Did you know that the 1936 Olympics, held in Nazi Germany, was the beginning of what we know now as the spectacle of the modern Olympics. Hitler wanted the world to see his “new Germany”, with clean streets, colorful posters, beautiful athletic facilities, and all the athletic prowess of the German athletes. He covered up all signs of Jewish persecution. The most interesting sections cover American responses as political and religious groups and individual athletes considered a boycott of this Olympics. There are numerous sidebars that focus on particular athletes, especially those compromised by Nazi policies. Jessie Owens, an American runner, took home four gold medals and is remembered today as the man who showed Adolf Hitler that a black man was as good an athlete as a white man. Although some Jewish athletes boycotted the games, all the countries went along with the idea that sports and politics should be separated and that athletes should have the opportunity to compete. They had no idea of the extent to which Hitler’s Aryan supremacy ideas had taken root.
Written by staff members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, this book is based on an exhibit held in Washington, DC, in1996. It is illustrated with a rich collection of rare visual material and will give readers lots to ponder visually and mentally. Appropriate for ages 12 to adult. It will be on display on the librarian’s desk.