Product Description
Launched in 1984 for the Los Angeles Olympic Games, Stan Greenberg's Almanack rapidly established itself as the leading Olympic statistical book. ?It contains an extensive and entertaining collection of facts and figures from Athens 1896 to Athens 2004, plus the ancient Games at Olympia and the Winter Olympics. ?There is coverage of every summer and winter Games with detailed descriptions of venues, sports, competitors and records. ?There are medal tables by sport and by year which makes it the most comprehensive record of Olympic reference. ... Read more

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This reference work gives information on all athletes who have set world Olympic or American records in track and field since 1946. Arranged by track and field events, a listing of the record holders is first provided. This is followed by an accounting of each of the record-setting performances, including athlete's name, country and record. For most record holders, a brief profile is given, focusing on the actual record and providing information on the athlete's overall career. ... Read more

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Ages 6 to 9 years. This book provides beginners with an in-depth look at these exciting Olympic events. Children will read about both throwing events, such as javelin and discus throws, and jumping events, such as the long jump and pole vault. Vivid pictures and step-by-step instructions cover such topics as: different field-event competitions; rules and scoring systems of each field event; how to handle the equipment safely; ways to build strength. ... Read more

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Relive the high drama and rich details of the past century’s Olympic marathons!

Coauthor David Martin—the foremost authority on the history of the race and the performances of the athletes in it—presents a unique and multifaceted look at the Olympic marathon. He and Olympic marathon expert Roger Gynn have teamed up to provide a definitive resource that goes beyond statistics to offer readers a vivid chronicle of the athletes and their memorable marathon performances. For every Olympic marathon since 1896, you’ll find a detailed narrative of how the race was run, fascinating biographical details of the top finishers, the political climate surrounding the race, and a map with street descriptions of the actual race course.

Generously illustrated, often with rare and never-before-published photos, a pictorial glimpse is provided into the contemporary atmosphere and dynamics of each race. From the first marathon winner, Spiridon Louis, to legends like Emil Zátopek, Frank Shorter, and Joan Benoit Samuelson, you'll find insights and race details you can't find anywhere else. If you're a fan of running or the Olympics, this is the one book you will enjoy again and again for many Olympic years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Description of The Olympic Marthons through 2000, Men and Women
Well done decent capsules on the Olympic Marathons up through the year 2000. The book contains very good descriptions of the contenders and the races as they unfold. Also contains a great collection of pictures such as Ron Clarke, who ran the 5K and 10K (medaled), leading the Tokyo marathon, finishing 9th. Beside the descriptions of the runners, the author includes the top finishers splits so you can see how they parried over the miles, includes a list of the top 10 finishers and the post race career of the gold medalist. The women of course join in 1984 when their first Olympic marathon comes into play. The stories, list of splits and finishers is just a great reference and the race descriptions are pleasant to read. One picture is so fitting and reminiscent of the seemingly bronze place finisher at the 2008 Olympics slipping to fourth in total helplessness on the last lap; there is an early picture of the leader of a race on the track running in the second lane on a curve while being passed on the inside by one and then a second runner, relegating the leader to bronze on that last lap and he appears, like the Ethiopian in 2008, to be defenseless.

David and Roger -
I have known David and Roger since the 70's and have other books by them.They love running foot races and it shows. You can count that this will be the best researched and well written book. I was not disappointed.I dug in and read the book over a couple of weeks.If it is not in this book then it is an unproved rumor.

Great Book for Runners
If you are a runner (especially a marathoner) you have to get this book.It goes through every marathon in Olympic history, giving each race history, events, course, statistics, etc.It is very thorough, while pacing itself to get in all the Olympic marathons into a single volume.And, it was written in an interesting and readable manner.

The competition and sport of the races themselves give a great basis for an exciting read.

If you are doing a research project (like I was) this was the only book I would recommend - or, at least the first book.I could not find a book anywhere that showed the 1960 Rome Olympic course.Martin and Gynn had it.In fact, their race course map was better than the map a friend obtained for me from the Italian Olympic Library (Federazione Italiana Di Ateletica Leggera).

