Olympic Visions is the first-ever book to cover in depth all kinds of images and objects relating to the greatest sports show on earth. Every Olympic festival has its own exciting and memorable moments, many familiar to us through television images or the iconic photographs that celebrate them. But each Games also generates a fascinating array of works, such as documentary photographs, posters and coins, medals and sculptures, that have been made to advertise, celebrate or commemorate the Games. Poster artists and filmmakers, architects and designers, painters, sculptors, and others contribute to the unique global sporting event that takes place every four years.

This book contains a fascinating array of visual material that, over time, has enlarged, even transformed, mass understanding of the ways in which the modern Games have been evolving. The Games are also both a manifestation of mass culture, and a powerful manipulator of the consciousness of spectators around the world. In addition, the Games have responded – sometimes in highly controversial ways – to constantly changing social and political circumstances. Each Olympiad reflects larger issues, including the struggle for gender and racial equality, the spectre of international terrorism, the impact of politics (from National Socialism to the Cold War), and controversies ranging from cheating and drug-taking, to corporate advertising. With its wealth of images, ranging from statues and torches to medals and mascots, and from celebrity competitors to hyper-assertive stadia designs, Olympic Visions is a must read for everyone who wishes to learn about the past and present of the spectacle.