Overview
Great Britain is one of only a handful of countries to have participated in every Olympic Games - Winter and Summer alike. In all, more than 500 Britons have won a gold medal. Those whose stories are told here, if not always the most famous, are arguably the most interesting: athletes whose sporting and private lives have been inspiring, impressive or sometimes downright incredible. Interspersed between the biographies are short essays on the politics of the Olympics, the evolution of equipment, and drugs and professionalism. An Olympic 'timeline' provides a summary of the evolution of the Games, their heroes and villains, and curious statistics. And bucking the title, Britain's glorious failures and unlucky losers have a corner to themselves. The Olympics are the greatest sporting event in the world. Few will not be gripped by the London Olympics of 2012. British Olympic Heroes brings to the fore some of the finest athletes from more than a century of British athletic and sporting prowess. Meticulously researched, fully illustrated and eminently readable, this book will capture the heart of many a sporting patriot.
Full Product Details
Author: Kitty Carruthers
Publisher: Medina Publishing Ltd
Imprint: Medina Publishing Ltd
Edition: 2nd Revised edition
Dimensions:
Width: 18.00cm
, Height: 1.20cm
, Length: 16.00cm
Weight: 0.280kg
ISBN: 9780956708113
ISBN 10: 0956708110
Pages: 148
Publication Date: 25 June 2012
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.
Reviews
Kitty Carruthers has chosen 60 of Great Britain's Olympic champions and offers neat biographies of each, in many cases accompanied by some pleasing illustrations, including for example, a delightful cigarette card depicting the legendary Vivian Woodward, double football gold medallist in 1908 and 1912. There is also a wonderful caricature of 1952 Team Show Jumping gold medallist Colonel Sir Harry Llewellyn on his famous mount Foxhunter... A nice touch was the decision to feature some of the Glorious Failures, Unlucky Losers and Other Oddities... they do not shy away from some of the more controversial moments and are always brightly written. JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY, VOL 20, JULY 2011
Author Information
Passionate about sport, in awe of Olympians through the ages, and in love with the ideals of Olympic sportsmanship, Kitty Carruthers has never let lack of aptitude stand in the way of having a go at any sport, from skiing to skeet shooting, dressage to darts. She played football for the Milk Marketing Board, table tennis for the Naval Home Command, won an Inter-Services squash trophy and captained the hockey teams of her schools in Zambia and Surrey. She is happy on a horse, on a water ski and with any sort of racquet in hand, or latterly a croquet mallet. She is a member of the International Society of Olympic Historians.
