The Austerity Olympics: When the Games Came to London in 1948

by JanieHampton (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2008

  $3.25

  London 2012 Olympics is fast approaching, with new developments and plans causing huge excitement the world over. Yet, this multi-million pound corporate extravaganza could not be further from the realities of the 1948 'Ration Book Olympics' which took place with London a bombed out ruin and Britain in deep economic crisis. The resulting games were not only an amazing achievement in terms of organisation, thrift and invention - being the most successful, inexpensive and unpretentious games of the 20th century - but also something for the world to celebrate following the long years of war and strain. After the cynical 1936 Berlin Games, 1948 was a triumph of the Olympic spirit and fair play, when the countries' finest athletes joined together to compete and entertain despite the burgeoning cold war and niggling old disputes. In the vein of Simon Garfield's Our Hidden Lives, The People's Olympics is a fascinating look at an extraordinary event which was for and by the people. Entertaining, revelatory and hugely readable, the book is full of first hand interviews, hilarious anecdotes, and great spirited feats. Here we meet not only the famous names (Fanny Blankers-Koen and Emil Zapotek) but also hear the experiences of all who were involved from tea ladies, through postmen, to locals and spectators. It is a vivid snapshot of a games which will offer food for thought in the run up to London 2012. Janie Hampton has written more than 15 books, from biography to fiction. She is the author of the critically acclaimed biography of Joyce Grenfell. She lives in Oxford.

• Used

  Paperback
  2009

  $3.25

  'An enthralling account' Independent 'A fascinating book...researched with an awesome thoroughness' Daily Telegraph 'Hampton's excellent book should be compulsory reading for everyone involved in the 2012 London Olympics' Daily Mail Critic's Choice The budget for the 2012 Olympic village alone is already a billion pounds short. The likelihood of corporate sponsorship recedes with every day of the credit crunch. How on earth are we going to match the opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing, let along top them? Fortunately, London has been through just such hard times before in the run-up to an Olympics, and in 1948 it showed just how to run a fantastic Games on a tiny budget - indeed, make them all the better for it. Janie Hampton's book about the last time the Olympics came to London is a tale of female competitors sewing their own kit, teams ferried to the Games on red London buses and billeted in Spartan hostels or even army camps, and the main stadium being hastily cleared of greyhound racing to allow the athletics to take place. The total budget was GBP760,000, great athletes like Emil Zatopek and Fanny Blankers-Koen thrilled the crowds, and at the end a profit was turned! This is a book that becomes more relevant and ironically entertaining every day nearer to 2012. Janie Hampton is also the author of a bestselling biography of Joyce Grenfell. She lives in Oxford