When Adolf Hitler hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, he used the Games to rally political support for his white supremacist worldview. In doing so, Hitler not only ruptured the myth that politics and sports do not mix, but he also initiated the first major instance of sportswashing: hosting a sports mega-event to launder one’s stained reputation on the world stage. The 1936 Berlin Olympics: Race, Power, and Sportswashing situates these controversial Games in the longer political history of the Olympics.

Jules Boykoff has authored four previous books on the Olympics. His work has appeared in academic journals like Sociology of Sport Journal and the International Journal of the History of Sport and outlets like the New York Times and the Guardian. He teaches political science at Pacific University, USA.

If you would like to find out more about the book and its author, here are some links that may be of your interest:

On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss - Vanderbilt Athletics

Wake Up and Win

Hosts use the Olympics to bolster police power — harming civil liberties (The Washington Post)

The Protests in France Are About to Collide With the 2024 Paris Olympics (The Nation)

Get Ready for AI Surveillance at the 2024 Paris Olympics (The Nation)

The Paris Olympics Are Developing a Familiar Stench (The Nation)