Book Club Claire is BACK! Join us for our discussion of David Maraniss’ Rome 1960: The Olympics that Changed the World. Rome 1960 had some of Olympic history’s greatest moments, including Wilma Rudolph’s reign on the track, Cassius Clay (now known as Muhammad Ali) and his journey to being “The Greatest,” and Abebe Bikila, who won the marathon running barefoot.
Rome 1960 was also a Games of massive change for the Olympic Movement. These Games were the first that were televised–though they were shot on film and flown to the US for American audiences, who watched them on tape delay. Other firsts included the first doping scandal–in cycling (surprise)–and the first product endorsement.
That said, Rome 1960 was one of the greatest Olympics, particularly of its time. From spectacular athletic performances to the stunning backdrop of Rome, these Olympics were one of a kind. Does Maraniss’ book stack up? Listen to our conversation and find out.
Follow Claire on Twitter and YouTube–her channel is a travelogue of some great trips, including Olympic cities!
Our next book selection will be The Second Mark: Courage, Corruption, and the Battle for Olympic Gold by Joy Goodwin. Buy a hardcover, paper copy or Kindle version through these links to Amazon, and you’ll be supporting the show (we get a commission on these purchases). We’ll meet again around the end of April, so you’ve got time to read!
Lots of sad news this week, including the death of The Flying Finn, Matti Nykänen who was one of the most celebrating ski jumpers in the world, earning medals at both Sarajevo 1984 and Calgary 1988 (where he swept the golds). He was wildly popular in Finland, and we’re on the hunt for this biopic called “Matti: Hell is for Heroes.” Check out the trailer.
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