Politics of the Olympics

The Politics of the Olympics: A Survey provides information on and analysis of the relationship between politics and the Olympic Games. It is argued and demonstrated throughout the book that sport and politics have been and are intimately connected and nowhere is this relationship more apparent than in the Olympic Games.

The essay chapters, including an editorial introduction, are written by a variety of academic experts. They focus on the politics of the Olympic movement, the politics of hosting the Games, the political implications of performance enhancement, and gender, terrorism and physical impairment within the Olympic context. The remaining chapters are case studies that are specific to certain countries or regions – Germany during the rise to power of National Socialism, Eastern Europe in the Cold War era, South Korea and Taiwan. Each chapter is accompanied by a select bibliography.

The A-Z Glossary provides up-to-date and concise information on famous Olympians, presidents of the International Olympic Committee, specific events, boycotts and demonstrations – each of which has been politically significant in the history of the Games. Entries are cross-referenced for ease of use.

A map of the venues for the Olympic Games is also included.