Historical Dictionary of the Modern Olympic Movement

(Hardback)

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The foremost sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games have grown from a quaint idea of the 1890s to a major world happening. This unique reference work shows the historical context in which each of the Olympic games has taken place. Divided into sections on the Summer Games and the Winter Games, the book includes chronologically arranged entries on each of the games from 1896 to the Olympics planned for 1996, 1998, and 2000. Entries focus on such information as site selection, political questions, controversies, collateral events, changes in programming, and political and economic consequences of the games. Adding another dimension, the appendixes provide biographical profiles of the members of the International Olympic Committee and an entry on the United States Olympic Committee. The volume also provides information on Olympic films and a general bibliography.

Reviews

.,."extensive information on each Olympiad and is especially useful for information on the politics of the games. Larger libraries will want it both for its in-depth information on each modern Olympic game and its valuable appendix of Olympic cinema history."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
...extensive information on each Olympiad and is especially useful for information on the politics of the games. Larger libraries will want it both for its in-depth information on each modern Olympic game and its valuable appendix of Olympic cinema history.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
A well written and organized volume on the history of the modern Olympic movement. Recommended for all academic reference collections covering sports and general collections of public libraries.-Reference Book Review
Offers a statistical narrative of the development of the events from 1896 to the present.-Fort Pierce Tribune, FL February 13, 2005
The entries do not focus on medal winners, the athletes, or their performances. Instead, the narratives put politics front and center....A number of themes run through the chronologically arranged entries: the role of amateurism, the rise of commercialism, the importance of television, and the growth of women's athletics. This book won't necessarily say who won the 100-meter race in a particular Olympiad, but it will tell who was boycotting those Games, why they were sitting out and what the impact of absence was. Best of all, each entry concludes with a bibliographic essay leading the reader to more sources on the topic....Highly recommended for all libraries.-RUSQ
This 'dictionary' is a comprehensive reference on the Olympic Games, from the ancient Games that began in 776 BCE to the modern Summer Games (to be held in Sydney in 2000) and the Winter Games of 1998 (to be in Nagano, Japan). In contrast to the usual Olympic books that emphasize winners and medal counts, the editors stress that this collection describes each game's celebration in a 'historical context.'...A book to be read and savored. All levels.-Choice
This book has more meat and is more suitable to more extensive research. Highly recommened for all libraries.-Sources
This volume is compact and full of authoritative information and useful information about this Summer's games. Findling and Pelle's volume offers authoritative essays about each of the Olympic Games with highlighting the evolution of the sport and the geopolitical and cultural influences of the events.-The Reader's Review
..."extensive information on each Olympiad and is especially useful for information on the politics of the games. Larger libraries will want it both for its in-depth information on each modern Olympic game and its valuable appendix of Olympic cinema history."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"A well written and organized volume on the history of the modern Olympic movement. Recommended for all academic reference collections covering sports and general collections of public libraries."-Reference Book Review
"Offers a statistical narrative of the development of the events from 1896 to the present."-Fort Pierce Tribune, FL February 13, 2005
"This 'dictionary' is a comprehensive reference on the Olympic Games, from the ancient Games that began in 776 BCE to the modern Summer Games (to be held in Sydney in 2000) and the Winter Games of 1998 (to be in Nagano, Japan). In contrast to the usual Olympic books that emphasize winners and medal counts, the editors stress that this collection describes each game's celebration in a 'historical context.'...A book to be read and savored. All levels."-Choice
"This book has more meat and is more suitable to more extensive research. Highly recommened for all libraries."-Sources
"This volume is compact and full of authoritative information and useful information about this Summer's games. Findling and Pelle's volume offers authoritative essays about each of the Olympic Games with highlighting the evolution of the sport and the geopolitical and cultural influences of the events."-The Reader's Review
"The entries do not focus on medal winners, the athletes, or their performances. Instead, the narratives put politics front and center....A number of themes run through the chronologically arranged entries: the role of amateurism, the rise of commercialism, the importance of television, and the growth of women's athletics. This book won't necessarily say who won the 100-meter race in a particular Olympiad, but it will tell who was boycotting those Games, why they were sitting out and what the impact of absence was. Best of all, each entry concludes with a bibliographic essay leading the reader to more sources on the topic....Highly recommended for all libraries."-RUSQ

Author Bio

JOHN E. FINDLING is Professor of History at Indiana University Southeast. He is the author or editor of several other books including Historical Dictionary of World's Fairs and Expositions, 1851-1988 (Greenwood, 1990) and Dictionary of American Diplomatic History (Greenwood, Revised and Expanded, 1989). KIMBERLY D. PELLE is the coeditor of Historical Dictionary of World's Fairs and Expositions (Greenwood, 1990) and holds degrees from Indiana University Southeast.