The 1904 Olympic Games - (History of the Early Olympics) by Bill Mallon (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis were both unusual and controversial. One of the major problems for Olympic scholars has been to determine which of the events at these Games were truly of Olympic caliber. The Games were included as part of the World's Fair, and every athletic contest that took place under the Fair's auspices was deemed "Olympic." These activities included croquet and water polo, high school and college championships in football and basketball, as well as the "Anthropology Days" events in which members of "primitive" "tribes" competed against one another.

The author demonstrates, after great deliberation, that 16 events of the 21 overall were truly Olympic sports and gives descriptions, scores, and analyses for each (as well as for the five non-Olympic events). Appendices include literature relating to these games, lists of noncompeting foreign entrants, and a guide to all competitors.

Review Quotes

"highly recommended"-ARBA; "offers more value and depth than the [competition]"-Reference Reviews; "this book provides numerous interesting facts about the poorly documented early years of Olympic history"-Booklist; "in-depth...invaluable"-Rettig on Reference; "[an] absolute must for any library,"-Journal of Olympic History.

About the Author

Bill Mallon is a co-founder and vice-president of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) and the original editor of the Journal of Olympic History. He is a surgeon in Durham, North Carolina.