Olympic Politics - Softcover

Hill, Christopher R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0719037921 ISBN 13: 9780719037924

Publisher: Manchester Univ Pr, 1992

Synopsis

This is a study of the Olympic Games in political terms, examining the history of the Games from their revival by Baron de Couberin, himself a political animal, in the 1890s through the cities and turbulent national and international issues that have shaped them, to speculation on their future. The author emphasizes the inter-relationship between national attitudes to competitive, world-scale sport and political events and processes, calling upon examples of such issues as apartheid in South Africa, the division of the Korean peninsula and the two Germanies. At the same time, he argues that countries often engage in such contests as bidding for the right to hold the Games in one of their cities for reasons quite unconnected with sport. The books ends by posing questions about the "gigantism" of the Games and queries whether they have outgrown their usefulness.

About this title

About the Author

Christopher R. Hill, formerly Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of York, is now a Visiting Fellow at Chichester Institute of Higher Education.

From Library Journal

The author's thesis is not original to anyone who follows sport. The Olympic movement, Hill (politics, Univ. of York) argues, has been transformed into a major business dominated by money, power, and rank commercialism. Neither are his sources original. But he does a competent--although at times pedantic--job of chronicling how the Olympic movement has veered from its original intent. As the author concludes, "The whole thing has got out of hand." No recommendations for saving the games are presented, and the author leaves the reader wondering if it may be too late. Recommended for both academic and large public libraries.
- Ron Chepesiuk, Winthrop Univ. Lib., Rock Hill, S.C.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Manchester Univ Pr
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0719037921
• ISBN 13: 9780719037924
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208