Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games Hardcover – Illustrated, May 1, 2008

For many athletes who strive to participate in the Olympics the chance to do so often only comes once in a lifetime for one reason or another. Yes, many Olympic athletes compete in multiple games, but for the eighteen who share their stories in this book the 1980 Summer Olympics was their only chance and they saw that dream taken away.In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country of Afghanistan in order to prop up a communist government. The action, in the context of the Cold War, was widely condemned in the western world and was seen as an unjustifiable act of aggression. President Jimmy Carter started taking action against the Soviet Union including economic sanctions and grain embargoes.In 1980, the Summer Olympics were scheduled to be held in Moscow, the Soviet capital city. Carter wanted the United States and as many other countries to boycott the games in protest of the invasion. The Carter administration put pressure on the United States Olympic Committee to boycott the games which they voted to do.Although ideally, the Olympic games and politics are supposed to be separate, but the U.S.-led boycott in 1980 would not be the first or last time that the Olympics and politics crossed paths.While the book explains the political events of the boycott, it also contains stories from eighteen athletes who were personally affected by the boycott. These eighteen, while officially considered Olympians, would never be able to compete in an Olympics. For them, 1980 was their only shot for one reason or another. The stories talk about their path to the Olympics, the often disappointment of the news of the boycott, and how life went on afterward. Some were very resentful over President Carter's decision, others showed support, while some just did not understand the politics.I found this book to be an interesting look at the history and the athletes surrounding the United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. I would recommend this to those interested in history or the Olympics.

I purchased this because one of my target shooting buddies was to be on the 1980 US Olympic Team. He isn't a big talker but when Carter comes up he makes a few negative comments about "Your services are no longer required" and gets quite. I offered to give him the book when finished but he just said "perhaps a synopses."The political chapters occur between chapters dedicated to a specific athlete. All of the athletic chapters are interesting and cover those that had one shot to those that had a lifetime in front of them like basketball players. The political parts are the USSR view, USA view, and Mondale's speech to the USOC which is quite interesting.Recommended read. I e-mailed the author with a question several times - no response.

With impeccable research - unearthing documents from the archives of the former Soviet Union and material from the U.S. Department of State - along with numerous interviews with athletes, authors Tom and Jerry Caraccioli chronicle the decision by President Jimmy Carter to spearhead the successful drive to convince the United States Olympic Committee to boycott the 1980 Moscow Summer Games.With the backdrop of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the book briskly moves along the parallel lanes of the politics in sports and the politics within the Cold War, which ultimately merged on the Olympic stage.Now - as then - Vice President Walter F. Mondale, through his Foreword and quotes within the text, carries the heavy load of explaining the administration's position. But the explanations - including denials on a number of allegations, including that the administration pressured USOC sponsors to support the boycott - continue to ring hollow for many athletes nearly 30 years later. "Everything I worked for all those years was taken away by a peanut farmer they called they president," says wrestler Gene Mills.The Appendix is a fitting tribute to the athletes; the roster of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, minus the asterisks - Did Not Compete - that haunt their official U.S. Olympic biographies. The book ultimately is a belated salute to athletes who have an * where achievement through competition should have been celebrated.

An amazing book. It puts you in the shoes of the athletes and you start to understand what they were feeling back then as well as today. No matter if you were an athlete or not, this book is a must read.

I have not as yet read the book but I have just finished a book called Boycott by Lisa Forrest (published by ABC Books ISBN 978 07333 2295 2) an Australian swimmer who went to the games in Moscow. A fascinating read and exceptionally well written.I would see Lisa's book as an interesting adjunct this book, Australian government at the time under immense pressure from the Cater administration did all it could to stop participation but the AOC voted 5 to 4 to participate but the scar's are still there. Those who went suffered as much as those who did not and the Australian team members did not have a governing body making the decision for them.They were on their own, with the government and the press against them.I shall purchase and read Boycott: Stolen Dreams, as it shall be interesting to see another perspective.I am sure that many US swimmers of the time would know the name and I am sure they would find Lisa's story particularly interesting.