Glories and fiascos, triumphs and tragedies, records and near misses--all are included in this vivid history of the modern Olympics. Using as a backdrop the athletic events that draw television audiences in the billions, Allen Guttmann has written an interpretive social history of the games.

Introduction: The Olympic Games Are More Than Games --The Baron's Dream -- Growing Pains and Increasing Success -- The Games Reach Maturity -- The Most Controversial Olympics -- Destruction and Recovery -- In the Shadow of the Cold War -- The Era of (Relative) Good Feelings -- Organizational Strains -- A Time of Troubles -- The Era of the Boycott -- Calgary and Seoul--But Not Pyongyang -- Juan Antonio Samaranch as CEO -- After the Cold War.