This student textbook explores the history and meaning of the modern Olympic Games, providing a comprehensive overview of 'Olympism' from the Ancient Greeks origins through to the beginnings of the International Olympic Committee.

Vassil Girginov is Senior Lecturer in Leisure and Sport Studies at the University of Luton. He is a founding member of the Bulgarian Olympic Academy. His research interests include the Olympic movement and Eastern European sport. Jim Parry is Senior Lecturer and former Head of the School of Philosophy at the University of Leeds. He is the founding Director of the British Olympic Academy and a consultant with the International Olympic Academy. He held the International Chair in Olympism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2003.

Introduction - The Modern Olympic Movement Chapter 1. The Olympic Idea Chapter 2. The Ancient Olympic Games Chapter 3. Revival of the Modern Olympic Games Chapter 4. Britain in the Olympic Movement Chapter 5. The Paralympic Games Chapter 6. The Mass Media and the Olympic Games Chapter 7. Marketing and the Olympic Movement Chapter 8. Economic and Environmental Impact of the Olympic Games Chapter 9. Organising the Olympic Games Chapter 10. Politics and the Olympic Games Chapter 11. Olympic Ethics Chapter 12. Doping Chapter 13. Olympic Art Chapter 14. Olympic Education ?EUR" Celebrating the Olympics Chapter 15. Case Studies: Sydney 2000; Salt Lake City 2002; London Bid for the 2012 Olympic Games