Book description
The Berlin Olympic Games, more than 70 years on, remain the most
controversial ever held. This book creates a vivid account of the
disputes, the personalities, and the events which made these Games so
memorable. Ironically, the choice of Germany as the host national for
the 1936 Olympics was intended to signal the return to the world
community after defeat in World War I. In actuality, Hitler intended
the Berlin Games to be an advertisement for Germany as he was creating
it, and they became one of the largest propaganda exercises in
history. Two German Jews competed in the Games while the most
memorable achievement was that of black American Jesse Owens, who won
four gold medals. Ultimately, however, Germany was the overall biggest
medal winner. The popular success of Owens allowed the Nazis to claim
that their policies had no racial element and charges of antisemitism
that did arise were leveled at the Americans.
