Olympic Reads

Updated July 30, 2024
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The boys in the boat : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Brown, Daniel
Paper Book
Now a Major Motion Picture Directed by George Clooney The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about the American Olympic rowing triumph in Nazi Germany--from the author of Facing the Mountain. For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the...
The book of Olympic lists
Wallechinsky, David
Paper Book
From the multi-million selling author of The Book of Lists and The Complete Book of the Olympics comes an entirely new take on the Games. Wallechinsky has a uniquely vast knowledge of the Olympics and an unrivalled head forarcane - now the two are combined in this collection of 150 unexpected...
The games : a global history of the Olympics
Goldblatt, David
Paper Book
The definitive sports and social history of the modern Olympic games--by a New York Times best-selling sportswriter. A Boston Globe Best Book of 2016 A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2016 For millions of people around the world, the...
Fully alive : discovering what matters most
Shriver, Timothy.
Paper Book
On a quest for what matters most, Timothy Shriver discovers a radically different, inspiring way of life. At a time when we are all more rudderless than ever, we look for the very best teachers and mentors to guide us. InFully Alive, an unusual and gripping memoir, Timothy Shriver...
Path lit by lightning : the life of Jim Thorpe
Maraniss, David
Paper Book
A riveting new biography of America's greatest all-around athlete by the bestselling author of the classic biography When Pride Still Mattered. Jim Thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport. He won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon...
Fire on the track : Betty Robinson and the triumph of the early Olympic women
Montillo, Roseanne
Paper Book
The inspiring and irresistible true story of the women who broke barriers and finish-line ribbons in pursuit of Olympic Gold When Betty Robinson assumed the starting position at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, she was participating in what was only her fourth-ever organized...
Grace, gold & glory : my leap of faith
Douglas, Gabrielle
Paper Book
The inspiring autobiography from Gabrielle Douglas--the first African-American gymnast in Olympic history to become the individual All-Around champion--revealing her journey from the time she first entered a gym to her gold-medal-winning performances. In the 2012 London Olympics, US...
The making of a miracle : the untold story of the captain of the 1980 gold medal-winning US Olympic hockey team
Eruzione, Mike
Paper Book
On the fortieth anniversary of the historic "Miracle on Ice," Mike Eruzione--the captain of the 1980 U.S Men's Olympic Hockey Team, who scored the winning goal--recounts his amazing career on ice, the legendary upset against the Soviets, and winning the gold medal. It is the...
Inaugural ballers : the true story of the first U.S. Women's Olympic basketball team
Maraniss, Andrew
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Strong Inside comes the inspirational true story of the birth of women's Olympic basketball at the 1976 Summer Games and the ragtag team that put US women's basketball on the map. Perfect for fans of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown...
Foxcatcher : the true story of my brother's murder, John du Pont's madness, and the quest for Olympic gold
Schultz, Mark
Paper Book
The riveting true story—soon to be the subject of a high-profile film—of Olympic wrestling gold medal-winning brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and their fatal relationship with the eccentric John du Pont, heir to the du Pont dynasty On January 26, 1996, Dave Schultz,...
The Kevin show : an Olympic athlete's battle with mental illness
Pilon, Mary
Paper Book
From the NYT bestselling author of The Monopolists, the "fascinating" (People) story of Olympian Kevin Hall and the syndrome that makes him believe he stars in a television show of his life. Meet Kevin Hall: brother, son, husband, father, and Olympic...
Butterfly : from refugee to Olympian, my story of rescue, hope, and triumph
Mardini, Yusra
Paper Book
Butterfly is the inspiring story of how one woman saved fellow refugees from drowning--and how she went on to become an Olympic swimmer. When young Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini realized her boat's engine shut down as she was traveling from Syria to Greece with other...
Dream team : how Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the greatest team of all time conquered the world and changed the game of basketball forever
McCallum, Jack
Paper Book
They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers.   In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team that captivated the world, kindled the...
The boys of winter : the untold story of a coach, a dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team
Coffey, Wayne R.
Paper Book
Once upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered perhaps the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. Their “Miracle on Ice” has become a national fairy tale, but the...
Victory. Stand! : raising my fist for justice
Smith, Tommie
Paper Book
On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon...
A team of their own : how an international sisterhood made Olympic history
Berkman, Seth
Paper Book
A December Stephen Curry Book Club Pick One of ESPN's 25 Can't Miss Books of 2019 "A feel-good story."--New York Times Book Review "This isn't simply a sports book. Rather, it's a book about inspiring and courageous women who just happened to be hockey players....
The Tigerbelles : Olympic legends from Tennessee State
Card, Aime Alley
Paper Book
The Tigerbelles tells the epic story of the 1960 Tennessee State University all-Black women's track team, which found Olympic glory at the 1960 games in Rome. The author tells a story of desire, success and failure--of beating the odds--against the backdrop of a changing America, but tells...
The boys in the boat [nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics]
Brown, Daniel
Audiobook
The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about the American Olympic rowing triumph  in Nazi Germany--from the author of Facing the Mountain. Soon to be a major motion picture directed by George Clooney For readers of Unbroken, out of the...
Berlin 1936 : sixteen days in August
Hilmes, Oliver
Paper Book
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Guardian, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, and Financial Times A lively account of the 1936 Olympics told through the voices and stories of those who witnessed it, from an award-winning historian and biographer ...

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