Olympic Follies: The Madness & Mayhem of the 1908 London Games: A Cautionary Tale

The London Olympics of 1908 was intended to reveal Britain and its empire at its zenith. Before the games had ended, almost everything that could go wrong had, and the organizers were universally condemned. The games opened in the pouring rain, which was to continue for the entirety of the two week event. At the opening ceremonies one country insisted that another march under its banner, and another refused to dip its banner to King Edward, resulting in an uproar. Decisions on competitions were questioned, contestants were accused of being professionals, a rival dropped the shot of the shot-put on the foot of a competitor, and one contestant ended up running a race alone. Amongst the chaos there were some outstanding athletic performances, but these were far overshadowed by disputes, backbiting, disqualifications, and more. This is the superb and entertaining tale of one of the most fascinating, unusual, and at times hilarious Games ever held.