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Berlin Games: How the Nazis Stole the Olympic Dream Paperback – Illustrated, August 7, 2007

by Guy Walters (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 58 ratings
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IN 1936, Adolf Hitler welcomed the world to Berlin to attend the Olympic Games. It promised to be not only a magnificent sporting event but also a grand showcase for the rebuilt Germany. No effort was spared to present the Third Reich as the newest global power. But beneath the glittering surface, the Games of the Eleventh Olympiad of the Modern Era came to act as a crucible for the dark political forces that were gathering, foreshadowing the bloody conflict to come.

The 1936 Olympics were nothing less than the most political sporting event of the last century—an epic clash between proponents of barbarism and those of civilization, both of whom tried to use the Games to promote their own values. Berlin Games is the complete history of those fateful two weeks in August. It is a story of the athletes and their accomplishments, an eye-opening account of the Nazi machine's brazen attempt to use the Games as a model of Aryan superiority and fascist efficiency, and a devastating indictment of the manipulative power games of politicians, diplomats, and Olympic officials that would ultimately have profound consequences for the entire world.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper Perennial
  4. Publication date
    August 7, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.9 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0060874139
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0060874131
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Walter’s] rigorous journalism relies on succinct summations of his characters’ histories, which prove both even-handed and generous.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[Walter’s] writes with a journalist’s precision and a novelist’s dramatic flair” — Booklist

Walters has done a tremendous amount of digging in the archives…the result is lively, often humorous and frequently moving. — Daily Telegraph (London)

Walters presents a serious work of history that’s also an addictive read. — The Observer (England)

A fascinating story of political and sporting intrigue, backed by the fruits of impeccable research — The Argus

At its heart, this book emphasises the dark hypocrisy that underpins much of the IOC’s behaviour then and since — The Press

A book of range and quality. — Times Literary Supplement (London)

A rich, entertaining and sobering narrative — Melbourne Age

A diligent researcher, Walters also has a journalist’s eye for a story. — Financial Times

A meticulous and often vivacious account of the events surrounding Hitler’s propaganda coup in 1936 — The Times (London)

Nothing short of riveting...This is a work of real significance. — Scotland on Sunday

About the Author

Guy Walters is the author of The Traitor, The Leader, The Occupation, and The Colditz Legacy, all of which were bestsellers in the U.K., and coeditor of The Voice of War, an anthology of World War II memoirs. A regular contributor on historical subjects for the Daily Mail, Walters was a journalist for The Times (London) for eight years, where he worked as a feature writer and commissioning editor. He is married to the author Annabel Venning and they have two children.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Illustrated edition (August 7, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060874139
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060874131
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.9 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 58 ratings

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Guy Walters

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
58 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Best Of All
5.0 out of 5 stars Documents Don't Lie, People Do
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2006
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The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin was a watershed moment for sports and politics, with its ramifications rippling through history some 70 years later.

Author Guy Walters does impeccible research of documents and individuals to bring a complete picture of how the Nazi Party virtually took over the International Olympic movement as it set the stage for war. Though the Games were awarded to Germany before the Nazi Party took full control of the government and Hitler was initially not in favor of holding the event, the benefits from a propoganda machine operating from every home to each Olympic venue became too great to pass up.

Though athletic officials and politicians knew about the growing oppression in Germany, Walters uses documents and quotes culled from meetings to show the utter appeasement that occurred. For example, American sports official Avery Brundage had written that Hitler was "a god," and then did everything in his power to successfully discredit and destroy the movement in the U.S. to boycott the competition.

Brundage did not see anything wrong with the Nazi ideal, but he did deal harshly with a top female swimmer on the U.S. team. She was kicked off the squad due to her partying on the ocean liner that was taking the team to Europe.

There were athletes who wanted to use the world stage to destroy the myths surrounding the Nazi movement. A German wrestler - who was a member of the Communist Party - hoped to parlay a winning performance by refusing to give the Nazi salute on the medal stand and use a live-radio interview as a means to tell the world about the real Germany.

There were other athletes who used the Olympics for different goals. A South African boxer was so taken with the Nazi Party that he was later recruited as a spy and became part of a plot to assassinate the president of his nation.