Fantastic, encyclopedic, and detailed historical review.
The authors, Martin and Gynn, have put together an unbelieveably detailed review of every Olympic Marathon in the modern era.The detail provided brings the excitement of each successive Marathon alive.The Olympic Marathon is, perhaps, the most grueling Olympic event, and the comprehensive coverage of each race makes the reader feel as if it's taking place before their very eyes.Read this book and you'll get a sense of the drama of the event, the personal history of the runners, and the historical setting of each race.The authors have even reconstructed old Olympic documents to trace the paths each Olympic Marathon took.The information in this book is truly encyclopedic, and the authors have given us with a wonderful sense of what this race is about.This book is a gem. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first complete history of the Games' most storied race. From ancient Greece to Atlanta 1996, the book chronicles the race's development--the heroes, the controversies, and the stories that emerged from the ultimate Olympic challenge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Stories and Easy Reading
This book is made up of 29 chapters, one for each Olympic Marathon race (through 1996).The chapters average 6 pages each, which makes this book very easy to read.Each chapter/race is a fascinating story.And the book is very well written.A great read. ... Read more

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Refers to famous performances while presenting an overview of the Olympic field events and providing information on how athletes train, qualify for, and participate in the games. ... Read more

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Track and Field is the most basic of athletic competition as it measures athletes' speed, strength, and coordination.Since the revival of the ancient Olympic games in 1896, the sport has provided its share of inspiring moments as well as controversies. (20020901) ... Read more

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Refers to famous performances while presenting an overview of the Olympic track events and providing information on how athletes train, qualify for, and participate in the games. ... Read more

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Jesse Owens. Muhammad Ali. Michael Jordan. Tiger Woods. All are iconic black athletes, as are Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the two African American track and field medalists who raised black-gloved fists on the victory dais at the Mexico City Olympics and brought all of the roiling American racial politics of the late 1960s to a worldwide television audience. But few of those viewers fully realized what had led to this demonstration-events that included the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., uprisings in American cities, student protests around the world, the rise of the Black Power movement, and decolonization and apartheid in Africa.

In this far-reaching account, Amy Bass offers nothing less than a history of the black athlete. Beginning with the racial eugenics discussions of the early twentieth century and their continuing reverberations in popular perceptions of black physical abilities, Bass explores ongoing African American attempts to challenge these stereotypes. In particular, she examines the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization that worked to mobilize black athletes in the 1960s and whose work culminated with the Mexico City protest.

Although Tommie Smith and John Carlos were reviled by Olympic officials for their demonstration, Bass traces how their protest has come to be the defining image of the 1968 Games, with lingering effects in the sports world and on American popular culture generally. She then focuses on images of black athletes in the post-civil rights era, a period characterized by a shift from the social commentary of Muhammad Ali to the entrepreneurial approach of Michael Jordan.

Ultimately Bass not only excavates the fraught history of black athleticism but also offers an incisive look at media coverage of athletic events-and the way sport is intimately bound up in popular constructions of the nation.

Amy Bass is assistant professor of history at Plattsburgh State University and worked as a member of the NBC research team for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games in 2002. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Delivers.
This book has the goods - it is very serious, not a typical sports book, but it teaches at every level.Civil Rights.Science.Women.Black Power.It is tough to think of what it leaves out.Starts slow, but really picks up and by the time it is done, it's like you've been watching PBS for two hours and didn't feel it.Learn.

Much more than what you see on the cover
This book really helped to open my eyes about the events surrounding the 1968 Olympics. More than that, it also talks about many other significant issues such as women's roles during that time, the way certain people saw various events before, during, and after the times. Be prepared to be patient when you read this. Dr. Bass takes her time and goes way back with her research leading up to the games in the late 60's. There were some areas I was not too interested in, such as some scientists' claims that black superiority in the athletic arena is due to biological and genetic advantages. Yet there were other times in the book like when Tommie Smith explained the MEANING, the TRUE MEANING, behind he and Carlos' actions that really made me take it in and appreciate the courage they had to take a stand at that time on that particular stage. From the black socks to the scarf Smith wore on his neck to both of them not wearing shoes on the victory stand while the national anthem played. More than just discussing the Olympics, she digs deep into the perception of the black athlete, from the 1930's when Jesse Owens was the man to the 60's, and to the 90's with Michael Jordan. Like I said earlier though, be prepared to be patient when you are reading this. There were some parts that I had to bear with to get to what I wanted to read, but all in all, it's a read that can definitely challenge your views not only about the black athlete, but sports and life in general.

