With a complete statistical record since the 1896 founding of the modern Games—including medals won and times, distances, or scores recorded by the top eight competitors in all events (from staples such as the marathon to long-discontinued competitions such as the tug of war), this encyclopedic tome contains anything anyone could ever need or want to know about the modern Olympic Games. Far from a dry compendium of names, numbers, and scoring systems, this book also contains a summary history of every event at each of the 26 modern Games, enriched with an extraordinary wealth of Olympic lore and anecdote. The authors provide thought-provoking analysis of issues and controversies from shamateurism to drug-taking and corruption, and they have sieved through more than a century of Olympic history to assemble a mind-boggling collection of stories that range from the inspiring, through the comic, to the bizarre. Such long-forgotten characters are included as the boy who was plucked from the streets of Paris to navigate for two Dutch oarsmen in the paired-oar event in 1900 and, after steering them to victory and a Gold Medal, returned to obscurity, his name unknown to this day; or the 72-year-old winner of a silver medal for target-shooting.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Perhaps the most indispensable book about the Games." —The Wall Street Journal
"Goes beyond the statistics." —The News-Gazette
"[A] fine reference book." —The Honolulu Star-Bulletin
"[A] must-see publication for fans of the games." —The Republic
"[A] valuable reference." —Times-News
About the Author
David Wallechinsky was introduced to the Olympics when his father, the novelist Irving Wallace, took him to the 1960 Games in Rome. He has since produced seven editions of this book plus, in collaboration with Jaime Loucky, four editions of its companion volume, The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The last few editions of this book were titled "The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics", because the winter Olympic Games were covered in a separate volume. They still are. Perhaps the previous publisher wouldn't let the current one use the word "summer" in the title. But that is a minor quibble.
Two long-need changes have finally been made to this quadrennially updated reference. These alone make it worth purchasing. First, after the listings for track and field events, the remaining sports are listed alphabetically. Previously, sports were placed in various groupings, such as "aquatics", "team sports", and "individual sports". For some sports, trying to find the proper group in the table of contents was a nightmare. Second, every odd-numbered page has guidewords at the top that tells the user which sport and event's results are listed on it. For example, on page 511 is the advisory, "Cycling: Men's Road Time Trial". Now users don't have to flip through page after page, wondering which results they are looking at.
Two long-need changes have finally been made to this quadrennially updated reference. These alone make it worth purchasing. First, after the listings for track and field events, the remaining sports are listed alphabetically. Previously, sports were placed in various groupings, such as "aquatics", "team sports", and "individual sports". For some sports, trying to find the proper group in the table of contents was a nightmare. Second, every odd-numbered page has guidewords at the top that tells the user which sport and event's results are listed on it. For example, on page 511 is the advisory, "Cycling: Men's Road Time Trial". Now users don't have to flip through page after page, wondering which results they are looking at.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent resource for ALL the Summer Olympic Games. Contrary to what is said in a previous, much older review, this edition of Wallechinsky's book is complete through the 2004 Summer Olympics.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
... except the 2008 results. And of course, when David Wallechinsky produces THAT, I'll grab that updated volume, too. Not only do the authors give every little detail about the most famous events--Jesse Owens', Mark Spitz's, Wilma Rudolph's--but this volume is packed full of little-known facts about people whose tales are otherwise lost in today's 24/7 world. Yes, the IOC has some management details that are distasteful, but there are stories told in this book that are heartwarming: the swimmer from Equatorial Guinea whose 2000 trip gave him his very first dip in an Olympic-size pool, who finished last in twice the time of the event winner, but who received a standing ovation from the crowd. Who was the oldest competitor? The youngest? The only athletes to compete in five, or seven, Games? They're all here. The authors also tell some of the prequels and sequels to Olympic journeys: who died in subsequent accidents or wars, who overdosed, you name it. This book is indeed "complete," and deserves a spot on the shelf for frequent referrals in months and years to come.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book about the 200 Metre Swimming Obstacle Race & More
It does exactly what it says on the cover, the complete guide. It would have been nice for them to wait until after the 2008 games, but it's still great. Read more
Published on July 19, 2010 by Ben Nicholson
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Olympics BIble is a Treasure!
Wallechinsky's newest book is a treasure trove of Olympic proportions. Everything you ever wanted to know about all the Summer Olympic events are detailed in this superb resource!
Published on September 6, 2008 by Bill Roberts
3.0 out of 5 stars
Neat book
I really liked this book; however, it was more of an almanac than a picture book. Very cool.
Published on July 8, 2008 by Sarah Carey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Olympic Resource Book!
This is the best Olympic resource book around. If you are an Olympic fan this is the book for you.
Published on June 16, 2008 by John Snyder
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Complete, Well Researched
Although this book is out of date (1988 is the last games covered), it is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in the complete Olympic results. Read more
Published on December 31, 2001 by Suzanne Finch
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