Product Description

Olympic Weightlifting is a comprehensive guide to learning and instructing the Olympic and related lifts. Includes sections on teaching progressions, lift analyses, error correction, programming, competition, supplemental exercises, warm-up protocols, nutrition, and sample training programs.

"Simply the best book available on Olympic weightlifting."
Don Weideman, Vice President, Pacific Weightlifting Association

"Without a doubt the best book on the market today about Olympic-style weightlifting."
Mike Burgener, USA Weightlifting senior international coach

"Outstanding, Accurate, and Concise! A must read for athletes and coaches involved in the movements."
Daniel Camargo, USA Weightlifting International Coach; President, Florida Weightlifting Federation.

"Everett's Olympic Weightlifting text is one of the best instructional books for the sport to be published in years. This is a must have for every weightlifting/strength and conditioning coach's library shelf."
Bob Takano, Member USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame

"I highly recommend the book. I would strongly argue that this book belongs on the shelf between Pavel's Power to the People and Tommy Kono's Weightlifting: Olympic Style as the three books that will lead you to the next level.
Dan John

"Olympic Weightlifting: a Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches is the best book available on teaching & training Olympic weightlifting. The book is comprehensive yet digestible while being easy to follow and apply."
Josh Everett, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, University of California Riverside

"This is the book I would recommend to anyone wanting to begin the sport of Weightlifting. Greg took material that has been discussed for decades by many many great coaches and authors and managed to present it with a clarity that has rarely, if ever, been achieved. I don t care how many years you have coached, or how many lifters you have coached, no one is going to read this book without coming across a few passages that make a light-bulb go off in his head. Greg has a way of taking material that has been argued and discussed to death, and presenting it in such a clear way that it makes you wonder why anything else ever had to be written or said."
Glenn Pendlay

"Everett s strengths are his attention to detail and intelligent, accessible progressions. You will love this book, and it will never end up at the used bookstore."
Robb Wolf, NorCal Strength & Conditioning

Customer Reviews (29)

Very good for a solo Crossfitter
I purchased this book to allow me to clarify some empty holes in my Olympic lifting knowledge. I feel without doubt the book has improved my knowledge of the C&J, snatch and other supplemental lifts.

I am a self-taught Crossfitter who had been previously using web-based resources to improve my technique. Having a very detailed text with photos handy has proved substantially more useful than relying on the internet.

I'd recommend this book to anyone with a similar background to mine.

Highly Recommended.
Great comprehensive book for learning and teaching the Olympic lifts.Greg gives just the right amount of detail without boggingyou down with technical jargon.The only thing better than reading his book would be to attend one of his seminars.

Excellent Resource
Greg Everett's book is one of the most accessible and comprehensive weightlifting sources available for the coach and athlete today.I particularly like it's linear approach to the subject and its easy to understand laysman's language.From a beginner to an experienced pratitioner, there is a whole compendium of the essential material necessary to understand and to implement a weightlifting plan that is correct and results oriented.I highly recommend this book for every serious strength coach or weighlifting prctitioner.

A Must-Have Guide
Having decided at the ripe young age of 50 to teach myself the Olympic lifts, I happened upon Greg Everett's book recently, and have found it an invaluable guide to my efforts. His step-by-step instruction is thorough and easy to understand. He gives the reader an in-depth analysis of the lifts, their execution, and all relevant assistance exercises. Even better, Greg also provides a variety of workout programs to allow you to implement the lifts at whatever level you want. I have purchased a number of texts and other materials on this subject, but noe believe that if I had come upon this book first, I would never have purchased anything else - it's all here, under one cover.

Solid book
This Book is solid it gives just the right amount of information, Greg does not try to impress the reader with his knowledge. I can see that Greg has put a lot of thought and effort into making this book and it shows. If you are looking to start Olympic lifting and you do not have access to a GOOD coach this book is a must. ... Read more

Product Description
What was it like to live in ancient Greece? What gods and goddesses did Greeks believe in? How did the Olympics start? What was the winner’s prize? Find out the answers to these questions and many more in this Magic Tree House Research Guide. Includes fun facts from Jack and Annie, fantastic photos and illustrations, and a guide to doing further research! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

As the 2010 Olympics Unfold
As the 2010 olymipcs unfold in Canada I wanted to learn more about what the games are all about.

Here you learn about daily life in ancient greece, Greek gods; zeus, hera, athena, and more.The olympic grounds and the different summer games.

Now after reading this book in this great series I understand the olympics better.Now lets go watch the games.yeaaa.

Sneaking fun into learning with Magic Tree House
These books make learning history fun, especially with the companion story books that can be used with them, and the Magic Tree House website even offers a few free activity pages as well.I only wish I'd discovered this series sooner for the sake of my older children!

What a great addition to MTH!
I was so excited when I came across these 'research guides' in a used book store, they are a wonderful addition!My kids have enjoyed the series so much, but the books are a little young for some fans, but they love getting the research guide to deepen their understanding of the settings and get good background information.With the summer Olympics upcoming, I made sure to have this research guide available before school ended.

Great stand-alone as well as companion book
In a recent survey of my school students, grades K through 4, Magic Tree House books won hands down as the favorite, with a strong showing in all five grade levels. The Research Guides are an excellent addition to a library collection. The connection with Jack and Annie is enough to hook any and all readers of the fiction series. But the research guides stand on their own as informative and fascinating reading. Fact-filled and thoroughly readable, these are excellent references for any reports as well as suppement to the fiction book for which it is companion.
The table of contents and index are useful, as is a list of suggested web sites and CD-ROM's, videos, books, and even museums. Best of all are the tips for making the most of each reference, for example, take your notebook to the museum, and it isn't necessary to read the entire non-fiction book. Photographs and drawings are plentiful and right on the mark.

review on ancient greece and the olyimpics
(......)My Summaryon AncientGreece and the Olympics4/13/05
Bookby Mary popeosborne




This book is abouttwokids Jake and Annie are kids who like to find thing out about theTitanic,twisters, and the Olympics.

In this book they want to find out about ancient Greece and the Olympics. So in this book going backin the past and try and figure out how the Olympics worked in the past.


Ilike the book becauseit gives youthe idea of what the people in Greece lived. The book over all the book is great.

I recommend this book so that boys and girls age 10-14 can read this book. It is so greatthat I want to read itagain.
... Read more

Product Description
Jack and Annie are off on another adventure! This time they are sent to

ancient Greece, where a very important event is taking place. Join them as they

race against time and witness the very first Olympic games!




... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

magic tree house
This is another wonderful magic tree house book. I was interested in this one since it is about sports and my grandchildren love all sports.

AWESOME BOOK!!!!
MY SON AND I LOVE THIS BOOK AND ALL THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE BOOKS ~ A MUST BUY FOR KIDS!!

As the 2010 Olympics Unfold
As the 2010 Olympics unfold in Vancouver I turned to one of my favorite book series to find out what the olympics are about.

Well this book really concentrates on the olympics as they started out back in Greece.Very interesting about all the different sports and the competions.

Now I have a feeling what these types of international competions are about. good book.

Magic Tree House series book #16 Hour of the Olympics
I purchased this book for my grandson, 7, who is just learning to read.He loves the stories and he can read them himself.If he's excited about the book, I buy it.Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

too much social reality too early
I generally like these books, but this one was awful. It's about girls not being allowed to go anywhere in ancient Greece, not being allowed to go to school, or the olympics, or anywhere outside, and not being allowed to learn to read or write... my 3 yr old girl and 5 yr old boy were really distressed by the injustice of it (the girl burst into tears!). I just don't see any need to put the idea into young people's minds that boys and girls aren't equal. It left all of us with a real bitter taste... there are plenty of other/better books for your youngsters, so choose something else. (oh, and there's nothing about the olymics in the book anyway!) ... Read more

Product Description
What was it like to attend the ancient Olympic Games?

With the summer Olympics’ return to Athens, Tony Perrottet delves into the ancient world and lets the Greek Games begin again. The acclaimed author of Pagan Holiday brings attitude, erudition, and humor to the fascinating story of the original Olympic festival, tracking the event day by day to re-create the experience in all its compelling spectacle.

Using firsthand reports and little-known sources—including an actual Handbook for a Sports Coach used by the Greeks—The Naked Olympics creates a vivid picture of an extravaganza performed before as many as forty thousand people, featuring contests as timeless as the javelin throw and as exotic as the chariot race.

