Overview

The fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement presents a comprehensive history of the games from the first recorded history of the games in 776 B.C. to the present day. This is done through a chronology, forewords by Dan Jansen and Mike Krzyzewski, an introductory essay, appendixes, a bibliography, photos, and over 900 cross-referenced dictionary entries covering the history, philosophy, and politics of the Olympics and, of course, the medal winners. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Olympics.

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9780810872493

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Reviews

The authors of this book make it easy for anyone to understand the history of the Olympic movement whether that person is an athlete or a non-athlete. It is true, as pointed out in another foreward article, that the Olympics are the most watched sporting events in the world. This book provides a means for people who may only be casual observers of the Games to learn about the history of the Games and of the larger Olympic Movement. The authors exhibit a commitment to detail and to history. They convey a sense of the passion and determination of Olympic athletes down through the years...Like any book of this type...it is...designed for a coffee table or for a reference shelf in a home, office or library. The authors clearly want to provide a single book that can encompass the history and facts surrounding the Olympic Movement. They succeed nicely in this effort. Sports Collectors Digest 20110914 Building on earlier editions, the fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement stretches back to 1100 BCE and reaches forward to 2016. Containing more than 900 entries on people, places, ideas, and politics, it is a comprehensive single-volume overview of the Olympic movement. Lists of acronyms and abbreviations of countries, sports, and other terms used are helpful. Also provided is a detailed chronology. An essay entitled The Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games provides concise summaries of each of the games, starting in 1896 and ending with a discussion of the future games in 2016, while the introduction provides a nice overview of the politics of the Olympics. The entries are arranged alphabetically and range from brief paragraphs to longer essays and are concise and accessible to all readers. Cross-referencing is extensive. The valuable appendixes include lists of the International Olympic Committee presidents and Olympic torchbearers as well as statistics on medals won and Olympic appearances. There is also a list of all positive drug tests and a chronology of attempts to revive the Olympics prior to 1896. A detailed bibliography is also included in the volume. As the introduction points out, the Olympics are the most watched sporting event on the planet, so libraries would do well to consider this updated title either in hard copy or as an e-book. Booklist This dictionary is well written and thorough. Tables and lists, which are easy to read, accompany the text. Several black-and-white pictures, representing a variety of individuals and Olympic sports, are included. Brief informative descriptions accompany the pictures. The authors have successfully combined their extensive Olympic knowledge to produce a well-written and extremely comprehensive text. Individuals that are interested in any aspect of the Olympics are likely to find this text to be informative. American Reference Books Annual (ARBA) The fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement is an excellent reference work. It will enlighten both the specialist and the interested member of the public or sports fan. Students of various ages will benefit from it and no library should be without a copy. Reference Reviews

The authors of this book make it easy for anyone to understand the history of the Olympic movement whether that person is an athlete or a non-athlete. It is true, as pointed out in another foreward article, that the Olympics are the most watched sporting events in the world. This book provides a means for people who may only be casual observers of the Games to learn about the history of the Games and of the larger Olympic Movement. The authors exhibit a commitment to detail and to history. They convey a sense of the passion and determination of Olympic athletes down through the years...Like any book of this type...it is...designed for a coffee table or for a reference shelf in a home, office or library. The authors clearly want to provide a single book that can encompass the history and facts surrounding the Olympic Movement. They succeed nicely in this effort. The Sports Digest 20110914 Building on earlier editions, the fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement stretches back to 1100 BCE and reaches forward to 2016. Containing more than 900 entries on people, places, ideas, and politics, it is a comprehensive single-volume overview of the Olympic movement. Lists of acronyms and abbreviations of countries, sports, and other terms used are helpful. Also provided is a detailed chronology. An essay entitled The Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games provides concise summaries of each of the games, starting in 1896 and ending with a discussion of the future games in 2016, while the introduction provides a nice overview of the politics of the Olympics. The entries are arranged alphabetically and range from brief paragraphs to longer essays and are concise and accessible to all readers. Cross-referencing is extensive. The valuable appendixes include lists of the International Olympic Committee presidents and Olympic torchbearers as well as statistics on medals won and Olympic appearances. There is also a list of all positive drug tests and a chronology of attempts to revive the Olympics prior to 1896. A detailed bibliography is also included in the volume. As the introduction points out, the Olympics are the most watched sporting event on the planet, so libraries would do well to consider this updated title either in hard copy or as an e-book. Booklist

The authors of this book make it easy for anyone to understand the history of the Olympic movement whether that person is an athlete or a non-athlete. It is true, as pointed out in another foreward article, that the Olympics are the most watched sporting events in the world. This book provides a means for people who may only be casual observers of the Games to learn about the history of the Games and of the larger Olympic Movement. The authors exhibit a commitment to detail and to history. They convey a sense of the passion and determination of Olympic athletes down through the years...Like any book of this type...it is...designed for a coffee table or for a reference shelf in a home, office or library. The authors clearly want to provide a single book that can encompass the history and facts surrounding the Olympic Movement. They succeed nicely in this effort. The Sports Digest 20110914

Author Information

Bill Mallon, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon who is in his second career, as he previously played for four years (1976-79) on the U.S. PGA Tour. During his golf career, he won over 40 tournaments, both amateur and professional. For his contributions to the Olympic Movement, he was awarded the Olympic Order in Silver in 2001, and he has previously co-authored three editions of the Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement for Scarecrow Press. Jeroen Heijmans is an information technology professional from the Netherlands. He has written extensively about the Olympic Games on the Dutch sports history site Sportgeschiedenis.nl and is a member of the International Society of Olympic Historians.

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