Berlin Games: How the Nazis Stole the Olympic Dream - Softcover

Walters, Guy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060874139 ISBN 13: 9780060874131

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2007

Synopsis

IN 1936, Adolf Hitler welcomed the world to Berlin to attend the Olympic Games. It promised to be not only a magnificent sporting event but also a grand showcase for the rebuilt Germany. No effort was spared to present the Third Reich as the newest global power. But beneath the glittering surface, the Games of the Eleventh Olympiad of the Modern Era came to act as a crucible for the dark political forces that were gathering, foreshadowing the bloody conflict to come.

The 1936 Olympics were nothing less than the most political sporting event of the last century--an epic clash between proponents of barbarism and those of civilization, both of whom tried to use the Games to promote their own values. Berlin Games is the complete history of those fateful two weeks in August. It is a story of the athletes and their accomplishments, an eye-opening account of the Nazi machine's brazen attempt to use the Games as a model of Aryan superiority and fascist efficiency, and a devastating indictment of the manipulative power games of politicians, diplomats, and Olympic officials that would ultimately have profound consequences for the entire world.

About this title

Product Description:

Paperback. Pub Date: 2007 08 Pages: 400 in Publisher: Harper Perennial IN 1936 Adolf Hitler welcomed the world to Berlin to attend the Olympic Games It promised to be not only a magnificent sporting event but also a grand showcase for the rebuilt Germany. No effort was spared to present the Third Reich as the newest global power. But beneath the glittering surface. the Games of the Eleventh Olympiad of the Modern Era came to act as a crucible for the dark political forces that were gathering. foreshadowing the bloody conflict to come.The 1936 Olympics were nothing less than the most political sporting event of the last century-an epic clash between proponents of barbarism and those of civilization. both of whom tried to use the Games to promote their own values. Berlin Games is the complete history of those fateful two weeks in August. It is a story of the athletes and their...

Review:

Walters presents a serious work of history that's also an addictive read.--The Observer (England)

Nothing short of riveting...This is a work of real significance.--Scotland on Sunday

"[Walter's] writes with a journalist's precision and a novelist's dramatic flair"--Booklist

A book of range and quality.--Times Literary Supplement (London)

A rich, entertaining and sobering narrative--Melbourne Age

A fascinating story of political and sporting intrigue, backed by the fruits of impeccable research--The Argus

Walters has done a tremendous amount of digging in the archives...the result is lively, often humorous and frequently moving.--Daily Telegraph (London)

At its heart, this book emphasises the dark hypocrisy that underpins much of the IOC's behaviour then and since--The Press

A diligent researcher, Walters also has a journalist's eye for a story.--Financial Times

A meticulous and often vivacious account of the events surrounding Hitler's propaganda coup in 1936--The Times (London)

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060874139
• ISBN 13: 9780060874131
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400