Peeling away the layers of myth, Perrottet lays bare the ancient sporting experience—including the round-the-clock bacchanal inside the tents of the Olympic Village, the all-male nude workouts under the statue of Eros, and history’s first corruption scandals involving athletes. Featuring sometimes scandalous cameos by sports enthusiasts Plato, Socrates, and Herodotus, The Naked Olympics offers essential insight into today’s Games and an unforgettable guide to the world’s first and most influential athletic festival.

"Just in time for the modern Olympic games to return to Greece this summer for the first time in more than a century, Tony Perrottet offers up a diverting primer on the Olympics of the ancient kind….Well researched; his sources are as solid as sources come.It's also well writen….Perhaps no book of the season will show us so briefly and entertainingly just how complete is our inheritance from the Greeks, vulgarity and all."
--The Washington Post ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

The truth about the Olympics
I've never been a sports fan, so I thought I might find this book rather a bore.But in fact there isn't a dull moment in this very entertaining account of what the Olympic Games were like in ancient Greece.

It is fascinating to learn that the games themselves were only a part of the events that took place, with religious celebrations predominating. Enormous numbers of animals were sacrificed to the gods in the course of the games. The events were a lot more colourful than the modern Olympics, with violence and bloodshed not uncommon.Men competed in the events naked, which you may or may not find an agreeable thought.Married women were not allowed to attend the Games, though women had their own seperate festival where foot races were run.Single women were allowed to attend, and there were prostitutes in plenty.

This is the sort of book I love, packed with fascinating facts that make me exclaim "Gosh, I never knew that!" at frequent intervals.Well worth reading.

Pretty much a drawn-out high school school book report
When I picked up this book (thankfully from the library), I thought that, like any decent non-fiction book, a book about the Ancient Olympics would probably be written by someone who knew what he was talking about.Nope.This guy is not a classical scholar.His "primary sources" are all translations.Further, he began studying the Ancient Olympics explicitly for the purpose of writing this book, which means he does not have a broad background of knowledge.

The book is essentially a very long list of regurgitated facts about the games.While the facts themselves are interesting, the writer is not.He didn't have enough to say to fill up an entire book, so he repeats many of the facts throughout the text.His style of presentation is completely unispired and a little disorganized.Further, there are obvious errors.The most glaring exmaple is the discussion of the javelin throw.Perrottet wrote, "Ancient authors claimed that throws of over 90 meters/270 feet were possible, about half the length of the Stadium and far beyond the modern record of 60 meters." (110)Remember that old game from "Highlights" magazine, "What's Wrong With This Picture?".Let's play.First - no source given on the measurement.Second - elsewhere in the text the author claims the Greeks didn't much care about measurements, throws were generally not measured, and ancient measurements should not be given much worth.Third -90 meters is not 270 feet!.90 meters is about 295 feet.The 270 figure is not even close.If he said "over 90 meters/300 feet" I would buy that as about right, but the 270 feet figure is simply inexcusable.Fourth - the modern javelin record is not 60 meters .That's two egregious factual errors in the same sentence.The modern javelin world record is 98.48 meters.This isn't just a boo-boo typo.It means the author's entire claim - that the ancient javelin went further - is completely bogus.Why should I believe any of the other things this guy wrote down?

Whipping away the shroud of time
"The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games" by Tony Perrottet is a wonderful book describing the ancient Greek games. It's aptly titled, too, in two different ways. First, in the ancient Olympics, the contestants performed nude, without clothing that would prevent spectators from admiring their glorious physiques. But more importantly, Perrottet lifts the respectable veneer that is so often draped over classical times. Many writers have difficulties describing the past. Either they write with such awe that the ancients seem to have been gods, instead of mortals, or the writers write in such a way that we seem to be viewing through a dust-covered lens that makes everything seem old and faded.

Perrottet, though, brings the past alive in a way that makes the reader see and hear and even taste, feel and smell - especially smell! - what it was like to participate in these ancient games. Through a variety of different ancient sources, including contemporary texts, vase paintings, statues and a visit to the ruins of Olympia, he is able to give us a well-rounded experience. He guides us through the importance of the games in honoring the gods, how athletes trained, including specific, faddish diets that they followed, the evolution of the different events, the role that women played (unfortunately very little), the discomfort felt by the crowds, and even how physicians treated injuries. "The Naked Olympics" is great fun, and even though the Olympics are not being held in Athens this year, it's worth reading this book to appreciate them wherever they take place (the winter Olympics are taking place in Turin, Italy in 2006).

A Good Read
The more books I read about ancient history, the more I come to realize that the best ones are NOT written by historians!Archaeologist Tony Perrottet does a great job describing life in Ancient Greece and the evolution of sport in western society.

I picked this up right after the '04 games in Athens, still in the grip of Olympics fever.But don't wait until '08 to read this wonderful book.

Appropriate release time
Now that the summer Olympics are upon us, this book, which tells the reader about the original Greek Olympoics in Olympia, is particularly welcome. It goes through a typical Olympics, showing the religious aspects of the games, and also the various events that were held.It doesn't stint on the darker side of the games, but the approach to the book is rather light-hearted, and even with that a lot of new information is imparted to the reader. It's well worth reading, and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (10)

awsome
I like this book.I like the olympic games and how the Greek language is printed.This is great by Toutatis!

Asterix and Ancient Greece
It is fun to travel to ancient Greece with our beloved Gaulish village. A story with a comical twist and a nice recreation of Athens with its golden Athena statue, Olympia and other beautiful places. Great work!

The fun doesn't get translated
French version is great, one of my favorite comics. English version is plain boring. They translated the words, not the fun.

A very good album - almost prophetic of the doping scandals
In this fine Asterix album, after learning that there is a Roman soldier in one of the garrisons surrounding the village preparing for the (ancient) Olympic Games, the Gaulish tribe decide they should participate too, much to the consternation of the Romans. So all the males in the village go to Olympia en masse, thinking that the magic potion will give them a natural advantage over their competitors. But once the Greeks learn about the magic potion, they won't have anything with athletes using it and threaten to disqualify the Gauls (remember, this book was written in the 1960s, many years before the doping scandals surrounding the Olympic Games). This forces Asterix to enter the games on his own, without the help of the potion, against (seemingly) much stronger opponents (Obelix, having fallen into Panoramix's pot as a child, is disqualified forever of participation in the games). A great book from the Goscinny and Uderzo series.

Asterix gets a little excercise in Greece
A bit of a change from other Asterix stories, this one lacks much usage of the famous "magic potion" when it would have helped, but the little Gaul manages just fine without.Very funny and a good lesson in ancient Greece. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Hiking Olympic National Park
I found this book very informitive and even exciting.I am from Calif. most of my life. ( except for the last 10 yrs.) I am 66 and it's really nice to know that there are trails that even I can manage.For next year I am planing to take several trips to the Olympic Mountains.Writing reviews is not my cup of tea so please forgive the shortness of this review.
Thank you very much Art

Falcon Olympic Park Hiking Guide
Provides accurate descriptions of hikes in Olympic National Park, together with good direction to the trail heads.

Good 'In The Pocket' Guide For Casual Dayhikers
The 'Best Easy Day Hikes' series by Falcon Guides has quite a few in it. All of them showcase the "best" (and easier) hikes in a particular National Park.
I have found over the years that if visiting a park for the first time get one of the "Best" guides. You won't overwhelmed by the choices in the bigger book Falcon makes as well.

The one for the Olympic National Park is thin but will give plenty of choices. It is a choice I suggest often to non-hikers that want to go experience the Olympics. It gives a good choice from Coastal to rain forest to the river valleys to the high mountains. It can help you plan a whirl wind trip of what to see if you have only 1 or 2 days as well. ... Read more

Product Description

The true story of the 1986 U.S. National Gymnastics champion whose lifelong dream was to compete in the Olympics, until anorexia, injuries, and coaching abuses nearly destroyed her

Customer Reviews (44)

Don't waste a penny on this drivel
This is a story of a spoiled brat who got everything she wanted, yet she wanted to blame everyone around her for her problems.This may be her story, but it is laced with perceptions and feelings that did not necessarily happen.She was obsessed with her weight when she was around 7 years old.Everything that she blames those around her in her life for doing, she did to herself.

She was never a very good gymnast and was lucky that the Nationals in 1986 was underattended.Also, she was lucky that many of the 1988 Olympians were juniors at the time she won this Nationals.

If you want to read about her taking laxatives and her messing her pants, this book is for you.But she should not be rewarded by someone paying for this ridiculous diatribe.

