Reviews for The Olympic Marathon

The average rating for The Olympic Marathon based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-01-25 00:00:00 Larry Rodriguez Although well known as a sports theoretician, Allen Guttmann approaches the history of the Olympics from a less academic vantage point in The Olympics. His stated intent is to write a history of the Games that is jargon-free, yet takes a rigorous, rather than journalistic, tone. Given that his target audience is "the serious nonspecialist reader", this book contains few, if any, of the traditional hallmarks of a historical text, least of all footnotes or a historiographical analysis. There is an overarching theme, however, which is that, despite the denials of government officials and International Olympic Committee (IOC) members alike, politics have been intertwined intimately with the Olympic movement since its inception. Beginning with the influences and machinations of Pierre de Coubertin, the author tracks the trajectory of the Olympic movement with a level of detail that is neither too superficial nor too overwhelming and does an excellent job of concisely reviewing all the salient developments. To summarize the work in depth or examine the evidence Guttmann uses to support his main argument would be tantamount to rewriting the book itself, as the narrative flows from detail to detail in an attempt to outline the development of the movement. In general, however, each chapter takes a look at one or more editions of the Games, describes the political context in which they were held, with specific attention paid to any controversies, and then reviews the highlights the key athletic performances that defined them. Each of these is sandwiched in-between a rigorous examination of the evolving dynamic within the IOC, underling political manoeuvers and the influence of IOC members. The impact of the presidents on the direction and tone of the movement is a key theme in these sections, and the author believes that it is the individual in this position that has the most tangible impact on the Games. There are few surprises here, as the author's goal is illuminate the political nature of the Games for the uninformed rather than revolutionize previous interpretations, but even those well-versed in this history might uncover some interesting tidbits. Guttmann's biases and points of view do rise to the fore throughout the narrative, but never in a way that detracts seriously from the reader's experience. The only possible exception to this might be his clear opinions on the efficacy of the various IOC presidents and the relatively elite lens through which the Games and their influencing factors are viewed. Overall, however, there's very little to say, positive or negative, about The Olympics: it is a straightforward, accessible history of the Olympic Games that highlights the durability of its political nature and adds just enough personal opinion to give the text some flavor. It accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do in the preface and introduction, nothing more and nothing less.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-01-27 00:00:00 Natanel Philosophe I don't know if its because I had to read this book for a class and I don't like force reading, but this book was terrible. Terrible. So boring!!!!! For my class I had to "read" this book in order to write essay assignments, so I began the semester diligently keeping up with the reading and working on my outline of the book. But it got to the point where I found myself dreading reading this so much (bc it's so dryly written) that I just abandoned the book and did the essays with other primary sources. The book is completely unengaging with dully written, if any, sport anecdotes. The history was simply - and BRIEFLY - listed. So for a book that fails in the engaging department, you'd think it would succeed in thoroughly retelling the whole Olympics history, but no! Most of the events only have one or two paragraphs dedicated to them, and the events are simply stated, without going in depth with interesting recollections or anything. My mind just associates this book with dryness, and I am happy to not have to pick it up again!