Munich 1972

April 9, 2012
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germanyâwhere outstanding performances by U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz and USSR gymnast Olga Korbut were overshadowed by the slaying of 11 Israeli team members by Palestinian gunmenâMontana State University history professor Large (Nazi Games: The Olympics of 1936) provides a densely detailed look at what he calls "history's first globally televised act of terrorism." Using newly released sources, he chronologically explores the political, social, cultural, and athletic dimensions of the Games of the XX Olympiad, focusing on the hostage crisis that began on Sept. 5 when members of the Black September organization broke into the Olympic Village's Israeli living quarters, claimed hostages, and demanded the release of 236 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The subsequent standoff and botched rescue attempt resulted in the deaths of all the captives and most of their captors. Though the deadly stalemate takes up the bulk of Large's book, and will therefore make this comprehensive take on the games appeal primarily to historians, the author doesn't forget his sports fans. While the tragedy unfolded, the games continued on, and Large devotes considerable attention to the many athletic feats and conflicts. However, while the author's detached reporting style works well in terms of relating the story, it fails to inject emotion into the most significant elements of this tragic history. Photos.

June 1, 2012

Large (history, Montana State Univ.; Nazi Games: The Olympics of 1936), a specialist on German history, here addresses the many factors that resulted in the lax security at the 1972 Olympics, thus facilitating the tragic assault on the Israeli athletes by the Palestinian organization Black September. Large explores numerous themes in his analysis, including economic costs, international race relations, international and domestic security threats, and pressures of the games themselves. Rather than losing the narrative with so many themes, he writes with such depth and detail that each element melds seamlessly with the others. VERDICT While seemingly a daunting and complex subject, this is an encompassing, detailed, and engaging account for serious readers not only of the Olympics themselves and the Munich 1972 games, but of shifting international pressures and the effects that historical and social conflicts can apply to even declared apolitical events. Large's emotions come through in his judgment of lapses and of the terrorism we have confronted over the years. Those interested in the multiple shifting global influences on sports and politics will find this a valuable addition to their collections.--Elizabeth Zeitz, Otterbein Univ. Lib., Westerville, OH

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