I'm still reading... Two years later, lol!
I don't think this is the worst book ever, but the fact that I've not finished it in almost TWO years says a lot about the book!

Passion, Skill, Brains and Balls
Thank you Jennifer Sey for finally saying what all of us knew but wouldn't say. The book doesn't lie. I was an Elite gymnast in the 80's and I know this book is true. I lived with my coach away from home and trained with some of the top Elites and Olympians in the country. I experienced the abuse (the word I would use for it) depicted in the book on a regular basis and witnessed many other girls experiencing the same. I did know that coaches threw things - mine did. I did know that coaches were verbally and physically abusive - mine was. I did know that some men who had never participated in the sport took up coaching to prey on young girls, trying to gain a sense of purpose and power - mine did. I did know that girls were told to lose weight by any means possible - and did. I also knew that nobody in my circle was aware enough, brave enough or cared enough to say it needed to stop. If the system was questioned, it was done in whispers, so as not to upset any possibility of reaching the ultimate goal...winning.

When I read the book description, I thought it might be an interesting read. What it ended up being was a no-holds-barred, cathartic journey, providing me with insight that no therapist could ever match. Sey's unabashedly raw and honest writing ripped open old wounds and gave a picture of what it looks like to heal. It takes truth to heal. Because she allows herself to be vulnerable yet still maintain the strength to write the actuality of what happened, we get a complete picture of her journey. I started crying in empathy when I read about the pain and anguish, and I ended weeping with the beauty of it all: the beauty of her life, her husband, her two boys, her career, her mended relationship with her parents. Those things only came about through the process of truth.

I was ready for this book. I am forty-four years old. While reading Chalked Up, I reached back into the depths of what drove me as a child and compared that to what drives me now as a woman, thirty years later. I am glad Jennifer Sey was that great a gymnast and did work that insanely hard because it gives her the extra clout needed to tell this story. Clearly, it takes the kind of passion, skill, brains and balls that got her ahead in gymnastics to write books like this one. Please keep them coming. I will be looking for them.

Awesome book!
This was a fantastic book, very well written and very honest. Loved every bit of it, could not put it down.

Sad, but true.
Loved it. Sadly, it speaks true of the sport even today...not all coaches treat their gymnasts this way, of course. Coaches want it even more than the girls do sometimes...the better their gymnasts are=more $$$$$$ for them and their programs. It was very sad to read about all of Jennifers injuries, most of which could have been prevented if given proper time to heal from her previous ones...being forced into competition while severely injured ruined her Olympic dream. ... Read more

Product Description

From the critically acclaimed and bestselling author David Maraniss, a groundbreaking book that weaves sports, politics, and history into a tour de force about the 1960 Rome Olympics, eighteen days of theater, suspense, victory, and defeat

David Maraniss draws compelling portraits of the athletes competing in Rome, including some of the most honored in Olympic history: decathlete Rafer Johnson, sprinter Wilma Rudolph, Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikila, and Louisville boxer Cassius Clay, who at eighteen seized the world stage for the first time, four years before he became Muhammad Ali.

Along with these unforgettable characters and dramatic contests, there was a deeper meaning to those late-summer days at the dawn of the sixties. Change was apparent everywhere. The world as we know it was coming into view.

Rome saw the first doping scandal, the first commercially televised Summer Games, the first athlete paid for wearing a certain brand of shoes. Old-boy notions of Olympic amateurism were crumbling and could never be taken seriously again. In the heat of the cold war, the city teemed with spies and rumors of defections. Every move was judged for its propaganda value. East and West Germans competed as a unified team less than a year before the Berlin Wall.There was dispute over the two Chinas. An independence movement was sweeping sub-Saharan Africa, with fourteen nations in the process of being born. There was increasing pressure to provide equal rights for blacks and women as they emerged from generations of discrimination.

Using the meticulous research and sweeping narrative style that have become his trademark, Maraniss reveals the rich palate of character, competition, and meaning that gave Rome 1960 its singular essence.Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, July 2008:Armed with the same engaging narrative found in Clemente and When Pride Still Mattered, Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss chronicles the triumphs, tragedies, and treacheries of "the Olympics that changed the world" with Rome 1960. The same Games that announced the greatness of icons like Cassius Clay, Wilma Rudolph, and Rafer Johnson, also exposed a growing unrest between East and West, black and white, and male and female. Even the host city of Rome, Maraniss recounts, was "infused with a golden hue...an illuminating that comes with a moment of historical transition, when one era is dying and another is being born." With moving portraits of the Games's remarkable personalities woven among tales of espionage and propaganda, Rome 1960 explores an Olympics unable to fight off the troubles of the modern world. Cold War sniping and issues of social inequalities were spilling into fields and stadiums, and the face of sport was rapidly changing.History buffs and sports fans alike will appreciate Maraniss’s quiet reporting, as he deftly removes himself from a storyline that is still relevant today. --Dave Callanan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Bronze medal effort
While consumers rate this book very highly, professional reviews were more mixed. I've come down on the size of the pros.

The first problem with the book is the title: it's preposterous to claim that the 1960 Olympics "changed the world."They didn't even change the world of sport.Rather, it's the other way around, that the world and the world of sport forced changes in the Olympics, some of which started to surface in 1960.The Olympics were elitist, aristocratic, and racist at the time. As author David Maraniss points out, the rules on amateurism were incredibly unfair to poor or working-class athletes who were deemed to have traded on their fame when they did things as innocuous as appear on a TV game show or in a minor part in a movie. They faced millionaire businessmen and minor European royalty banning them from their sport.The Olympics leadership didn't change that policy -- rather the athletes agitated for more fair and realistic treatment, and the Olympics gradually acceded.Welcoming African nations and giving women equal treatment also came about through pressure from political and social changes that forced their way into the Olympics, not the other way around. So, the entire premise of the book should be restated.

Maraniss does a good job of putting those contradictions in place, and he gives some sense (not enough) of how complex the Olympics were in those days, but how small they were compared to today's productions.It was still a time when major countries could send unknowns who had "regular" lives to seek their moment of glory, rather than sending only highly groomed and trained professionals.

While I enjoyed some of the anecdotes about events or athletes, I found that for the most part, they were cursory. We were told over and over again that Rafer Johnson was the most respected man on the US team, but we don't really find out why, except that he's smart and handsome.Same thing with Wilma Rudolph, who apparently was the heartthrob of the team, but we don't get any real details on what made her so special.Over and over, the book begged for more details -- whether about the Tennessee State Tigerbelles or why the decathalon is structured to take place over 12-14 hours on consecutive days.

There were strange omissions, too. For example, in the concluding chapter, the author notes that the Soviets won more medals than the US for the first time, largely due to massive superiority in gymnastics. But he didn't cover a single gymnastics event in the book.

In short, the book feels rushed and superficial.It feels like it was put together from newspaper clippings, Sports Illustrated, and interviews with a couple of journalists who were at the games. One of the only things that rang with real emotion was a short visit the author had with Joe Faust, a high jumper who made the US squad but didn't get a medal and had a quirky after-life.

A Gold Medal Performance
I teach a high school history elective called "Sports and Society." David Maraniss's "Rome 1960" was a perfect fit for such a course.Maraniss has found a compelling event full of fascinating characters and ripe with episodes that set the stage for the major developments in sports in the decades that would follow.Maraniss weaves issues of drugs, race, gender, politics, international diplomacy, commercialism, television, and religion throughout a narrative as engaging and exciting as the most hotly contested Olympic competition.The inspirational Wilma Rudolph, the brash young Cassius Clay, the poised and focused Rafer Johnson, the surprising Abebe Bakila, the haughty Avery Brundage, and a host of other athletes, coaches, and Olympic officials come to life vividly on the wide canvas Maraniss paints of these truly defining Olympic games.If you love sports and you love history, I guarantee you'll love this book.

Another Maraaniss Masterpiece
David Maraniss has been chronicling our world for some time now, and has been especially successful at finding the nexus between politics, values, and sport."When Pride Still Mattered" and "Clemente" are excellent examples.In "Rome 1960" Maraniss takes on the cold war, civil rights, and the Rome Olympics and illustrate major issues of our time and the way sport figures into the mix.Get to know Wilma Rudolph, Mohammed Ali (as Cassius Clay), and Rafer Johnson as you never have before.See how each one of them played a big role in shaping American culture and values today.And relive the drama of one of the great sporting events of the 20th century.

