The Story of the Olympics by Richard Brassey
| The Story of the Olympics by Richard Brassey | |
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| Category: Children's Non-Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A quirky and entertaining book in comic strip format which covers the history of the Games. You'll be amazed at how much information is packed in there. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: September 2011 |
| Publisher: Orion children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1444000481 | |
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It's the story of the Olympics from earliest times – 776 BC and the first Games at Olympia right through to the 2012 Games in London and even a few hints about how things might be different for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. It's told in the form which seems to appeal to every child – the comic strip – but don't be mislead into thinking that this is light-weight or superficial. It's anything but.
The book looks at the why of the Games from the earliest times and how the ethos has been carried through to the twenty-first century. It's quirky, with its tales of the cheats and the chumps as well as the heroes and heroines who have taken away the medals. It shows how some sports have grown in popularity whilst others have declined and we see why some will always be the major events of the Games. There's plenty about the Paralympics as well as the emerging part played by women in the twentieth century.
It's witty and entertaining – even for someone who isn't that interested in sport, but fascinating if you are. Because of the comic strip format it's going to engage even the reluctant reader, but there's plenty in there to keep the attention of even an adult who's many times the target age! It's the sort of book which tempts you to read snippets to anyone who'll listen.
There's likely to be a slew of books about the Olympics before the Games open, but this one will take some beating: loads of information, engaging format and written with wit. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
We've also enjoyed Outstanding Olympics by Clive Gifford published just before the 2008 Games in Beijing.
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