For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics is the reason for everything. It’s why she trains thirty hours a week, starves herself to under 100 pounds, and pops Advil like Tic Tacs. For her mother, Charlene, hungry for glory she never had, it’s why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and fractures. It’s why, when Sera’s best friend reports the gymnastics doctor to the authority who selects...

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...

"An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice. She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family's support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to...

"From triathlon to surving, find out everything you need to kow about the sports of the Summer Games in this fact-filled and humorous guide. Learn the essential rules and history of each sport, and make sure to pay close attention to the jarbon that will help you sound like a pro."--Page 4 of cover

An overview of the Olympic Games throughout their history; highlighting some of the achievements, records, and humorous and tragic moments; and discussing such aspects as boycotts, terrorism, and drug use

A detailed look at the history of the Olympic Games, from their origins in Ancient Greece, through their rebirth in nineteenth century France, to the present, highlighting the contributions of individuals to the Games' success and popularity