“Halliday is a pass master at assembling golden nuggets of fact . . . amusingly written . . . a fun way to brush up on your Olympic history” (Londonist).

Who reprimanded Hitler during the 1936 Olympic Games?

When did the Olympic event “shin-kicking” get banned?

Which Shakespearean play refers to the Olympic Games?

Who was the first official cheat in 388 BC?

Find the answers to these questions and many other intriguing aspects of the Olympic Games in this absorbing collection of stories and trivia.

Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: The Olympics reveals the beguiling stories behind the well-known history of the Games. It delves into ancient origins in Greece, the predecessors to the modern Games from the seventeenth century onwards, and the little-known facts behind the Olympics in our era. Brush up on the hidden history and unusual facts of the “Greatest Show on Earth,” past and present.