Amazon.com: The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition: David Wallechinsky, Jaime Loucky: Books

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

Product Description

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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Product Details

Paperback: 1200 pages
Publisher: Aurum Press; 2008 Ed edition (May 28, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1845133307
ISBN-13: 978-1845133306
Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 2.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #272,966 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#51 in Books > Sports > Miscellaneous > Olympic Games

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
discontinued events, freestyle wrestling, intercalated games, K�roly G�ttler, team combined exercises, indoor courts, J�zsef S�kovics, K�roly Tak�cs, Marie-Jos� P�rec, Jos� Mar�n, P�l Kov�cs, Iv�n Kov�cs, Istv�n Kov�cs, Alfr�d Haj�s, M�rta Egerv�ri, Mikl�s Szilv�si, Ildik� B�bis, most medals, J�nos R�tkai, G�za K�das, Gy�rgy M�sz�ros, Tam�s K�s�s, Istv�n Sziv�s, Ra�l Gonz�lez Rodr�guez, F�lix Sav�n

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Complete Book of the Olympics, Los Angeles, United States, Mexico City, East German, World War, Great Britain, International Olympic Committee, Soviet Union, Sydney Olympics, Paavo Nurmi, Olympic Village, New Zealand, South Korea, World Cup, South Africa, Olympic Games, Carl Lewis, Dawn Fraser, Total Points, Opening Ceremony, Mark Spitz, Aleksandr Popov, West Germany, New York

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	80% buy the item featured on this page: The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition 4.7 out of 5 stars (7) $19.77
	7% buy Olympics (DK Eyewitness Books) 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) $10.87
	4% buy Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics $14.78
	3% buy The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics, Turin 2006 Edition (Complete Book of the Olympics) 4.0 out of 5 stars (3) $12.21

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Important Improvements, June 30, 2008

By	David Glagovsky (Arlington, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Everything a Summer Olympics fan could dream of..., December 2, 2008

By	L Goodman-Malamuth "Leslie Goodman-Malamuth" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

... 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.

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5.0 out of 5 stars This Olympics BIble is a Treasure!, September 6, 2008

By	Bill Roberts (Malibu Hills) - See all my reviews

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!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

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 12 months ago 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 13 months ago by J. Snyder

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is updated through the 2004 Summer Olympics
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... Read more

Published 13 months ago by Rocket Realtor

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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