An important work on the culture of race and racism
A work that provides insight into how race is understood and projected in U.S. society -- and the world -- and where its ties to nation, class, gender, etc. come into play most dramatically.This exploration of the black power movement at the Mexico City olympics is a critical examination of a multitude of topics:television, sports, civil rights, humanity, globality -- the list is varied and important.Complex, complicated, interesting, imperative.A learning experience for all who turn its pages.

It changed the way I watch TV!
I learned so much from this book.I thought that it might be too hard to read, but it was worth it:I will never watch sports -- especially the Olympics -- the same way again.There's too much to list contained here:the Olympics, the media, race, sexuality, women -- it goes on and on.I think everyone should read it. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1640 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
This book of interviews with track and field athletes highlights those whose lives have revealed courage, persistence and decency both on and off the field. After their great careers ended, they went on to become authors, teachers, coaches, radio and television sports commentators, consultants, Congressmen, actors, businessmen, military officers, social workers and ministers. Many continued in athletics long after their days as Olympians.

The Olympic track and field athletes include Glenn Cunningham (middle distances), Lee Calhoun (high hurdles), Ken Doherty (decathlon), Dick Fosbury (high jump), Bruce Jenner (decathlon), Abel Kiviat (middle distances), Bob Mathias (decathlon), Al Oerter (discus throw), Bob Richards (pole vault), Wes Santee (middle distances), Jackson Scholz (sprints), Bill Toomey (decathlon), Forrest Towns (high hurdles), Craig Virgin (long distances), Archie Williams (long sprints), John Woodruff (middle distances), and Olympic coaches Payton Jordan and Berny Wagner. They talk about the influences in their lives that helped them develop their values, their first memories of competition and participation in their sport, their educational experiences, the problems they faced when they were active competitors and the problems athletes today face, and many other topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A MUST READ BOOK!
I was fortunate enough to attend a recent college graduation where the author, Dr. Don Holst, gave the commencement address. His wonderful and impassioned speech led me to purchase his book that he so eloquently referred to. He used the triumphs and successes of the Olympic athletes as a backdrop to his theme that diligence and hard work are the keys to the graduating students' futures.
What a wonderful surprise! Holst recounts his discussions with the great athletes in this great book! He tells their stories in their own words while painting a brilliant picture of the worlds they lived in and how the ultimately came to affect it!
A must read for all! Great stories from both young and old to enjoy!

Universal Appeal
Don Holst, a consummate athlete, coach and professor in his own right has given us an important work on Olympic American Men of Track and Field.He has presented their Herculean accomplishments, taken us into their homes and made these icons our hosts as we sit at their feet listening and marveling and learning.Dr. Holst and Marcia Popp have offered a specialized work which has universal appeal.

I Thought I DIDN'T Like Sports, But Apparently Now I Do !
Don Holst has managed to accomplish the IMPOSSIBLE --- he has made me LOVE SPORTS !Read this book, I DARE YOU, and then TRY TO PUT IT DOWN...Glenn Cunningham's story will inspire you, Jackson Scholz will delight and tickle you, and Bruce Jenner will continue to amaze you, even as Craig Virgin's breaks your heart ... it's all about the times, and the timing.

Every MOM needs to read this, to help you understand why those boys and girls want to work SO HARD, when many of their peers choose the drugs and booze...It's HEART, my friend, something in the soul they are born with that whispers to them to do something MORE, and in the cases of these athletes, MUCH, MUCH MORE...

I have an extensive, eclectic home library, but I can't remember the last time I actually dog-earred and mutilated a book by LOVING IT SO MUCH..., or carried it from room to room, not wanting to miss a moment. (OR re-read it as soon as I finished, just to enjoy it all over again).

Hard to put down, and harder to forget Holst's unforgettable interviews with these true American Heroes, from the start of this project in the 50's to the present, this little book has the big heart of a sports history classic. NO superlatives in Webster's will suffice for this fine expenditure of your all-too-busy time. Buy 2, and send 1 to your favorite NON-athlete !

