Customer Reviews
You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy it ! - By: Susan Laybourn, 11 Jun 2008 
I really enjoyed this book. I am not usually interestedin sports but I was soon gripped by the drama & controversy of the momentous 1908 London Olympics as expressedin Keith Baker's light & engaging style. I polished off this bookin a few days & felt both entertained & educated for very little effort on my part. It is clearly well researched & well balancedin presenting the disputes & amazing personalities that crackled at the London Olympicsin 1908. I strongly recommend this volume - essential reading to enhance your pleasure & understanding of Beijing 2008 & London 2012.
Preparing for the Olympics - By: Richard Ashdown, 05 Mar 2008 Having become rather cynical of athletics over the past few years (perhaps because of drug cheats & over-exposure on television) I feel that this book has saved me justin time for the Beijing Olympics. In a wonderfully light-hearted style Keith Baker tells us about some real heroes who fought out their battlesin the London Olympics 100 years ago.
Rising above the bitter wranglings between the US & Britain over who was the better, were some characters who would be role models for any of us - Dorando Pietri & Tom Longboat the marathon runners; Snowy Baker Australia's finest ever athlete; the Irish American, sixteen times world champion heavyweight thrower, Martin Sheridan; the great Scot Wyndham Halswelle; & Madge Syers pioneer for women's figure skating.
This is a great wee book which anyone who is interestedin the Olympics must read. But it leaves one thinking `Will we see their likes again?'. Perhaps we shall, but I doubt whether more than one or two of the recent crop of athletes will be celebratedin their home towns 100 years hence as Pietri will bein Carpi, Italyin July of this year? Haile Gebrselasse perhaps.