This book contains important history about the US
David Maraniss is an associate editor at the Washington Post and a 1993 and 2008 Pulitzer Prize Winner. He is not only a very good writer, but also a very entertaining one. He tells the tale of the 1960 Olympics in Rome just fifteen years after the Italians lost the Second World War, when the Italians were hiding the remains of their fascist regime from the hundreds of thousands of spectators who came to Italy to view the games.
This was a time when the US and the Soviets were fighting to show the world which nation was a superior regime; when the Soviets seemed to be superior to the US in science and physical strength. These were the days when there was a heated dispute over two Chinas - the mainland and Taiwan - and the blacks in South Africa were beginning to stir and express their human rights. The year 1960 was a terrible year when American blacks and women faced daily discrimination.
Maraniss tells what seem to be well over two hundred fascinating incidences that occurred at the Olympics, just before it and just after, incidences that began to open the eyes of the world to how badly too-many people were being treated. For instance:
The Olympic committee stressed verbally that all people may participate and that there should be no discrimination based on religion or color, but the head of the Olympic Committee was a vicious anti-Semite and bigot. He called the great athlete Jesse Owens "boy." He accepted the ridiculous statement of the white South Africans that there were no blacks in all of South Africa who could qualify for the Olympics.
One of the American participants was Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, who was eighteen at the time. He talked all the time. People tried to stop him from talking by giving him sleeping pills, but they didn't work.
The Americans tried to entice one of the Soviet stars to defect, without success.
The issue of drugs came to the front at this Olympics: a cyclist died during a race because of the drugs he took to help him win, and officials tried to cover up the truth.
President Eisenhower tried to beat the Soviet's Nikita Khrushchev's warm greeting to the athletes, but failed dismally.
Blacks discriminated against in the US were winners at the Olympics, but many returned to the US to face continued discrimination and abuse.
Black girls on their way to the Olympics were not allowed to pee in white establishments in the south. They had to do so in the fields, beside the road they took to the plane that would fly them to fame outside the US.
The US trying to belie what everyone knew, that its people discriminated against blacks, had a black man lead their athletes and carry the American flag in the initial march at the Olympics. The crowd applauded loudly.
However, the Soviets drew greater applause from the crowd by marching only their prettiest girls dressed in their most fetching attire.
While a great power, the US was clearly cheated out of winning a swim contest. The officials declared the person who came in second as the winner.
One of the most dramatic events was when a short black man from Ethiopia ran the 26 plus mile marathon against the best men that the world could produce without shoes, bare foot because he could not find shoes that fit him, and won.
Maraniss gives his readers many pieces of information. For example, the legend that the marathon race of 26 plus miles commemorates the run of an Athenian man from Marathon to Athens to alert his countrymen of impending danger, is not true; Lord Byron fabricated the story in the nineteenth century.
The soviets beat the US in metals achieved. This led the new American president Kennedy to speak about "the soft American." The US began to become interested in health and many studies confirmed the president's assessment. Studies showed that American children fared far worse in strength and flexibility than their European counterparts. The move to improve children's health was one of many changes that occurred as a result of the 1960 Olympics.

Why Rome?

I picked this up after being very impressed with another Maranis book about the 60s, They Marched Into Sunlight: War and Peace Vietnam and America October 1967. While this had its moments, it is nowhere near as fully realized a book as his Vietnam book.

Maranis attributes to his subject Olympics some consequences that don't really play out fully on the confined stage of the 18 days in Rome. He makes the point that many trends that have become commonplace in the Olympics, the rise of black and women athletes; the importance of television over print media; exposure of what one sportswriter called "shamateurism" and the use of anabolic steroids all first came to the surface in the 1960 Olympics, but they were still in the growth stages by the time the closing ceremonies put an end to the events in Rome.

Frankly it is hard to understand why Maranis picked these particular Olympics over say Mexico City 68 or Munich 72, as an epochal event.Even if the book were to focus on a specific Olympic competition, the focus could have been broader, encompassing athletes pre event training and post event reactions back home. There is very little of that here, but what there is, including Wilma Rudolph's battle with polio and the exposure of the rampant drug use by East German athletes were some of the most compelling sections of the book.
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Product Description
“This is a thriller, a page-turner, a probing look into the inner workings of the assassination squads that Israel mobilized after the Munich massacre.”
–David K. Shipler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Arab and Jew

“Gratitude is due to Mr. Klein for his painstaking . . . book, the best one could possibly hope for.”
–Walter Lacquer, The Wall Street Journal

Award-winning journalist Aaron J. Klein tells, for the first time, the complete story of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and the Israeli counterterrorism operation it spawned. With unprecedented access to Mossad agents and an unparalleled knowledge of Israeli intelligence, Klein peels back the layers of myth and misinformation that have permeated previous books, films, and magazine articles about the “shadow war” against Black September and other related terrorist groups. In this riveting account, long-held secrets are finally revealed, including who was killed and who was not, how it was done, which targets were hit and which were missed. In the end, Klein shows that the Israeli response to Munich was not simply about revenge, as is popularly believed. By illuminating the tactical and strategic purposes of the Israeli operation, Striking Back allows us to draw profoundly relevant lessons from one of the most important counterterrorism campaigns in history.

“[Klein] makes it clear why [the Munich attacks were] a pivotal event in the evolution of global terrorism.”
–Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“A drama-filled look at the murders and Israeli reprisals.”
–Billy Heller, New York Post (“Required Reading”)

“A real thriller that will unnerve as much as it captivates.”
–Laurence Washington, Rocky Mountain News ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Armed Force is sometimes the only moral and practical response to evil
When it comes to the story of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre and its aftermath there is fact and there is fiction. The fictional element was illustrated by filmmaker Steven Spielberg's Munich. He claimed the film was `inspired by real events' but it 's plot lines was implausible, not to mention the subjective political posturing and sanctimonious moralising. Funnily enough, left-wing Israeli journalist Aaron Klein has produced a thoughtful and balanced factual account of the Olympic slaughter and the Mossad counter-terrorist campaign that decimated the PLO's `Black September' unit that perpetrated the attack. Klein is an IDF reservist intelligence officer, and he has obviously put his spooky connections to good use.

Spielberg based his film on a widely discredited book relating the Walter Mitty fantasies of a Mossad-wannabe. By contrast, Klein interviewed most of the major Israeli players who planned and executed the operations against Black September. And just as in the craft of intelligence itself, excellent sources provide excellent information. While Munich-the-movie is a case of garbage-in-garbage-out, Klein provides us with an accurate portrayal of precisely what the Israelis did, how they did it, and for what purposes it was done. The angst and disillusionment that afflict Spielberg's fictional Israeli undercover agents are nowhere to be seen in Striking Back. During an interview with the 7:30 Report, Klein explained that the Mossadniks, in fact, were firmly imbued with a sense of the righteousness of their cause: I spoke with more than 50 veterans of Mossad and military intelligence. There was no remorse, no second thoughts. They were proud; most of them were proud of what they did and they are still proud of what they did. And in my personal opinion, rightly so!

The opening chapter of Striking Back relates how in August 1992, almost 20 years after the Munich Olympics, a Mossad team shot Atef Bseiso dead on a Paris street. By that time, Bseiso was the PLO's liaison to the French internal security service, but in 1972 he played a key role in the Black September unit that carried out the Munich massacre. And for that he eventually paid the price. Klein's narrative portrayal of Bseiso's death kicks off a fascinating and not uncritical blow-by-blow account of the undercover war that Mossad waged against Black September in the wake of the Olympic massacre. But the real virtue of Striking Back is found in its balanced discussion of the strategic and operational rationales for the campaign. Certainly a natural desire for vengeance contributed to Mossad's relentless pursuit of the Munich killers and their dispatchers. But Klein clearly outlines that conventional military considerations of deterrence and attrition played an even more important role in Israel's decisionmaking process.

