Product Description
No story so richly illustrates the interaction between sport and politics as the story of Jewish athletes and the Games. Here, each major event at the Games related to the Jews is covered in-depth, including: the story of the Jewish-Hungarian wrestler Karoly Karpati in Berlin, 1936; the German-Jewish high-jumper Gretel Bergmann, who was callously exploited, then discarded, by the Germans; the American sprinters, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller; and the legendary Mark Spitz. From the first Olympics in Athens in 1896, through to the disasters and triumphs of Munich 1972 and beyond, "Jews and the Olympic Games", which features a list of the more than 250 Jewish medallists at the Games, is a powerful account of the conflict between sport and politics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A brilliant work for Jews and sports lovers
This book finally and forever puts to rest the myth that Jews aren't sportspeople. The list of Jewish competitors at the Olympic Games, winners of numerous medals despite a century of Anti-Semitism and restrictions, is staggering. Paul Taylor has done a wonderful job in bringing to the fore the Jewish sports stars, their stories, the efforts they went to just to compete on equal terms, and the frustrations they suffered. Taylor also details the anti-semitism of the Olympic movement and the naked racism of so many teams, team managers, and governments which prevented Jewish competitors from participating.
But most importantly, Taylor has given us numerous personal portraits of stunningly brave individuals who fought against the incalculable difficulties, just to become Olympians. ... Read more