Search  for anything...

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice: The Untold Story of 18 African Americans Who Defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to Compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics

  • Based on 217 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for the best price...
$16.68 Why this price?
Holiday Deal · 40% off was $28.00

Buy Now, Pay Later


As low as $4 / mo
  • – 4-month term
  • – No impact on credit
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.

Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayTomorrow. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Free shipping on this product

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.


Availability: Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
Fulfilled by Amazon

Arrives Saturday, Nov 29
Order within 20 hours and 49 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout

Description

Discover the astonishing, inspirational, and largely unknown true story of the eighteen African American athletes who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, defying the racism of both Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South. Set against the turbulent backdrop of a segregated United States, sixteen black men and two black women are torn between boycotting the Olympic Games in Nazi Germany or participating. If they go, they would represent a country that considered them second-class citizens and would compete amid a strong undercurrent of Aryan superiority that considered them inferior. Yet, if they stayed, would they ever have a chance to prove them wrong on a global stage? To be better than anyone ever expected? Five athletes, full of discipline and heart, guide readers through this harrowing and inspiring journey. There’s a young and sometimes feisty Tidye Pickett from Chicago, whose lithe speed makes her the first African American woman to compete in the Olympic Games; a quiet Louise Stokes from Malden, Massachusetts, who breaks records across the Northeast with humble beginnings training on railroad tracks. We find Mack Robinson in Pasadena, California, setting an example for his younger brother, Jackie Robinson; and the unlikely competitor Archie Williams, a lanky book- smart teen in Oakland takes home a gold medal. Then there’s Ralph Metcalfe, born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, who becomes the wise and fierce big brother of the group. Drawing on over five years of research, Draper and Thrasher bring to life a timely story of perseverance and the will to beat unsurmountable odds. From burning crosses set on the Robinsons’s lawn to a Pennsylvania small town on fire with praise and parades when the athletes return from Berlin, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is full of emotion, grit, political upheaval, and the American dream. Capturing a powerful and untold chapter of history, the narrative is also a celebration of the courage, commitment, and accomplishments of these talented athletes and their impact on race, sports and inclusion around the world. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Illustrated edition (February 4, 2020)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501162152


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 52


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.21 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #250,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #133 in Olympic Games #372 in Black & African American History (Books) #866 in Black & African American Biographies


#133 in Olympic Games:


#372 in Black & African American History (Books):


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Saturday, Nov 29

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • PayTomorrow Financing
  • Financing through Apple Pay
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Top Amazon Reviews


  • A Captivating Read
A compelling story of courage, heroism, dignity and humility. Incredibly well written and researched. A detailed account of the experience of 17 African American athletes who competed alongside Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany. These extraordinary individuals persevered under extremely difficult circumstances in America and abroad. Very proud to know their story. I highly recommend this book as a "must read" for everyone, young and old. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2020 by KMC

  • So good
It's just the greatest book. I bought this because I was doing a group college project over the 1936 Olympics, but even if I wasn't I'm glad I bought it. Such a good read.
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2022 by Becky Carter

  • A truth more interesting than mythology--the untold story of the 1936 Berlin Olympics
When you ask Americans what they know about the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, many will say "Jesse Owens stood up to Hitler." But there is much more to the story than that--Owens was not alone, he was one of 18 African-American athletes who stood up to Hitler to win glory for the USA. Yet sadly, the story of the other 17 teammates was almost lost. Thankfully, Deborah Riley Draper did extensive research to bring this fascinating, important story back to life as a book and documentary film. Anyone who is interested in sports, civil rights, WWII, or American history needs to learn about this story. And, if you loved "The Boys on the Boat," also about the 1936 Olympics, here's your next great read! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020 by Amy Tiemann

  • Elite Athletes Treated As 2nd Class Citizens
Timely Olympic book review! This is the 2nd book I’ve read this year about the 1936 Olympics. The 1st was The Boys In The Boat, which I’m begging you PLEASE READ! It’s so good. But back to this book: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice. Set in America and Germany during the 1920s and 30s, this book simultaneosly follows the rise of 18 African American elite athletes and the rise of Hitler and his Nazi party to power in Germany. The authors, Deborah Riley Draper and Travis Thrasher take us to Jim Crow America where these Black athletes were treated as 2nd class citizens by the same country that chose them to represent itself on the Olympic world stage. Across the ocean we learn about Hitler’s rise to power and his successful attempt to hide what he was actually doing in Germany (stripping the rights of its citizens and building concentration camps) in order to get the 1936 Olympics to Germany. For me the most interesting and maddening thing to read were the first hand accounts of these elite Black athletes stating that they were treated better by Hitler and the Nazi regime than they were ever treated in America. Sports can bring out the best and the worst in people (as we see in every Olympics including the current one), and this book is a perfect example. Highly recommend if you like books about sports, U.S. race relations, or Nazi propaganda. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2021 by Bailey Elizabeth

  • A great piece of
A great read and a great piece of little known history.
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021 by Stacy Reed

  • Track enthusists
Those with a track and field background and interested in the history of their sport should read this book. Well documented and covers not only the track scene at that time but what was going on in Nazi Germany as well as with Jim Crow in the U.S.A.
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2020 by T. Tussing

  • Fabulous Read
Great book because of the things I did not know.
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2020 by Eugie

  • Important American History
quality book
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020 by Devin Feil

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.
Checking for best price...