Bookshelf
| Rome 1960, David Maraniss |
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Rome 1960, The Olympics Changed The World, by David Maraniss **** I'm always a little leery when I read a title that has to do with "changing the world". Especially a sports title. However, knowing that Maraniss is a Pulitzer Prize winner and it being the Olympic season, I decided to give this a try and was not disappointed. Maraniss' narrative of this most important Olympics reads like a history text, the sports pages and an international thriller all rolled into one. Admittedly, he hooked me right off the bat by starting out discussing the Tennessee State Tigerbelles track team with their charismatic star Wilma Rudolph. These women became wonderful ambassadors for the US in a time when perception and propaganda ruled. Wilma even went on to become a legend. Add in stars like decathalete Rafer Johnson (the first black athlete to carry the US flag during the opening ceremonies) and Cassius Clay and you have a fascinating cast of characters. While the stories of the athletes and competetions are interesting, the real stars of the show are the place and time. Any event can be made grander by placing it in Rome. Maraniss does a nice job of describing the city, from the oppressive heat as bicyclists battle on the ancient streets, to the steamy action filling the piazzas at night. The '60s, and all they had to offer, are also prominently on display. Racial tension, the cold war, apartheid, propaganda wars and the first international forays into television are the real issues here. The Olympics are just a backdrop. In the glut of sports books out every summer and the even larger mess that will be trotted out in the wake of Michael Phelps historic run in Beijing, this book will stand out as a classic. It is an easy read and, if you are not careful, you just might learn something along the way.
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 10:38 |