The Games cover art

The Games

A Global History of the Olympics

 Preview

Try for $0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Games

Written by: David Goldblatt
Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
Try for $0.00

$14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.16

Buy Now for $26.16

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Renowned sportswriter David Goldblatt has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal for writing "with the expansive eye of a social and cultural critic". In The Games, Goldblatt delivers a magisterial history of the biggest sporting event of them all: the Olympics. He tells the epic story of the games from their reinvention in Athens in 1896 to the present day, chronicling classic moments of sporting achievement from Jesse Owens to Nadia Comaneci, the Miracle on Ice to Usain Bolt.

He goes beyond the medal counts to explore how international conflicts have played out at the Olympics, including the role of the games in Fascist Germany and Italy, the Cold War, and the struggles of the postcolonial world for recognition. He also tells the extraordinary story of how women fought to be included on equal terms, how the Paralympics started in the wake of World War II, and how the Olympics reflect changing attitudes to race and ethnicity.

©2016 Tobaccoathletic Limited (P)2016 Tantor Olympics & Paralympics Sociology of Sports World Imperialism War Self-Determination Interwar Period Cold War
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What the critics say

"Gracefully written and compellingly argued, this is one of the best books of the year and one of the best sports books ever written." ( Kirkus)

What listeners say about The Games

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.ca reviews

Amazon Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Roberta W

Very complete

This is a very complete history of the Olympic Games, from ancient times to the very recent past. The fact the arts were centrepiece, and sports the side show, way back when was a surprise to me. I especially enjoyed learning about former sports that were included but now gone (let’s bring back the tug-of-war!) and how new sports were introduced. Having just watched the Paris 2024 Olympics, where gender parity was achieved for the first time, the old opposition to women competing was both humorous and annoying. There is no sugar coating here, and the controversies around budgets, facilities, displacements and politics are discussed. Narration was adequate but made good content a bit boring at times.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!