Description

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A quaint idea in the 1890s, the Olympic Games are now the foremost sporting event in the world. Information on the winners and medals abounds, but this unique book provides information on the events surrounding the Olympics: political controversies, scandals, tragedies, economic issues, and peripheral incidents. Covering specific games from the 1896 Olympics in Athens to the 2002 games in Salt Lake City, this volume also presents plans for the 2004 Athens games, 2006 Turin games, and the 2008 summer games.

Enhanced with new illustrations, this book includes sections on both the Summer and Winter Games. Chronologically arranged entries cover each of the games, while appendixes provide further information, including details about the Olympic committees. Bibliographic information is provided with the entries, as well as in a general bibliography. A full subject index makes this volume the ideal reference for anyone interested in the colorful history and scope of the Olympics.

About the Author

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JOHN E. FINDLING is Professor of History at Indiana University Southeast. In addition to being the author or editor of many books, he is the coeditor of the two Greenwood series Events That Changed the World and Events That Changed America as well as editor of the Greenwood series Histories of Modern Nations. KIMBERLY D. PELLE is a counselor in the admissions office at Indiana University Southeast. She is the coauthor/coeditor of the Historical Dictionary of World's Fairs and Expositions (1990) and Fair America.