The First London Olympics: 1908

In the summer that saw the first successful flight of the Zeppelin, a 140 acre site of scrubland in West London was transformed into the White City, which housed the 1908 Franco British Exhibition - and a state-of-the-art stadium built to house the first London Olympics. The Olympics were organised by volunteers in just 18 months and at a fraction of the cost of the modern Olympics and yet, just as today, the sport was overshadowed by doping scandals and caused international uproar.

The ferocious competitiveness of a US team dominated by New York Irish Americans led to a succession of 'scandals' culminating in the historic marathon when Italian confectioner baker Dorando Pietri's heroic efforts at the limits of exhaustion so entranced on-lookers that track officials helped him across the finish line.

Coinciding with the 100th Anniversary of the first London Olympics, this delightful social and sporting history - illustrated with over 70 contemporary images - provides a thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games.

Long-listed for William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2008 (UK)

“Jenkins, in particular, captures the many ironies of that shambolic occasion and wittily evokes the amateurish spirit that pervaded the early Olympic movement”

A richly illustrated and often poignant look back - Good Book Guide

Rebecca Jenkins, the daughter of the late Bishop of Durham, is a cultural historian, novelist and biographer. She is the author of a biography of Fanny Kemble, the nineteenth-century actress and celebrity. Rebecca lives in Durham.

'The Games of London will stand out as the most memorable gathering of athletes ever seen in the world.' Lord Desborough, head of the British Olympic Committee Over one hundred years ago, London hosted its first Olympic Games. It was a world away from the modern-day Olympics - everything was built and organised in less than two years, and at a minute fraction of today's costs. 'Amateur pluck' was still the highest virtue - or so the British Olympic Committee thought. Not everyone agreed with that sentiment; the strongly nationalistic American team was involved in a series of rows, boycotts and disqualifications, and the Germans were outraged at the defeat of their fencing team. There was even a doping scandal, with accusations that the Canadian favourite for the Marathon had been nobbled with a dose of strychnine. Far from engendering goodwill among nations, the Games caused international uproar (as they often do today). Rebecca Jenkins' book delightfully evokes the vanished world of the 1908 London Olympics, aided by many charming, nostalgic illustrations. Her book is a fascinating slice of social and sporting history - and provides a thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming London Olympics of 2012.

In the summer that saw the first successful flight of the Zeppelin, a 140 acre site of scrubland in West London was transformed into the White City, which housed the 1908 Franco British Exhibition - and a state-of-the-art stadium built to house the first London Olympics. The Olympics were organised by volunteers in just 18 months and at a fraction of the cost of the modern Olympics and yet, just as today, the sport was overshadowed by doping scandals and caused international uproar.The ferocious competitiveness of a US team dominated by New York Irish Americans led to a succession of 'scandals' culminating in the historic marathon when Italian confectioner baker Dorando Pietri's heroic efforts at the limits of exhaustion so entranced on-lookers that track officials helped him across the finish line.Coinciding with the 100th Anniversary of the first London Olympics, this delightful social and sporting history - illustrated with over 70 contemporary images - provides a thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.