The Games: A Global History of the Olympics

The definitive sports and social history of the modern Olympic games—by a New York Times best-selling sportswriter.

For millions of people around the world, the Summer and Winter Games are a joy and a treasure, but how did they develop into a global colossus? How have they been buffeted by—and, in turn, affected by—world events? Why do we care about them so much?

From the reinvention of the Games in Athens in 1896 t...