ATHENS TO ATHENS is the first full account of the history of the Olympic Games, its administration and the myriad triumphs, disappointments and scandals that have befallen the event since its inception in 1894. ATHENS TO ATHENS tells the story of the historic competitors - from Spyridon Louis (the inaugural Marathon winner) and such heroes as Jim Thorpe, Paavo Nurmim, Sonja Heine, Jessie Owens, Fanny Blankers-Koen, Emil Zatopek, Herb Elliot, Kip Keino, Mark Spitz, Franz Klammer, Sebastian Coe, Greg Louganis and Carl Lewis, through to more recent medal winners including Steve Redgrave and Kathy Freeman. The twin evolutions of the IOC and the world's greatest sports festival unfold in alternate chapters, each of which begins with a personal reminiscene by either a famous champion or a notable IOC figure. Detailed background is provided to the many crises - the Nazi Games of 1936; the massacre at Mexico City in 1968; the Israeli slaughter by terrorists in 1972; the boycotts; the new commercialism from 1984 onwards; the advent of professionals from 1988 up to the Ben Johnson scandal and the ongoing threat of drug abuse. The credibility of the Games, and of the IOC, was rescued by the

Author Biography

David Miller has been a journalist since 1956, covering 16 Summer and Winter Games. He was in the training squad for the British football team for Melbourne '56, failing to make the 'cut' for the fifteen who travelled. He is the author of biographies of Sebastian Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch, and is joint author of THE HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATHLETIC FEDERATION.