Berlin Games: How Hitler Stole the Olympic Dream

Description

The 1936 Berlin Olympics brought together athletes, politicians, socialites, journalists, soldiers and artists from all over the world. But behind the scenes, they were a dress rehearsal for the horrors of the forthcoming conflict. Hitler had secretly decided the Games would showcase Nazi prowess and the unwitting athletes became helpless pawns in his sinister political game. Berlin Games explores the machinations of a wide cast of characters, including sexually incontinent Nazis, corrupt Olympic officials, transvestite athletes and the mythic figure of Jesse Owens. By illuminating the dark, controversial recesses of the world's greatest sporting spectacle, Guy Walters throws shocking new light on the whole of Europe's troubled pre-war period.

Guy Walters is the author of three bestselling wartime thrillers The Traitor, The Leader and The Occupation, all of which have been published in USA, Holland, Japan and France. He recently co-edited The Voice for War an anthology of WW2 memoirs. He was a journalist on The Times for eight years and regularly contributes to the Daily Mail. He is married to the author Annabel Venning and they have one son.

Praise for Guy Walter's previous books: -- . 'Masterfully crafted and genuinely frightening' -- Daily Express 'Gripping' -- Daily Telegraph 'A classic page-turner' -- The Times 'Convincing and intelligent' -- Daily Mail 'Gripping, ingenious ... compelling ... reminiscent of le Carre' -- Literary Review 'Thoroughly readable' -- The Spectator 'Extraordinary' -- Sunday Times Praise for Berlin Games -- . 'A comprehensive account of the events leading up to the games' -- Observer 20060716 'Amongst several new titles commemorating the Berlin gathering, Walters' is perhaps the definitive account, not only shattering well-entrenched myths! but shedding new light on the numerous dodgy deals struck by the Nazis to ensure the games went ahead as planned.' -- Good Book Guide 20060716 'The joy of this book will be the reliving of the 1936 summer Olympics, which Walters evokes with all the cut and dash of an accomplished sports writer' -- Literary Review 20060703 'It is a tribute to Guy Walters that the real story continues to shock 70 years on' -- Jewish Chronicle 20060707 'A panoramic perspective of the most controversial sporting event of the 20th century! fascinating' -- The Times 20060708 'A fascinating, broad canvas that brings into sharp focus the deadlier political games being played at the time' -- Metro 20060712 'A superb account of the hijacking of the Olympic Games by the Nazis' -- Nick Pitt, The Sunday Times 20060712