By eliminating the Black September command and control network, Israel believed it could deplete the pool of terrorist expertise that was available for future attacks. And let's not forget the ancient principle of good, old fashioned deterrence through intimidation. On 06 April 1973, a Special Forces team from the IDF's elite Sayeret Matkal unit raided PLO facilities in downtown Beirut, killing three senior PLO leaders in their quarters. Combined with the Israeli retribution campaign in Europe this operation terrified the PLO's senior echelons. Every minute that Arafat and company spent worrying about their own safety was a minute that they could not devote to planning offensive operations against Israel. Klein writes: `The numbers show a steep slide in the frequency of terror attacks against Israelis and Israeli institutions abroad from 1974 to the present.' He continues: there is `near unanimous agreement' within the Israeli intelligence community that this decline was largely attributable to the mayhem inflicted upon Palestinian terrorist groups by the post-Munich undercover campaign. IDF Brigadier General Ido Nehushtan recently reiterated this doctrine during a discussion about Israel's counter-terrorism strategy during the current conflict with the Palestinians: A basic lesson we learned is the importance of preemption. We cannot wait until suicide bombers or terrorists make their way to the target, or rockets are launched at our cities. When pursued where commanders and planners are lurking at their hideouts in the cities, we dramatically reduced the number of terror attacks in our population centres.

Don't try telling that to Steven Spielberg. At the end of Munich-the-movie, the filmmaker clumsily attempts to unive rsalise his sanctimonious moralising about the supposed invariable futility of responding to violence with violence. In a kitschy final scene, the camera focuses on a Manhattan skyline in which the twin towers of the World Trade Centre loom large in the background before the camera fades. But when it comes to weighing the Hollywood theorising of Steven Spielberg against the fact-based logic conveyed by Aaron Klein there is no real contest. While the Tinseltown version of events is suitable for an afternoon of mindless entertainment in a vacuum of false moral equivalence, the message of Striking Back resonates with those who
understand that lethal armed force is sometimes the only moral and practical response to evil

This book covers all the angles
This book is not a written counterpart to the movie "Munich". This book goes into much deeper detail on all the parties involved in the Munich Massacre and the subsequent events that followed years and even decades later. It's well put together and easy to read with enough spy/assassin stuff to keep you moving to the next chapter.

Striking Out
"Striking Back" is an incoherent and repetitive description of various assassinations carried out by Israeli military and intelligence authorities in the wake of the killing of Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Olympics.The author's research might be impressive -- he implies that much of the material in the book was never publicly stated before -- but he has no ability to present it in an interesting way.

The chapters are short, and most of them cover one assassination. They all start to sound alike after a while. And there's little context to them.If you already know a lot about Israeli politics and history, perhaps the book is more meaningful. But I doubt it, as it's far from a sophisticated book. It's definitely aimed at the casual reader about the modern Middle East.

The author tries to make some assessment of the value of assassinations as a strategy, but he doesn't do enough on that account, either.
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Product Description
Introducing next-generation trail guides for the Northwest.We asked hikers what they want in a trail guide today and this is what they said: more day hikes, with options for extending the trip; hike selection conveniently arranged by highway and travel corridors; more hikes close to urban centers; more year-round hikes at low elevation; clear driving directions; a portable size; and more use of color.

To meet the needs of the modern hiker, The Mountaineers Books introduces its new Day Hiking guidebook series, written by Northwest residents with impressive hiking resumes. These guides provide accurate information in attractive, high-quality packaging and are infused with the environmental ethic that distinguishes The Mountaineers Books from other outdoor publishers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Good book for an amazing location
We spent four days in Olympic National Park and bought this book for day hikes. Good selection of hikes and well laid out. The table comparing all of the hikes according to difficulty, scenery, kid friendly etc was excellent. As good as any walking guide you will find IMHO.

Great guide!
We enjoyed several hikes mentioned in this guide.I gives the important information to make good decisions.

A useful guide for those on a schedule
This was a very useful guide for us with only a few days to spend in this spectacular area.Trail guides were generally accurate and descriptions wothwhile.

Nice hikes - rating accurate - very practical
This was the perfect book to take with us for our trip to the Olympic peninsula.
We didn't have the equipment to go camping in the back country so we wanted a book with one day hikes.
All hikes are accurately rated (how nice they are and how difficult), descriptions are useful, you get some maps.
It was just what we needed.

Very detailed
I purchased this book along with Erik Molvar's "Easy Day Hikes Olympic National Park" and between the two of them I was able to quickly locate and choose the exact hikes that not only fit my schedule, but my difficulty level, and time frame. I would recommend this to anyone planning a trip to the Olympic Peninsula. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

don't buy both moon books
I made the silly mistake of buying the moon edition of Washington State and this book seperately. Buy JUST the Washington state book and you also get most of this smaller book as it covers the Olympic Penn as well. It is the same author so it is exactly the same text!

Extremely useful guide for this area
We used this book extensively on our trip to the Olympic Peninsula.It included most of the must-see sites.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is traveling to the area.We have never been to Washington and this guide helped plan our day trips for hikes, waterfalls, beautiful beaches, state parks, and out-of-the-way spots. ... Read more

Product Description

With a thorough exploration of the political climate of the time and the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, this book describes the repercussions of Jimmy Carter’s American boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Despite missing the games they had trained relentlessly to compete in, many U.S. athletes went on to achieve remarkable successes in sports and overcame the bitter disappointment of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity dashed by geopolitics.

Customer Reviews (16)

A compelling argument to keep politics out of sports
As the 2008 Summer Olympics came to an end, my mind wandered back to the 1980 Olympics and the team that didn't travel to Moscow. In the face of the Soviet Union's continued aggression, President Jimmy Carter announced the US Olympic team would not be traveling to Moscow. Hoping to galvanize the rest of the world, Carter withheld the US team hoping other nations would join the boycott and embarrass the Soviet Union into withdrawing troops. At the center was the US Olympic team and athletes who had spent a lifetime preparing for competition. Ultimately, the Olympics continued without the US team and US athletes were relegated to asterisk status... might have beens. Faced with the threat of withheld passports and the US Olympic Committee acting on their behalf, athletes who had spent years single mindedly working towards Olympic competition, athletes were suddenly cut adrift. Left to watch the competition on TV, many were beset by the thought of what might have been. While all the athletes were given a Congressional Medal in recognition of their sacrifice, the athletes were largely unrecognized for their efforts and loss. Only a few went on to capture Olympic glory in the wildly successful LA Olympics four summers later. Most had to let go of the dream and move onto the next phase of their lives. Some athletes banded together and sued, only to be dismissed out of hand.

Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli have gathered the memories of various athletes about that turbulent summer. They blend these memories and the ongoing political wrangling into a comprehensive look at the few who paid a huge price. Described as the "most painful decision" of the Carter administration was later summed up by Vice president Walter Mondale 28 years later. "I know the athletes were asked to pay a price that couldn't be repaid."

Boycott.
I am usually sceptical about reading sports books because many times they devolve into stats, averages and numbers. But as I read this book, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very well written book about an important moment in American history. I was deeply saddened to see how athletes who had slaved and worked so hard to become Olympians, saw their dreams snatched away because of politics.

Olympians have a very short window of opportunity in which to achieve their goals. They make so many sacrifices, physically, mentally, emotionally and in many cases financially. Many who qualified for the 1980 Olympics thought they had it made as they would be able to compete against the best in the world. Unfortunately for them, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and President Jimmy Carter decided that among the ways to show US disapproval would be to enact trade sanctions, food sanctions and withdrawing its athletes from the Olympics which were to be held in Moscow. The saddest part about this was that for many of these athletes, they would never again compete as some were not able to sustain the heights they attained just before the 1980 Olympics. Many found that they were either physically unable to stay in Olympic shape or that they just lost the drive to try again. It is hard to accept that these young people's quest for excellence was thwarted by Carter's need to make a symbolic gesture. What exactly did the boycott achieve? Carter meant to punish the Soviets but in a way he punished the American athletes. Not a single life was saved by anyone not showing up for the games. The conflict in Afghanistan went on for many years after the boycott so what really was accompolished?

I found it ironic the pressure that was put to bear on the USOC to pass a vote to boycott the Olympics. Alot of the rhetoric used is very reminiscent of what I see in politics today. The USOC was told " If the US decides to participate in the Olympics, it would be a tacit approval of Soviet actions" and "If you vote not to support the president, you are doing the worse thing you can possibly do". In addition to all the rhetoric, it appears that undue pressure was applied to sponsors to renege on deals that they had made to the USOC. Of course the government denied any involvement in this but the coincidence is hard to ignore.

Some athletes are still angry, they feel robbed. But the vast majority of the eighteen athletes interviewed for this book, have come to take it in stride. Many believe that the boycott was a bad idea and should not have happened, others think that Carter took the best decision he could under the circumstances and in accordance with his advisers. I have to say that I was very proud of all of the athletes in this book. Despite the fact that their dreams were shattered, most have chosen to see the benefits that Olympic training provided them in all facets of their lives. One of the most disappointing things to see is that to this day Walter Mondale, the then Vice President and a key player in this event, still insists that the right decision was made. Maybe I just wanted him to show that he really understood what he and his government took from these talented people. In the foreward to the book he does acknowledge the loss that these Olympians suffered but I felt it was a bit hollow. Just my view, some one else may read the same thing and think he came across as sincere.

