Munich 1972 : tragedy, terror, and triumph at the Olympic Games / David Clay Large.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 319-360) and index.

"Set against the backdrop of the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s, this compelling book offers the first comprehensive narrative history of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, notorious for the hostage taking by Palestinian terrorists of Jewish athletes and their tragic deaths after a botched rescue mission by German police. Drawing on a wealth of contemporaneous sources, including recently opened files in the German and Olympic archives, the author, a historian offers a comprehensive exploration of the 1972 festival. He interweaves the political drama surrounding the Games with the athletic spectacle in the arena of play, itself hardly free of political controversy. Writing with flair and an eye for telling detail, the author brings to life the stories of the indelible characters who epitomized the Games, ranging from the city itself to the visionaries who brought the Games to Munich against all odds to the athletes, obscure and famous alike. With the Olympic movement in constant danger of terrorist disruption, and with the fortieth anniversary of the 1972 tragedy upon us in 2012, the Munich story is more timely than ever"-- Provided by publisher.

"Munich 1972 tells the compelling story of the most controversial of all modern Olympiads within the turbulent context of simmering global tensions: the ongoing Cold War, political posturing between the two Germanys, seemingly endless warfare in Indochina, lingering recriminations surrounding decolonization in Africa, and, of course, the cauldron of religious and ethnic hatred known euphemistically as the "Middle East Conflict." It was, of course, this last conflict that spilled over so tragically into the Munich festival, which will forever be remembered for the murder of eleven Israeli Olympians by Palestinian terrorists: a grisly episode that ruined a much-anticipated coming-out party for newly democratic West Germany and for "new Munich" itself, the erstwhile "capital" of Hitler's Nazi movement. What began as a putatively "merry" celebration of peaceful play and beery bonhomie turned into a tragic milestone in the signature horror of our times: political and religious terror"-- Provided by publisher.

Machine generated contents note: 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Chapter One: The Decision for Munich Chapter 3 Chapter Two: "We Just Slid Into It": Planning and Building for Munich '72 Chapter 4 Chapter Three: On the Eve of the Games Chapter 5 Chapter Four: Let the Games Begin Chapter 6 Chapter Five: Invasion of the Sanctuary Chapter 7 Chapter Six: Battlefield F?rstenfeldbruck Chapter 8 Chapter Seven: The Games Go On.

The decision for Munich -- "We just slid into it" : planning and building for Munich '72 -- On the eve of the Games -- Let the Games begin -- Invasion of the sanctuary -- Battlefield Fürstenfeldbruck -- The Games go on.