The Story of the Olympics: Revised and Expanded Edition

Relive the excitement and drama of the world's greatest sporting event--the Olympics Games. Pulitzer Prize--winning sportswriter Dave Anderson traces this international spectacle from its roots in ancient Greece to the recent Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

Anderson includes all the superstar--from long-standing legends like versatile athlete Jim Thorpe; to Babe Didrikson, who broke three world records in the 1932 Summer Games; to Nadia Comaneci; the first gymnast to record a perfect 10. He also highlights the latest generation of medal winners, such as Amy Van Dyken, who splashed her way to four gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Games, and Michael Johnson with his incredible record-breaking dash in the 200-meter run. Woven into these fascinating stories is a discussion of how outside issues and events have shaped the modern Olympics. Anderson also provides an overview of the major sports and explains what it takes to win at each.

With over seventy-five stirring photos of the champions in action, this revised edition of The Story of the Olympics is also thrilling as the Games themselves.

Dave Anderson has been a sportswriter for the New York Times since 1966 and one of its "Sports of the Times" columnists since 1971. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for distinguished commentary. Anderson has written twenty-one books and more than three hundred fifty magazine articles. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in Tenafly, New Jersey, with his wife, Maureen. They have four grown children: Stephen, Mark, Mary Jo, and Jean Marie.