This book is so well constructed as the authors present the story without interjecting any personal agenda. The story unfolds from the mouths of the athletes themselves without any commentary added to sway opinions. As you read you make your own assessments and judgements as to how you feel about what occured. Another strength of the book was that interspersed with the athletes stories is the timeline and unfolding of the conflict in Afghanistan and the political events that led to the boycott. This fact made the book much more than just a sports book but a greatly informative rendering of history. A great read and I would highly recommend.

An Unbiased Story about the Boycott of the 1980 Olympics
In 1980, President Carter made the decision for the United States to boycott the summer Olympics which was to be held in Russia.This decision was made because the United States wanted to make a statement protesting the USSR's brutal invasion of Afghanistan.For the most part, the United States Olympians were devastated by this decision.Many of them had put in thousands of hours training for the opportunity to represent the United States.Many of the athletes were at their peak and this would be the only opportunity that they would have to participate.
"Boycott" tells the stories of the athletes and how President Carter's decision impacted their lives.Information about what was happening at the time is interspersed in between the athlete's stories.I felt that the inclusion of this information makes the book unbiased.If I had just read the athlete's stories, I would have been very angry that this boycott occurred. Having read the history of what was going on; I gained a greater understanding of why President Carter made his decision. I still don't agree with it, but I do have a better understanding.
After reading "Boycott" I agreed with many of the athletes who recommended that the United States not be present during the opening and closing ceremonies. I think that this would have made a greater statement to the world. By not participating at all, I felt like the athletes were being punished, and the USSR was being handed medals that could have been won by many of our athletes.In effect, we were handing them the opportunity to achieve greater fame for their country because they didn't have us to compete with.The effect of our boycott faded in time on everyone, except the athletes who lost their dreams of participating.I was fourteen years old when this happened and had no memory of it until I read this book.If we had participated in the games, but boycotted the ceremonies, I believe that we would still be seeing the clips from the ceremonies, as a reminder, every Olympic year.
The athletes really impressed me.At the time this was happening, most of them were just kids.Some of the insight gained by them is shared in "Boycott." I found many of their attitudes to be inspiring to me.I wish that things could have been different for them.My grandfather was a gold medalist in the 1932 Olympics.He had the opportunity to participate in a rowing event.He was proud of his win, but his true passion was in wrestling.After the Olympics, he decided that he would compete in wrestling in the 1936 games.Unfortunately, a serious neck injury ended that dream.While he was proud of his medal, I always felt that he regretted not being able to represent our country in the sport that he was most passionate about.I felt that this was the case with these athletes; they had some that they were passionate about and wanted to show the world their abilities.By denying them their opportunity to compete, we denied them their chance to shine and we denied ourselves the gift of showing them off to the world as representatives of the United States.
Brothers Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli make a winning writing team.I appreciate their willingness to share both sides of the story.Being that we are in an Olympic year, I was pleased to have the opportunity to learn about an important historical event regarding the Olympics and United States athletes.Considering that the 2008 Olympics took place in a country historically and currently known for its abuse of people, I found the timing of "Boycott" to be perfect.This is definitely a thought compelling book.

Excellent detailed account of an historic event
This is an excellent detailed account of the decisions that lead to and ultimate effect of the 1980 Olympic boycott.Highly recommended.

An eye opening and tragic account of the personal damage done
For some, the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was not just a war; it was the beginning of the end of their dreams. "Boycott: The Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games" tells the stories of America's Olympic caliber athletes during the 80s boycott of the Moscow games. Stories of the people who trained all their life for the ultimate competition yet were denied the opportunity and speculations of gold medals that could have been won lost fill this seminal volume. With a special foreword by former Vice President Walter Mondale, "Boycott" is an eye opening and tragic account of the personal damage done by the 1980 Olympic games boycott.
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Customer Reviews (7)

Already purchased; but not removed from list
Already purchased this book and look forward to several of the hikes. Although it was not removed from my wish list, when I purchased it.

Very Helpful
I recommend this book to anyone planning on hiking in the Olympic National Park. Not only does it give all the most popular and well traversed hikes, but it tells you what to expect, how long it should take, the difficulty rating, etc. It was much easier to plan my trip once I read this book.

Olympic Day Hikes
I have not had the chance to do any of the hiking suggested in the book, but it seems to be at least a basic or better start for hiking in the park.

not a bad little book
This wasn't a bad little book, it was just eclipsed by the other book I bought, "Day Hike! Olympic Peninsula: The Best Trails You can Hike in a Day".
Both books were purchased 5/2007

Nice little book
I used this guide to plan a recent trip to Olympic.It does contain a lot of good info but I wish it had just a little bit more.Perhaps some better detail on the maps would be nice.I would recommend using this little guide along with a good topographic map like the National Geographic topo map.Definitely a good book to have along with you. ... Read more

Product Description
The word "athletics" is derived from the Greek verb "to struggle or to suffer for a prize." As Nigel Spivey reveals in this engaging account of the Olympics in ancient Greece, "suffer" is putting it mildly. Indeed, the Olympics were not so much a graceful display of Greek beauty as a war fought by other means.
Nigel Spivey paints a portrait of the Greek Olympics as they really were--fierce contests between bitter rivals, in which victors won kudos and rewards, and losers faced scorn and even assault. Victory was almost worth dying for, the author notes, and a number of athletes did just that. Many more resorted to cheating and bribery. Contested always bitterly and often bloodily, the ancient Olympics were not an idealistic celebration of unity, but a clash of military powers in an arena not far removed from the battlefield. The author explores what the events were, the rules for competitors, training and diet, the pervasiveness of cheating and bribery, the prizes on offer, the exclusion of "barbarians," and protocols on pederasty. He also peels back the mythology surrounding the games today and investigates where our current conception of the Olympics has come from and how the Greek notions of beauty and competitiveness have influenced our modern culture.
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Customer Reviews (2)

Excellence in Research
I cannot praise enough the excellence of Nigel Spivey's research and presentation involved with the ancient Olympics.

The craftsmanship of his narrative is first-rate and there is a refreshing candor and lack of romanticizing regarding this event and the times surrounding it.

Mr. Spivey may be remembered from his presenting of "The Queens and Kings Of England" on the Biography Channel.He is a charming host on this particular documentary and one can see his sincere interest in putting forth well done research in a way to include the viewer outside the convention of a professor ponticificating to his classroom.

A perfectly wonderful book by a perfectly wonderful writer!

Thomas Lee

Thank God They're Going to England, Not New York!
The anicent Greeks at Adelphia considered the original Olympics a 'civilized mode of war without the shooting.'The aim was winning at any cost (like American politics today), as the losers were called and looked down on as failures in disgrace.He dwells on boy athletes and shows a marble statue of the naked David minus one arm and a hand.

Why did the early Greek athletes compete naked?Did it have something to do with sex or did they have perfect bodies?Why did the Romans change the games in Olympia and make it more civilized?There the Greeks raised their sporting prowess to heroic status.

The historian, Bettany Hughes, wrote that this book shows "a number of hand-picked historical characters (which) bring us face to face with ... the ruthless business of winning the games."Nigel Spivey includes a photo of the naked wrestlers in marble.This is an erotic book.The poster for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics shows a naked combatant.

There is a drawing of the Olympic Zeus in the original Parthenon, a huge six-story-tall fixture similar to the modern Athena statuary in the Nashville, Tennessee, Parthenon.He has written many books among which are PANORAMA OF THE CLASSICAL WORLD and UNDERSTANDING GREEK SCULPTURE. ... Read more

Product Description
The "what's that?" guide to Northwest plants and animals--now expanded, updated, and in full color!

* More than 700 color illustrations for easy identification
* Expanded with new sections on mushrooms, insects, and rock identification
* Handy color tabs for easy access, and quick reference index on back cover

Don't just call it a mushroom when it's a golden chanterelle; know your screech owl from your saw-whet owl; distinguish a monarch butterfly from a painted lady--all with the help of this comprehensive guide to the common plants and animals of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.

