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How to Watch the Olympics: Scores and laws, heroes and zeros - an instant initiation to every sport
 
 
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How to Watch the Olympics: Scores and laws, heroes and zeros - an instant initiation to every sport [Kindle Edition]

David Goldblatt (Author), Johnny Acton (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
Print List Price: £8.99
Kindle Price: £3.43 includes VAT* & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: £5.56 (62%)
* Unlike print books, digital books are subject to VAT.

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Kindle Edition £3.43   -- --
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Paperback £6.20   -- --

Product Description

Review

'A tour de force of brilliant writing, historical colour and sporting vignette' -- Observer

'An invaluable companion for Olympic fans competing for a gold medal in sofa surfing' -- Daily Record

'Witty, knowledgeable ... breezy and irreverent' --Independent on Sunday

'An invaluable companion for Olympic fans competing for a gold medal in sofa surfing' --Daily Record

Book Description

The games are finally here! This is the one book on the Olympics you really do need
See all Product Description

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 4208 KB
  • Print Length: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Profile Books (3 Nov 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1846684765
  • ISBN-13: 978-1846684760
  • ASIN: B006J7TJ7I
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #121,138 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

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4.8 out of 5 stars
24 reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Medal winning mix of facts, gags, history, comment 21 May 2012
By Joe
Format:Paperback
Goldblatt and Acton deliver a performance of greater poise even than the 1912 Swedish Ladies gymnasts (p. 175) in balancing top pub facts, politics, history and technique on sports familiar and forgotten. By turns informative, funny and surprising this book will entirely change the way I watch the olympics. My grandfather was the coach of a West Indies badminton olympic team sometime in the '60s so I turned to those pages first. Turns out a shuttlecock can be served at 260kmh - faster than a tennis ball, and that a Badminton trick shot artist held the stage at the London Palladium for a 38 week run in the 30s. There is so much we should all know about sport. This is where to find it. BTW this was the favourite Christmas present for no. 3 son this year, but is passed around the family.
Joe
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Full of interesting stuff 12 Dec 2011
By J. D. Faulkner
Format:Hardcover
A book full of interesting stuff about the Olympics. The book goes through all the sports and tells you what to look out for and gives you a brief history of the events. Great for the sports expert and novice
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars You will find yourself quoting big chunks of this great book 19 May 2012
By David Christie
Format:Paperback
This is a brilliant book. I don't know which bit to praise most! Its really funny (I defy you not to laugh at the story of Hugh Forgie, the great badminton star of the 1930s - apparently including badminton on ice and two Hollywood movies 'Flying Feathers' 'ValleyOops!' which I now desperately want to see). Its clever - its central argument that, given the intensity applied to every Olympic sport, they are all worth watching if you understand them is true, (I've been persuaded to watch rowing, a sport I have had no interest in after Goldblatt and Acton explained that the race is designed to drain every last once of energy from the rowers so that ' if they time it correctly the Final stroke of the race is the last they are able to pull', that makes it compelling doesn't it? And its also just plain informative - I know understand handball and get why Judo is taken so seriously. Trust me, this summer, if you read this book, you will have a different perspective on the games to everyone else and I guarantee you will be quoting it at length.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful guide
This booklet was most useful in explaining the rules for all of the events, especially for the sports that we were not familiar with.
Published 3 months ago by Brian M
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read
This book is a great read and not only was it good for the Olympics, it will help those who will now follow sporting events since London 2012. Plenty of "I didn't know that".
Published 8 months ago by cossonod
5.0 out of 5 stars A WINNER!!
An excellent book for sporty and non sporty people alike. An easy to read and follow book giving lots of essential information about all the Olympic sports whether at the event or... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Eliz
5.0 out of 5 stars A title that says it all...
I don't think many of us could profess to being experts on each and every Olympic sport's rules, origins, tactics and key contenders. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. Adam Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars Olympic fever
I bought this as a gift for someone who is a sports fanatic. I glanced through it before giving it to him, and it looks extremely comprehensive. Read more
Published 9 months ago by R. Sara Mairi
5.0 out of 5 stars covers everything
I got this book for my son (9), I am enjoying it also as its an easy read book that is packed with info about every sport and who should win and world records. Read more
Published 10 months ago by T-HILL75
4.0 out of 5 stars Packed full of interest
As the author of Who is the Greatest Sportsman of the Modern Era? I was keen to find out more about the events that will be taking place this summer. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Frank Oliver
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for all Olympic boffins
A really factual, yet fun and lighthearted review of all the Olymic sports; I really enjoyed it and will be refering back to it during the Olympics (infront of the telly!)
Published 11 months ago by Ticketless
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Olympics reading!
Never again will you find yourself sitting in ignorance when watching the Olympics. Armed with humorous anecdotes and essential historical background for each event, this book... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Harry Fraser
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
Loved it and learned alot reading it. It's packed full of information, written with passion and insight, with great photos and some endearing cartoons too. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ron
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