Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics - Hardcover

Sue Macy is the award-winning author of Bull’s-Eye: A Photobiography of Annie Oakley; Winning Ways: A Photohistory of American Women in Sports; A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League; and Freeze Frame: A Photographic History of the Winter Olympics. She lives in Englewood, NJ.

Grade 3 Up–While other books on the topic go into more depth on specific sports, athletes, or historical events, none are as enthusiastically broad or as enjoyable to read as this one. And, it's superbly illustrated with colorful, well-chosen, and enticing photographs. Following a foreword from sportscaster Bob Costas, Macy shares her own young Olympic dreams to represent the appeal of the Games and how they have changed over time. She tells of the rebirth of the Olympic movement in the late 1800s, the changing status of female participants, and the triumph of the thousands of "awe-inspiring athletic performances." Different personalities throughout the years emerge; likewise, fair attention is given to some of the controversies and tragedies that have befallen the event. Nary a spread goes by without dynamic photographs and artifacts, both contemporary and historical; some show, and photo galleries present, compilations of diverse athletes competing, excelling, and celebrating. A world map indicating Summer Olympics sites through 2008 and an almanac of quick data follow. Next up are over a dozen pages giving several paragraphs of fascinating facts from every Olympiad as well as a sample of a poster, medal, or outstanding athlete representing each one. Wonderful research notes, an annotated resource list, and an Olympic quiz bring this book across the finish line first.–Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
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