Description
In the summer that saw the first successful flight of the Zeppelin, a 140 acre site of scrubland in West London was transformed into the White City, which housed the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition - and a state-of-the-art stadium built to house the first London Olympics. The Olympics were organised by volunteers in just 18 months and at a fraction of the cost of the modern Olympics and yet, just as today, the sport was overshadowed by doping scandals and caused international uproar.
The ferocious competitiveness of a US team dominated by New York Irish Americans led to a succession of 'scandals' culminating in the historic marathon when Italian confectioner baker Dorando Pietri's heroic efforts at the limits of exhaustion so entranced on-lookers that track officials helped him across the finish line.
Coinciding with the 100th Anniversary of the first London Olympics, this delightful social and sporting history - illustrated with over 70 contemporary images - provides a thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games.
A nostalgic journey back to the first London Olympics of 1908 - an amusing and thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming London Olympics of 2012.
About the Author
Rebecca Jenkins is a cultural historian, novelist and biographer. She is the author of a biography of Fanny Kemble, the nineteenth-century actress and celebrity. Rebecca lives in Durham.
Reviews
A richly illustrated and often poignant look back * Good Book Guide *
Awards
Long-listed for William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2008 (UK).
Book Information
ISBN 9780749929404
Author Rebecca Jenkins
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Piatkus Books
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 344g
Dimensions(mm) 215mm * 141mm * 23mm
