Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984; Seoul 1988 - a PR exercise by the Korean government; and Barcelona 1992, arguably the most commercial and televisual Games in history. A further section covers the story of the South African boycott, ended in 1992, and there is also coverage of the successful bid by Atlanta and its preparations for the next Olympics. Finally, the book endeavours to predict the future for the Games, and whether "gigantism", both in terms of the scale of the Games and the movement's sense of its own importance, threaten its future.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
The author's thesis is not original to anyone who follows sport. The Olympic movement, Hill (politics, Univ. of York) argues, has been transformed into a major business dominated by money, power, and rank commercialism. Neither are his sources original. But he does a competent--although at times pedantic--job of chronicling how the Olympic movement has veered from its original intent. As the author concludes, "The whole thing has got out of hand." No recommendations for saving the games are presented, and the author leaves the reader wondering if it may be too late. Recommended for both academic and large public libraries.
- Ron Chepesiuk, Winthrop Univ. Lib., Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Ron Chepesiuk, Winthrop Univ. Lib., Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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