A rich and entertaining work of history, Olympics in Athens 1896 brings together the following intriguing strands: the rise of amateur athletics in competing countries, each with its own particular stamp; the enormous interest aroused by the excavation of ancient Olympia, the site of the ancient Games; the determination of the eccentric French aristocrat Baron Pierre de Coubertin to embody the amateur athletic ideal in a revival of the Games; and a perception by politicians and the Greek royal family that hosting Coubertin's Games could help to put the young Greek state on the European map.

Author Biography

Michael Llewellyn Smith has been British Ambassador in Warsaw and in Athens. He writes and lectures on Greek history and culture. His books include The Great Island; A Study of Crete and Ionian Vision: Greece in Asia Minor 1919-22.