Understanding the Olympics / John Horne and Garry Whannel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Horne, John, 1955- author.

Whannel, Garry, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Olympics--History.

Olympics.

History.

Olympics--Social aspects.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xxii, 325 pages ; 26 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2016.

Summary:

The Olympic Games is unquestionably the greatest sporting event in the world, with billions of viewers across the globe. How did the Olympics evolve into this multi-national phenomenon? How can the Olympics help us to understand the relationship between sport and society? What will be the impact and legacy of the 2016 Olympics in Rio? Now in a fully revised and updated new edition that places Rio 2016 in the foreground, Understanding the Olympics answers all these questions by exploring the social, cultural, political, historical and economic context of the Games. This book presents the latest research on the Olympics, including new material on legacy, sustainability and corruption, and introduces the reader to all of the key themes of contemporary Olympic Studies including: the history of the Olympics Olympic politics access and equity the Olympics and the media festival and spectacle the Olympic economy urban development Olympic futures. The most up-to-date and authoritative introduction to the Olympic Games, this book contains a full Olympic history timeline as well as illustrations, information boxes and 'Olympic Stories' in every chapter. Understanding the Olympics is essential reading for anybody with an interest in the Olympics or the wider relationship between sport and society. lt;/LI> access and equity the Olympics and the media festival and spectacle the Olympic economy urban development Olympic futures. The most up-to-date and authoritative introduction to the Olympic Games, this book contains a full Olympic history timeline as well as illustrations, information boxes and 'Olympic Stories' in every chapter. Understanding the Olympics is essential reading for anybody with an interest in the Olympics or the wider relationship between sport and society.

Contents:

Part I The Contemporary Olympics 1

1 Breaking new ground: Rio 2016 3

2 London, the Games and the legacies 29

3 The IOC, political economy and the Games bidding process 58

4 Television and the commercialisation of the Olympic Games 80

5 Urban development, city branding and the environment 105

Part II The History and Politics of the Olympics 129

6 Reviving the Olympics 131

7 From world's fairs to mega-events 152

8 The internationalist spirit and national contestation 176

9 Politics and the Olympics 195

10 Festival, spectacle, carnival and consumption 213

Part III The Future of the Olympics 233

11 Level playing fields 235

12 The 'dark side' of the Olympics 259.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781138890244

1138890243

9781138890251

1138890251

OCLC:

933386047