KMorris in Saint Louis,
Home of the big stainless steel handle next to the water ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Azerbaijan at the Olympics, Aliya Garayeva, Azerbaijan Football Academy, 2009 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, Anna Gurbanova, Zeynab Javadli, Dinara Gimatova, Gymnastics in Azerbaijan, Shafa Stadium, Taekwondo in Azerbaijan, Salyany Olympic Sport Complex Stadium, Guzanli Olympic Stadium, Tovuz City Stadium, Parni iz Baku, Gabala City Stadium, Skif Stadium,. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 47. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Azerbaijan first participated at the Olympic Games as an independent nation in 1996, and has sent athletes to compete in every Games since then. Previously, Azerbaijani athletes competed as part of the Soviet Union at the Olympics from 1952 to 1988, and after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan was part of the Unified Team in 1992. Azerbaijani athletes have won a total of sixteen medals at the Summer Olympic Games, in wrestling, shooting, boxing and judo. The nation has not won any medals at the Winter Olympic Games. The National Olympic Committee for Azerbaijan was created in 1992 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1993. They have recently competed in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They stunned many viewers with their dazzling pants. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=14769444 ... Read more

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This year-end issue of SI features on the Sportsmen of the Year Edwin Moses & Mary Lou Retton on the cover and in a feature inside, plus features on Dan Marino, Julius Erving & Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing & Georgetown, and much more! ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1823 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

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Illustrated with color photographs. ... Read more

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Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the French pedagogue and historian, could never have envisioned the legacy that would be spawned by his inspiration to resurrect the ancient Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. All that this nobleman did know was some of the myth and history of the Games of ancient Greece, where, during the time set aside for athletic competition, a universal truce was declared, and mankind's penchant for war and hostility subsided for abrief moment. But that's all that de Coubertin needed to know. That was the spirit of the past he was hoping to rekindle: man's inhumanity to man suspended while athletic performance, devoid of politics, could be witnessed, appreciated and rewarded. This books recounts the history of the Olympics from ancient Athens to the 2004 Athens games. ... Read more

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Athletics has become Britain's most successful sport, and this work investigates the human cost of that success. It charts the trials and tribulations of the Olympic Games' principal sport which have included the achievements of Coe, Ovett, Thompson, Christie and Gunnell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Carly Patterson
Unless you know next to nothing about gymnastics or are under the age of 10, don't waste your time on this book - it was too simplistic for those of us who have followed the sport for 30 years.

Good... but nothing really new
As a Carly Patterson fan, I picked up this book at the library when I was bored and finished it in about 25 minutes. It doesn't, as other reviewers mention, go up to the 2004 Athens Olympics- it goes up to the 2004 American Cup.

Also included are some information about Carly's early life, start in gymnastics, earlier meets, etc. Most of the meet information was compiled from articles already written about Carly.

It also has some photos, but not that many; if you're looking for a lot of pictures, this book probably wouldn't satisfy you. The few photos included, however, are really good.

So, overall, if you haven't heard much about Carly and are looking for a brief read to tell you more, than go ahead and read this book. If you already know enough about her, you probably won't find any new information in here.

Good book, but nothing I hadn't heard before
This book is basicly a compliation of all the articles that have been written about Carly Patterson up to the 2004 American Cup.

As a long time gymnastics fan, I found this book included no information that I had not already heard.

That being said...it is a good book, dispite the fact that it was written before the Olympics. It includes some fine photos, and for people who like to collect Carly memorbilia, this book is for you.

Warning:Book released BEFORE the Olympics
I have not read this book yet, but I just want to let you all know that this book was listed and published before the 2004 Olympic Games even took place!So it was just a guess that Carly would win/do well at the Olympics and become an "idol," and pure luck for this author and the publisher that she actually did! Or maybe the author is psychic or something (if you believe in that kind of thing). I wonder what would have happened if Carly did really badly at the Olympics (glad she didn't).Carly is very talented, but you can't determine in advance who will really win, because anything can happen in a sport like gymnastics; you can predict, but it might not come true.

Since it was created before the Olympics took place, this book most likely won't include information about what took place during the Olympics competition, and after Carly won (the benefits and rewards of being an Olympic Champion, future plans, etc).Since it was released in June, it also may possibly not have the information from Olympic Trials and Nationals or the actual selection of the team, since those competitions took place around the time of this book's release.

I don't really have a rating for this book, but amazon.com makes you give a rating, so I just chose one star because this book was released before the competition took place.That really surprised me and other fellow gymnastics fans.I'll have to be on the lookout for the book in a store or something to see about its contents.

So if you want information about the Olympics, and just before and after it, you might want to get another book that was actually published AFTER the Olympics, or wait to see if this book will be updated sometime soon.

... Read more