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Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics

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Description

A timely, no-holds barred, critical political history of the modern Olympic Games The Olympics have a checkered, sometimes scandalous, political history. Jules Boykoff, a former US Olympic team member, takes readers from the event’s nineteenth-century origins, through the Games’ flirtation with Fascism, and into the contemporary era of corporate control. Along the way he recounts vibrant alt-Olympic movements, such as the Workers’ Games and Women’s Games of the 1920s and 1930s as well as athlete-activists and political movements that stood up to challenge the Olympic machine. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Verso


Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 17, 2016


Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1784780723


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 22


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.96 x 8.27 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #1,429,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #215 in Olympic Games #1,654 in Sports History (Books) #4,563 in History & Theory of Politics


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Taxpayer beware!
Format: Paperback
Rampant corruption in sports!
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2026 by PAPA S
    • Just in time for Rio, the Zeika virus, ...
Format: Paperback
Just in time for Rio, the Zeika virus, and a backward look at doping by the committee, Jules Boykoff's book is an examination of the modern Olympic Games. For those of us who grew up with the Olympics, especially the summer games, the events seemed to be beyond politics, until the controversial games in Mexico City horrified my conservative parents (and probably conservatives everywhere), who were shocked at the protests by African-American athletes. Then innocence was gone forever with the terrorist activity at the 1972 Munich games....but in reading Boykoff's book you realize innocence was really in the public seeing what it wanted to see. We didn't mind politicization in the 1936 Olympics because we were, rightly, shaming the despicable Herr Hitler, but then came the Cold War Olympics, the commercial Olympics, the, to me, excesses of the opening ceremonies of the Chinese games. I feel this book is a must-read for those interested in sports in general, the Olympics in particular, and how the prospect of even hosting the event becomes embroiled in politics. We know now that Rio, with its horrific water pollution and now the possibility of a mosquito borne virus, may result in people staying home: the virus was not foreseeable, but the pollution was well known. The failure of the government to build the 8 water treatment plants necessary to make the grossly polluted water safe for swimming or boating should have raised alarms earlier, since it has been 7 years since Rio was selected. The promises made to get the bid meant nothing, apparently. But they had no trouble building a golf course on a fragile marshland even though the city had existing suitable courses. Rio is a prime example of politics in action. I doubt I will be going out of my way to watch any of the 2016 games based on what appears to be a horror story in the making. Boykoff's book is well researched and documented. There are notes and a bibliography. The advance reading copy did not contain photographs. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2016 by Ms Winston
    • A must-read to understand the role of politics and sports in the modern world
Format: Paperback
A great read for anyone interested in the often untold history of the Olympic Games and the many interesting political factors that have shaped the role of sports in the modern world. Highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2016 by Amazon Customer
    • As expected
Format: Paperback
textbook
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018 by Clifford Mault
    • Olympics Unveiled
Format: Kindle
This is a real look at what the Olympic Games are. Sadly the Olympics are money driven!
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2016 by A
    • An eye opening account
Format: Paperback
First, this is an interesting book and topic that I've personally never encountered. Admittedly, my knowledge of group sports is limited - while I enjoy personal fitness pursuits, exercise etc, I've never been one to watch or attend organized commercial sports. The sole exception is the Olympic Games. Like many around the world, I've been known to tune in for a week or two at a time since childhood. Only recently, when the games were hosted in China, did my awareness of displacement and economic/political turmoil surrounding the games come to mind...even then, I more or less assumed it was a limited problem related to China's rapid growth. This book blows open an unknown (to me) history of the Olympics that will forever shape my understanding of the games. From the early days where the working class and minorities (not to mention women) were deliberately banished from competition to the original use of the term "Special Olympics", this is a revelation that goes far beyond the original idea of what these games were about. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016 by AnAmazonCustomer
    • More than medals & who won.
Format: Kindle
This is one of the best writers out there on the Olympics.
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016 by Marc R
    • Very enlightening book
Format: Kindle
Excellent review of the Olympics
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2016 by New Yorker

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