The species accounts have been updated with the latest taxonomic changes and, as before, include common name, scientific name, and description of important features, habitat, and geographic range. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Perfect!
I was looking for a small but comprehensive book to help me identify plants and animals in the Pacific Northwest.This book has been an excellent choice!

Topics are well-organized so you can quickly find what you're looking for.Plant and animal drawings are well done, and I've never had problems identifying what I've just stumbled across on the trail.The book is durable so I can take it hiking without worry.

Descriptions of everything are a bit spartan, but that's fine: it keeps the book small.There is enough information to positively identify things, and then I can do more research once I get home if I need to.

What a great gift!!
We happen to be active in Boy Scouts in our area so whenever a young man gets his Eagle Badge we make sure he gets a copy of this book from our family.It is a great book for young and old alike who travel or live in the Pacific Northwest

Very user friendly
I bought this for my 7 year old CubScout for camp. On our nature hike, the camp staff referred to it repeatedly to answer the groups questions. We ended up donating it to the camp at the end of the week and buying another copy for ourselves. The pictures are large and detailed, very easy to use.

The Authors Comments
This book is designed to cover the most commonly encountered species of plants and animals in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, but it also will be very useful in the lowlands and coast ranges as well. The second edition has been considerably upgraded and the art is now all in color.If you are looking for ONE book to cover plants, mushrooms, butterflies, insects, amphibians and reptiles, mammals and birds and you want the most commonly seen ones selected out for you, then this book will serve you well.

I encourage readers to review the introductory material on communities to familiarize yourself with the habitats and concepts that will guide you to use this book to its fullest.

I welcome comments about this book, you can email me at floriferous@msn.com ... Read more

Product Description
The Olympic Peninsula has some of the most well-known major steelhead rivers in the world, and Doug Rose has been fly-fishing on them for decades. 

This book is a great fishing guide for the area, but it goes so much deeper than that. Rose also discusses the wonderful history of the region, the famous fly-fishers and tiers, conservation issues, and special points of interest. The rivers covered in-depth, include: the Queets, Bogachiel, Hoh, and Quinalt, just to name a few. If you fish for steelhead, you need this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Color of Winter
This is a really, really good book.And is very fun to read.You learn a lot about the history of the OP, and obviously a great deal about the fly fishing for steelhead in that area.I find some of the most interesting parts of this book are the chapters about the history of certain rivers and fisheries, and other subjects.Deus Ex Machina, Maximum Sustained Harvest, and The Creeks are a few examples.This is a great book, and so are Doug Roses' other books as well.

steelhead fly fishing on the Olympic Peninsula
The book had a lot of fishing stories but not much on how to fish for steel head.
My favorite was Fishing the Hoh River. More how to & where in that book.

A Wonderful, Colorful, Story Of The Steelhead

Doug Rose has authored an authoritative, entertaining, and artful narrative about one of the most amazing gamefish -- the sea run rainbow trout known as The Steelhead -- and one of its most pristine habitats: Washington state's Olympic Peninsula.

Rose writes in a colorful narrative style that brings the Olympic Peninsula's winter palette to life. He also introduces the reader to the people who live their lives in pursuit of, and in support of, this great sport fish. Within the story he weaves the important ecological issues regarding the management -- and mismanagement -- of this wild, fragile, natural resource. A series of color plates in the middle of the book bring the reader even closer to the subject.

This book is a fine read: a "literary fishing book" in the tradition of Roderick Haig-Brown and Harry Middleton; a book that should be -- and will be -- read and reread by lovers of fly lines and literary lines alike.

A fantastic testimonial to the Olympic rivers and their fish
Doug Rose has written a beautiful tribute to the West End rivers and the spectacular fish of Washington's Olympic Peninsula.Three parts conservation, one part natural history, with a bit of how-to fly fishing; Rose's passion for his subject comes through on every page.What makes this read particularly enjoyable is how easily he makes good writing seem effortless.

Rose comes across as a dedicated naturalist and astute observer of riverine habitats.These observations extend to the Peninsula's geography, climate, local history, local Tribes and conservation politics.Absent is the grandious bravado of many angling writers and their simple 'catch-and-tell' naratives. He presents solid arguments for protecting wild fish, particularly the remaining wild winter steelhead, from harvest and further habitat destruction.Most notably, he shares with us what these fish and rivers mean to him on an intimate level. Rose paints an image of the Olympic rain forest landscape that is both unique and precious; and outside National Park boundaries, remains in desparate need of protection.

I began reading this book to learn more about winter steelhead fishing from a technical perspective.While there are several sections relating to technical aspects, they are few and somewhat short on detail.Illustrations are limited to so-so quality photographs of West End riverscapes and many (but not all) of the flies described throughout the text.One small complaint concerns a number of typos remaining that the editor failed to catch.Admittedly though, my gripes are nominal.

I highly recommend this read for those wanting to enjoy an eloquant tribute to the remarkable anadromous fisheries of the Olympic Peninsula rivers. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Book about the 200 Metre Swimming Obstacle Race & More
It does exactly what it says on the cover, the complete guide. It would have been nice for them to wait until after the 2008 games, but it's still great. It tell's you everything you need to know about each olympic's event and winners from the 200 Metre swimming Obstacle race to the Marathon and Croquet to Synchronized Swimming. It also gives you a brief history of each olympics, the issues and the tables. But the main bit's are the event's. It makes a nice change from the books that just tell you generally about the games and main event's. It's a brillant book and a must have

Everything a Summer Olympics fan could dream of...
... except the 2008 results.And of course, when David Wallechinsky produces THAT, I'll grab that updated volume, too.Not only do the authors give every little detail about the most famous events--Jesse Owens', Mark Spitz's, Wilma Rudolph's--but this volume is packed full of little-known facts about people whose tales are otherwise lost in today's 24/7 world.Yes, the IOC has some management details that are distasteful, but there are stories told in this book that are heartwarming: the swimmer from Equatorial Guinea whose 2000 trip gave him his very first dip in an Olympic-size pool, who finished last in twice the time of the event winner, but who received a standing ovation from the crowd.Who was the oldest competitor?The youngest?The only athletes to compete in five, or seven, Games?They're all here.The authors also tell some of the prequels and sequels to Olympic journeys: who died in subsequent accidents or wars, who overdosed, you name it.This book is indeed "complete," and deserves a spot on the shelf for frequent referrals in months and years to come.

This Olympics BIble is a Treasure!
Wallechinsky's newest book is a treasure trove of Olympic proportions.Everything you ever wanted to know about all the Summer Olympic events are detailed in this superb resource!

Neat book
I really liked this book; however, it was more of an almanac than a picture book. Very cool.

Two Important Improvements
The last few editions of this book were titled "The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics", because the winter Olympic Games were covered in a separate volume. They still are. Perhaps the previous publisher wouldn't let the current one use the word "summer" in the title. But that is a minor quibble.

Two long-need changes have finally been made to this quadrennially updated reference. These alone make it worth purchasing. First, after the listings for track and field events, the remaining sports are listed alphabetically. Previously, sports were placed in various groupings, such as "aquatics", "team sports", and "individual sports". For some sports, trying to find the proper group in the table of contents was a nightmare. Second, every odd-numbered page has guidewords at the top that tells the user which sport and event's results are listed on it. For example, on page 511 is the advisory, "Cycling: Men's Road Time Trial". Now users don't have to flip through page after page, wondering which results they are looking at. ... Read more

Product Description
Politics has always been an integral part of the Olympics - not an occasional intruder in the form of a boycott, protest, or act of terrorism. In this probing social history, distinguished by a lively mix of journalism and scholarship, Allen Guttmann discusses the intended and actual meaning of the modern Olympic Games, from 1896 to 2000. Recounting the memorable and significant athletic events of the Olympics in terms of their social and political impact, Guttmann demonstrates that the modern games were revived to propagate a political message and continue to serve political purposes. This second edition of Guttmann's critically acclaimed history includes coverage of the controversial tenure of Juan Antonio Samaranch as president of the International Olympic Committee, a period tainted by rising drug use among athletes and scandals accompanying the awarding of sites and marked by the debut of openly professional athletes and the significantly increased role of female athletes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Skims the surface
This is a frustrating book.On one hand, there is a lot of good detail and information on the inception and growth of the modern Olympic games.On the other, just when you think Guttmann is going to delve deeper into a topic he simply skips right on by and gives a quick recap of the medal winners in a given year.He barely even mentions the travesty of 1972 in Munich, and makes only passing mentions of some of the iconic moments of the last 50 years.Instead, he seems much more concerned with the behind the scenes wrangling amongst the various members of the IOC.Indeed, the subtitle of the book should be "A history of the IOC leadership."

