11 July,2016 08:21 AM IST | | The Guide Team
The Guide scoured e-stores to hand-pick six compelling reads that will get you into the spirit of the Olympic Games
First Ladies of Running by Amby Burfoot
Written by a Boston marathoner, Burfoot profiles the lives and times of 22 women who were rebels, rule breakers, and visionaries and who went on to change the face of sport forever. A favourite pick among champion runners especially, read it if you are keen to understand how women broke the shackles of the sport.
The End of the Perfect 10: The Making and Breaking of Gymnastics' Top Score-From Nadia to Now by Dvora Meyers
It will be the 40th anniversary since Nadia Commaneci cracked the perfect 10 at the Olympics, shattering myths and breaking records in gymnastics. Now, with changes in the scoring system, the aura around it becomes even more interesting. It's a must-read if you've always been fascinated by the hype and mystique of gymnastics.
Olympic Odyssey by Emory Clark
This book is a first-person account of champion rower Emory Clark's gruelling workouts by Philadelphia's Schuylkill River as preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Games. With his own accounts, visuals, letters and notes from his training diary, it's an engaging title to trace how a dream turned into reality.
Brazil's Dance with the Devil: The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Struggle for Democracy Haymarket by Dave Zirin
As the 2016 Olympics draw close, Brazilians are raising protests. Sports journalist Dave Zirin travelled across the country to get the stories behind these marches. In a thrill-a-minute read he examines how the sporting spectacle is turning out to be an unusual headache.
Inside the Olympics: A behind-the-scenes look at the politics, the scandals and the glory of the Games by Richard W Pound
Ex Olympian official Dick Pound looks at the good, the bad and the ugly goings-on in the Olympic arena - on the field and beyond. He looks at the controversies, the corruption and the bribery that hounds the world's biggest sporting spectacle.
Running for my Life by Lopez Lomong
The inspiring story isn't about Africa's famed distance runners but a stirring tale about the continent and the resilience of its runners. Lomong looks at a barefoot young boy from the Sudanese
Civil War to a big-brand sponsored athlete on the US Olympic team.
All titles available on e-stores
