The A to Z of the Olympic Movement Bill Mallon, Ian Buchanan

The Olympic Games bring together thousands of athletes, competing in over 40 sports, and representing over 200 nations. But that is just the surface, for none of this would be possible without the constant efforts of an incredible organization consisting of tens of thousands of sports lovers united in sports associations, National Olympic Committees, and the International Olympic Committee. The A to Z of the Olympic Movement deals with both levels of the competition: the competitive side and the administrative side. This is accomplished through a bibliography; two chronologies-one tracing the history of the Ancient Olympiad and the other tracing the Modern Games; appendixes providing facts on the Games, the officials, the torchbearers, and the top Olympic medal winners; and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the major sports, more outstanding athletes, participating countries and numerous bodies in the organization as well as successive generations of officials-starting with the founder, Pierre de Coubertin.

This dictionary (a reprint of Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement from 2006) features entries on both competitive and administrative aspects of the Olympics, including Olympic bodies, pioneers, organizers, athletes, sporting events, federations, and countries. It is meant to be introductory and not encyclopedic. Chronologies-one a historical description of each year-and appendices, including lists of most medals earned, are provided. Mallon, an orthopedic surgeon, is a founding member and former president of the International Society of Olympic Historians and edits the Olympic Gold Data Retrieval System. Reference and Research Book News, May 2007

Bill Mallon is a founding member and Past-President of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) and edits the Olympic Gold Data Retrieval System. He was awarded the Olympic Order in Silver in 2001 for his contributions to the Olympic Movement. Ian Buchanan is a founding member, an honorary member, and the first president of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH), a member of the British Olympic Association, the British Society of Sports History, and the Association of Track & Field Statisticians. He was awarded the Olympic Order in Silver in 1997 for his contributions to the Olympic Movement.