This book is about the Olympics held at Rome in 1960.Author has well described the in and out of the entire event held at
Rome. United States and U.S.S.R continued their cold war as usual even in the Olympics as usual. This rivalry was not only limited to the two countries but also between their satellites and surrogates. Author illustrates the struggle for equality among races and gender in the Olympics. Event was fully influenced by money, drugs and television on the athletes. First dope case was reported in this event.
David Maraniss also describes how culture and politics ate interwoven in sports. Many milestones achieved at the event are lively explained by the author in his book of about 400 pages.
Entire book is a fast moving, well
described book despite being an underexposed subject. Some of the great performances by American athletes like Cassius Clay, a barefoot runner Abeba Bikila from Ethiopia, sprinter Wilma Rudolph, Rafer Johnson. Specialty of this Olympics was introduction of the telecast of entire event on TV. David Maraniss has written about the ability to turn medal winners into superstars of sport and advertising in the television which made the difference in the world. Even though the quality was incomparable to today’s media, it was a great success in catching enough audience. He continues explaining the way film flew across to New York via Commercial Airlines for the evening news. Not only TV but also the hurdles of all field compared to the modern world are brought to the light in this book. This event saw some of the revolutionary introduction of the technology and complicated rules and regulations which was never seen before.
Maraniss writes about the coaches, athletes and all the driving forces behind the Olympics event. He also explains the late summer days in the Rome where east and West Germans took part as a team which was almost a year before the Berlin wall. He has also highlighted about how the money power started to conquer sports events. Some exclusive and interesting facts about the incidents after the events each day is really mouth widening stuff as explained by the author. Most of the times he has criticized about the racial acts and has colorfully explained the extremisms of racism in the prestigious sports event of the world. Tangling deep in to the event, some of the truth behind the cold war between arch rivals of the world could be felt by the sharp words of the author. Highlights of performance of some of the athletes being faded against the money power are words of a real journalist. During this event the ‘flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh from India become the national hero. He broke the 400-meter record at the Olympics.
Not to forget about mentioning, Maraniss is an award winning reporter and editor for The Washington Post. His high standards of writing are reflected in this book. His colorful writing skills bring about a change to the reader. The way he has journalized the entire journey of Olympics in Rome by bringing about each and every details is amazing.
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