基本信息·出版社：National Geographic Books ·页码：96 页 ·出版日期：2004年06月 ·ISBN：0792266676 ·条形码：9780792266679 ·版本：2004-06-01 ...
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Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics |
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Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics |
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基本信息·出版社：National Geographic Books
·页码：96 页
·出版日期：2004年06月
·ISBN：0792266676
·条形码：9780792266679
·版本：2004-06-01
·装帧：精装
·开本：16开 Pages Per Sheet
·外文书名：更快, 更高, 更强——夏季奥运会摄影集
内容简介 Book Description"Let the games begin!" is a cry that has stirred athletes and citizens from countries all over the world for more than a hundred years. In Swifter, Higher, Stronger, Sue Macy has captured a compelling and comprehensive portrait of the summer Olympics, one that spans contests and culture, pageantry and history. In five hard-to-put-down chapters, she explains the revival of the modern Olympics and how they survived boycotts, wars, and terrorism to grow into the vast media event we know today. She profiles the breakthrough athletes who became household names after hanging medal upon medal around their necks: names like Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Babe Didrikson, and Jackie Joyner Kersey. She shows how the Games were always much more than mere contests of athleticism. You'll read about the Olympics as a platform for world politics, such as when Jimmy Carter led the U.S. and more than 60 other nations to sit out the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a protest to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, and when Hitler showcased his new Nazi society at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. You'll be fascinated by a host of scandals, some under the umbrellas of drug testing and gender testing. And you'll find plenty of smaller and sweeter moments, from the U.S. Olympian who gave up her place on the tae-kwon-do team to a fellow athlete who was injured during the trials, to the novice African swimmer who finished his race only through sheer determination. Macy's prose hooks you into the history and the competition. She follows the careers of two determined French sports enthusiasts-Pierre Coubertin who revived the Olympic Games, and Alice Milliat, who made sure the women weren't forgotten. Great moments in sports history are riveting in this retelling, from the 1896 glorious patriotic victory of Greek marathon runner, Spiridon Loues, to the controversial (and unexpected) overtime basketball match between the Americans and the Soviets in 1972.Photographs throughout capture the action: a mid-air dive, a last-second game-winning shot, medal-winners' emotions on the podium. Three featured photo galleries, "Poetry in Motion," "Olympic Superstars," and "Winning Moments," showcase the diversity, the athleticism, and the sheer joy of the Games.A comprehensive gazetteer provides at-a-glance statistical information on each Olympiad, a map of the sites, a chart of record setters, a summary of Olympic highlights by Olympiad, and a helpful guide to further resources. With a foreword by sportscaster Bob Costas, this standout volume on the history of the summer Olympics is made for every reader-from the peruser, to the browser, to the researcher-who has ever found themselves swept up in the excitement of the Games
From School Library JournalGrade 3 Up–While other books on the topic go into more depth on specific sports, athletes, or historical events, none are as enthusiastically broad or as enjoyable to read as this one. And, it's superbly illustrated with colorful, well-chosen, and enticing photographs. Following a foreword from sportscaster Bob Costas, Macy shares her own young Olympic dreams to represent the appeal of the Games and how they have changed over time. She tells of the rebirth of the Olympic movement in the late 1800s, the changing status of female participants, and the triumph of the thousands of "awe-inspiring athletic performances." Different personalities throughout the years emerge; likewise, fair attention is given to some of the controversies and tragedies that have befallen the event. Nary a spread goes by without dynamic photographs and artifacts, both contemporary and historical; some show, and photo galleries present, compilations of diverse athletes competing, excelling, and celebrating. A world map indicating Summer Olympics sites through 2008 and an almanac of quick data follow. Next up are over a dozen pages giving several paragraphs of fascinating facts from every Olympiad as well as a sample of a poster, medal, or outstanding athlete representing each one. Wonderful research notes, an annotated resource list, and an Olympic quiz bring this book across the finish line first.
–Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
From Booklist Gr. 6-10. The official length of a marathon is not the 24 miles run by an ancient Greek messenger but 26 miles, 385 yards. Why the discrepancy? The greater distance can be traced to the 1908 London Games, where Queen Alexandra dictated a route that would give her family a close-up view. Such fascinating tidbits abound in this photo-rich history of the Summer Olympics. Macy, a seasoned writer of sports history for children, opens with background on the Games, then turns to broader themes, such as controversies and sportsmanship. Though her approach isn't strictly chronological, one comes away with a strong sense of how defining Olympian moments can provide a springboard to world history--as in the 1956 water polo competition, when fury over the Soviet Union's bombing of Hungary resulted in an unusually violent match between the two nations. Macy concludes with almanac-like features, a general note on her research methods, and titles for further reading. This comprehensive resource will attract readers aplenty during August's Athens Games--though there's much to entice sports-loving kids even after the torch has gone out.
Jennifer Mattson
Book Dimension length: (cm)27.4 width:(cm)21.8