Thus, a definitive history of the Olympic games remains to be written.Although the blurbs on the back claim this is a landmark in social and political history, it is anything but.Babe Didrickson, Billy Mills, etc are mentioned, but that's about it.Even his discussion of South Africa and the associated boycotts related to Apartheid are fractured and incomplete.

It's worth a read...but I wish I had visited the library for this one rather than spent my money on it.I recommend you do the same. ... Read more

Product Description

ROBOTS + TERRORISTS = TROUBLE FOR TOM

Tom's been training his entry, SwiftBot, for the upcoming Robot Olympics -- a major event being sponsored by the White House's Office of Science and Technology. Teenage inventors from around the country will be bringing their homemade robots to compete in a series of athletic competitions. The Road Back, an antiscience terrorist group, has issued a statement condemning the event, and Tom hopes that the tight security at the Robot Olympics will keep TRB from causing trouble. But no such luck. Someone is playing dirty . . . and things are going to get dangerous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not as good as the originals.
Good idea, but a bit shallow.Lots of technology was described and some of it was explained.I liked the originals better.

A new series of Tom Swift with a new style and set of characters
When I was young, I feasted on the Tom Swift Jr. books written in the sixties. The U. S. space program was in its' heyday and I constantly imagined myself as a real-life Tom Swift. My fantasy was to create a lab on a tropical island in the Pacific called Tropica and invent things that would change the world. I have also read a few of the books in the original Tom Swift series of the early twentieth century and the contrast between the series is as much cultural as it is technological. This is the first book in the latest series that I have read.
Being an old-timer, I found the style of the writing a bit difficult to handle, the modern nature is significantly unlike what was used in the earlier series. Bud Barclay returns as a character, only now he is black, a reporter for the high school paper and a bit of a technophobe. I found his lack of technical prowess disturbing, in the sixties series, Bud was an excellent sidekick that could pilot a plane and fight when needed.
However, like everyone else, I must accept the changes that take place, so I understand that prose, like technology, must change with the times. As a story about a young inventor, this one works. Tom's relationship with his parents and invention are modern, the villain in this case is a fellow teen in a robotics contest and a violent group that is very anti-robot. Tom has entered his robot "Swiftbot" into a robot Olympics and it is competing against robots developed by fellow teens. Tom's robot struggles in some aspects of the competition; it is not an easy victory. There is also no fighting or other similar violence, the situation is resolved relatively peaceably.
If you read this book in the context of the older stories, you may find it difficult to accept. However, if you accept the social changes that require a change in writing style, then you can read and enjoy a story that still fits within the centuries old Tom Swift genre.

Classic books
The writing is for kids, but the new series is a nice update.My 9yo son love the new over the old.I still like the writing in the older series.
Would recommend.Not expensive, OK soft cover.

Tom Swift + re-invention = GREAT!
This is a great book in the newly re-invented Tom Swift series. In fact, this would have made a better book #1 and introduction to this new series (some early cover art shows this as #1 in the Young Inventor series.) Tom and his family, friends, and environment are nicely introduced in this story. We have descriptions of the characters and the town of Shopton (which boasts a "Statemeyer Street" and is said to by quite bustling). Another great nod to the original Tom Sift and Tom Swift Jr series is the lobby of Swift enterprises, which holds a museum to Tom's father's early inventions (including the Giant Robot., G-force inverter, triphibian atomicar, etc from the Tom Swift Jr series of the 50's and 60's.) Mr. Swift is married to Mary Nestor, and Tom's little sister is Sandy.I feel these are nice touches to long-time fans of the series. Tom's friends are funky and fun, and they make a well rounded trio for todays readers. Overall, a great book, with books #1 and #2 a perfect introduction to the new Tom Swift, Young Inventor series! ... Read more

Product Description
In the spirit of Lawrence Durrell and Henry Miller, Dr. David Lundberg takes us on a mystical trip through the land of the Greeks.

Olympic Wandering is part historical novel, part travel narrative, and all fun. Follow Ulysses through the seldom-told adventure of his life as a young king within Greece. Then follow the author as he traces the same steps over a period of twenty years, the same time period as the Iliad and the Odyssey.

In a land both ancient and modern Lundberg meets a different spirit. It displays itself in attitudes, in personalities, in temperament. It’s a spirit molded not by bloodlines or genealogy but by climate and geography. The author moves through Greece, traces the footprints of Ulysses and realizes that when you look into Greek faces, you see the past and you see the future. You see eternity.

Each man and each woman is an undiscovered country, a landscape of thoughts, words and gestures contained in a unique body that is inherently Greek. And every island, every beach, every village is like a person, individual and special.

Seamlessly weaving history, culture and legend, Olympic Wandering frames a land of timeless scenery where the individual is still all-important.

This is everyday magic! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Greek Time Travel
This was an interesting and engrossing book about Greece (including its surrounding islands) which helps connect the historical world of Ancient Greece with the scenery and people found there today. (Reading it with a map or atlas handy would definitely enhance the experience).

The first half retells the story of Odysseus and his journey to Troy, with a special emphasis on the sites as we know them today (great for those preparing for a trip to Greece - especially if you're interested in getting a handle on the names and significance of the various islands). The second half emphasizes personal stories of the author's own travels and visits to Greece which bring to life its land, people, personality and culture of Greece.

Fascinating and enjoyable!

Some Good Imagery of a Man's Culture
I must admit that David Lundberg is very descriptive in his words whether describing a simplified story of the Battle of Troy or Greek Culture today.I enjoy the passion he exhibits in describing family and friends who he has encountered while visiting this intriguing of the world.Some of the events in his modified story of Ulysess are quite noteworthy particularly finding Achillies dressed in womens garb.

However the connection between parts one and two is a little vague and somewhat off the mark. Lundberg describes the greeks as passionate and emotional yet Ulysess's safe journey home was due to the fact that he keep his emotions in check.According to text earlier in this book, Ulysess was guided to be this way from his father.Lundenberg also gives many anecdotes of many characters who he met whie touring the Greek Islnds.Some he describes more vividly than others.But nowhere does he describe a modern day person in comparison to someone from the days of Ulysess and Hellen of Troy.

Those who have a greater appreciation for Greek Culture might have more insight into what Lundberg is trying to say.I would certainly recommend such an audience to peruse this book and the journey may certainly take you someplace special.I certainly could appreciate some parts myself.

Ah, to go home again . ..
Once in a while, a book comes along that makes you *sigh*.

OLYMPIC WANDERING is such a book for me. I spent 3 lovely summer months in Greece when I was too young to appreciate the gift I had been given.

David Lundberg shows me the Greece I missed. And he makes me want to go back 'home' again.

The Ulysses parallel didn't quite click for me, but it's been a long time since I've read the classics, so maybe the subject was just over my head and beyond my reach.

When Lundberg talkes about swimming in the inky blue water, I can feel the sun and the salt and I can see the beauty of the Greek coast.

Enjoy!

OLYMPIC WANDERINGS MAKES YOU WONDER....
This story tells of the buildup, and aftermath of the Great Trojan War, as seen the the eyes of Ulysses. Most of the first part of this short, but interesting book, tells of the search for Achilles, a famed warrior of Greece. supposing that they could not defeat Troy without him, Ulysses, and his fellow Greek warrior seek for him, to accompany them on their merry adventure.
What the author lacks in detailed description of the many battle scenes(as I'm sure this was his intent-for that you will have to read Homer's Illiad, and Odyssey) he makes up for, in his description of Greece, it's people, beautiful land, and it's gods, and how they fit into today's modern Greek society.
The Trojan War is handled in one short paragragh, and Ulysses' adventures on his return home, and battle to recapture his house, wife, and family from ilicit suitors is also glossed over, which is why I gave this book 4, instead of 5 stars. Even so, he directs you to books you can read in greater depth on this subject, and you still find the story interesting, and more than worth your few hours reading time.
Indeed, anyone traveling to Greece for the first time, should read this book on the plane, or boat ride over, if they want to get a great taste of the land they are about to embark upon.

A PASSION TO BE ENVIED
Professor Lundberg had me from the first two sentence--"The gods ordained this countryfor individualism.The geography demands it"--because I wanted to see how he would prove this provocative premise, and he did.His love of Greece--ancient and modern-- comes through on every page and makes one envious of his passion.Kudos, Professor. ... Read more