Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photgraphic History of the Summer Olympics

Summary (from the publisher): For more than a hundred years Olympics athletes have been driven to go "Swifter, Higher, Stronger," a pursuit of excellence neatly summarized by the Olympic motto. In this stunning new book, Sue Macy offers a riveting account of the modern Olympic Games from their modest rebirth in Athens in 1896 to the sweeping international pageant we know today.

 

Who are the athletes who captured hearts and won gold? Here you'll find profiles of Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrikson, Joyce Joyner-Kersee, and many more. What's the history behind the Games? The Olympics have survived boycotts, war, and terrorism, making them the one sporting event that's also a political stage for the world.

 

Photographs capture every minute of action, whether it's Muhammad Ali training for a match or Mia Hamm in fierce competition for a spot on the winner's podium. A comprehensive Olympic Almanac includes at-a-glance statistics, a map of the Summer Olympic sites, a chart of record-setters, and highlights from each Summer Olympiad.

 

Packed with information and excitement, this is a book that's both hard to put down and rewarding to return to again and again.

 

Review: This concise book, published by National Geographic, gives a brief overview of the history of the Olympic Games, illustrated with many historical photos. The book covers a variety of topics including the history of the modern games, profiles of star athletes, the fight for the inclusion of women in the games, and highlights of controversies that have rocked the games over the years.

 

The modern games were the brainchild of Pierre de Coubertin who was born in Paris in 1863. Through his personal experiences with athletics, he began to believe that sports had the power to instill moral character in young men and became fascinated with the historical accounts of the ancient Olympic Games. In 1892, he announced that he would revive the Olympic Games and in 1894 an opening banquet with officials from twelve countries met and created the International Olympic Committee.

 

The games have undergone numerous changes since its early years. For instance, Coubertin was adamantly opposed to women being included, but as we know, women are now included in the games. Additionally, in the early years, only "amateur" athletes were allowed to compete, meaning anyone who had received payment or paid professionally were disqualified. Yet as the line between amateur and professional continued to blur, with some countries paying for athletes to train for the Olympics, this rule was eventually abandoned.

 

The Olympics have also seen their fair share of controversy, such as the controversial choice for Mexico City to host even though it is so high above sea level that the air contains 30 percent less oxygen, the boycotting of the 1980 games in Soviet Russia, the bomb that killed one and injured many in Atlanta in 1996. I also don't remember hearing about the athletes from East Germany in the 1970s and 1980s who were given steroids that they were told were "vitamins." Today, around 1,000 of those athletes suffer from serious health issues including twisted spines, failing livers, numb limbs, miscarriages, and the birth of children with birth defects.  

 

If you're looking for a comprehensive look at the modern Olympic games, this is not the book for you. However, this was a great introduction to the games that, while brief, still provided me with a lot of information I didn't know beforehand. I've always been a huge fan of the games and this was perfect for fans to learn a little more and reminisce on previous games to tide us over until the next Olympiad.

 

Stars: 4