The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936

From School Library JournalGrade 7 Up-This book is based on a special exhibition developed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that is currently touring the country. It offers not only a history of the notorious Berlin games of 1936, but it also includes the stories of many of the athletes who took part and those who did not for political reasons. Bachrach delves into the workings of the Nazi propaganda machine, the controversy inside the U.S. Olympic Committee as to whether our nation should participate in the games, and the fate of the Jewish athletes who competed. The athletic feats of Jesse Owens and other African Americans are well covered. Illustrations include period black-and-white photographs, cartoons, and posters. The full-color posters at the end of the book do an especially good job of conveying the Nazis' attitudes toward race and their beliefs in the superiority of "Aryan Blood," as well as the techniques of propaganda. An annotated time line of the history of Nazi Germany, suggestions for further reading (mostly adult titles), and a detailed index are appended. A deeper look at the history and the complexities surrounding this notorious Olympics than is found in other books.Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, ILCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Product DescriptionDrawn from an exhibit mounted by the United States Holocaust Museum, an enthralling glimpse into the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin during which the German Nazi Party tried to turn the Games into a propaganda instrument for its own political agenda profiles the organizers, the politicians, and the athletes.From Publishers WeeklyPublished in conjunction with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, this penetrating volume takes a topic dear to many young readers--sports--and uses it to spotlight events leading to WWII. Bachrach (Tell Them We Remember: The Story of the Holocaust) begins with an overview of the modern Olympics, showing readers that the "spirit of the Olympics" was never entirely dissociated from politics (Germany was not invited to participate in the first two Olympics held after WWI). The author then turns to Hitler's assumption of power in 1933, two years after Berlin had been selected as the site of the 1936 Olympics, and documents the Nazis' systematic abrogation of individual rights and liberties. The discussion of the actual 1936 Olympics centers on the political uses made of them by Hitler and his propagandists, the spectacular performance of Jesse Owens notwithstanding (an eight-page color section of posters, both Nazi and anti-Nazi, convincingly demonstrates the relationship between athletic competition and propaganda in Hitler's Germany). Perhaps the most interesting sections cover American responses as political and religious groups and individual athletes considered a boycott of the Olympics; a quick look at Jim Crow laws and American anti-Semitism helps readers place various reactions and decisions in context. The writing is careful and unadorned, the facts laid out for readers to interpret. Plentiful sidebars focus on particular athletes, especially those compromised by Nazi policies. An unusually generous selection of period photos gives the material particular sharpness and immediacy. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.From BooklistThe story most often told about the 1936 Olympics is that of Jesse Owens' triumphant performance, which served as a slap in the face to Hitler and his theory of Aryan supremacy. Bachrach looks deeper than this feel-good interpretation to trace the troubled path of the games both in the U.S. and Germany, examining the escalating oppression of Jews, the building of the concentration camps, and U.S. efforts to start a boycott. Bachrach ties those threads together into a comprehensive narrative that provides the right amount of political background to tell the complete story of the games and their athletes--those
Author: Susan D. Bachrach

Publisher: Little, Brown

Binding: Hardcover

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0316070866

ISBN-13: 9780316070867