Power, Politics, and the Olympic Games

Watched every two years by more than 2.5 billion people, the Olympics are much more than the world's largest regularly scheduled sporting event; they're an international political and economic colossus. The meaning of the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius now applies as much to the fast media saturation, high financial stakes, and strong political interests of today's Games as it does to the athletes' performances in the sports competition itself. Power, Politics, and the Olympic Games chronicles the influential individuals, groups, and events that have shaped the Olympics since the modern Games began in 1896. This insightful and highly readable work offers a critical, historical perspective of the political and social controversies that have surrounded the world's greatest sports spectacle.