Add in the dress-rehearsal for the summer competition, the 1936 Winter Games in Bavaria, the reoccupation of the Rhineland and legendary athletes like Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, the Berlin Games was a backdrop to the excellence of competition and the viciousness of totalitarianism.

And in the end, Walters rips apart the screen that so many toadies of the Nazi Party had hid behind for too many years.
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johnn
4.0 out of 5 stars The Berlin Gemes were more than Jesse Owens' four gold medals
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016
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A rather fascination look at the 1936 Olympic Games, both winter and summer, in Nazi Germany, It was more than Jesse Owens four gold medals which most Americans are led to believe. Overall the number of medals were won by Germans as Hitler et.al. wanted and expected. The politics of the games were paramount to the Germans and disturbing when they came up short in the track and field events won by Owens. The fact that the German audience was cheering for an American "neger" was certainly an embarrassment to the Reich officials.

I had not realize that the torch run from Olympia in Greece was introduced in the 1936 Olympics. It was the beginning of the tradition which still is present today. It will be interesting to see if that tradition is continued in Rio de Janerio in 2016.
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jennifer schlamp
5.0 out of 5 stars Learning about history is so important.
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2023
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This book read like a novel but was a work of historical fact. Loved this book!
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Marc R
5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend every book on the 1936 games
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016
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This is the most fascinating of the Olympic games.
I'll just repeat this over and over. I recommend every book on the 1936 games.
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Stephen M. St Clair
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2015
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Great insights into the most politically interesting Olympics ever held.
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Richard
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2017
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Pleased with book and the fast delivery.
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Starr
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2014
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Narut Ujnat
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read and account.
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2021
I picked up this book after reading the novel "Flight From Berlin" because that author recommended this book as being outstanding (and having read the novel, the author did a fantastic job of fictionalizing this book and the Berlin Games).

The 1936 Games in Berlin (and the Winter Games) were what we can look back on and say the world should've seen it coming and didn't, but in 1936 I don't think the tea leaves were quite so clear. Nonetheless, the Germans used the games as a illustration of the new Nazi state.

This is not a comprehensive history of every race and event, but more of a sketch of the happenings of the lead up to the games. Many figures are present here, and some who have been lost to the mists of time.

This is a really interesting and worthwhile read, particularly as the Tokyo Games (the sight of the 1940 games actually which did not take place due to World War Two), are slated to take place. The IOC and it's almost curious lack of political aloofness, which suits its almost mythical belief in sport transcending politics (and yet is highly political as it awards the games to states where political repression is evident consistently), the majesty of the Games, which the Nazis co-opted and some events like the torch relay are still used today. The athletes, most are there to compete, but in 1936 that felt like participating in something nefarious. And yes, the amazing stories of the varied characters here assembled in Berlin with various purposes for being at the Games.

This is a fascinating story and the author does a tremendous job. Recommended.
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Top reviews from other countries

Roberto G. Giarola
3.0 out of 5 stars More sports than politics
Reviewed in Brazil on December 1, 2022
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I was expecting more about the political situation, but the book goes deep down in details about the competitions itself.
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Robin Board
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2023
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This is a fantastic book, certainly no dry history, Guy Walters writes in a colourful and entertaining way, which at times is akin to having a chat with a friend over a drink. That said, the facts are all laid out, giving a fascinating insight into the political machinations of some of histories most evil people and those caught up in their web.
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raymond loveridge
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2016
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Good historical reference
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fatgazbo
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Well Researched
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2022
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I’ve always admired Walters’ writings and this is not exception. The amount of time and effort that must have gone into the research behind this was phenomenal.
Each section is well presented and he avoids judging athletes who competed ‘for their own reasons’, instead leaving it to the reader to decide.
A must for anyone interested in Olympic history.
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Alistair
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2016
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Being Olympic year, I thought I would delve into one of the more infamous games. The book is wonderfully written and gives detailed first hand accounts of what athletes, politicians, officials and those living in Germany thought. I always like a book that tells a story and personalises what has happened, not just a list of this happened then on this day this happened etc.

The book has it all from corruption, bribing officials (still going on some 80yrs later), propaganda and means of appeasement all in the shadow of a lurking war. Sadly this book is not fiction and some of the stories, especially of the Jewish athletes, are heartbreaking.

I am not a history buff but I do enjoy sport books and this is well worth a read for fans of either.
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