The opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympics in Paris will take place on July 26. The Games will showcase athletes from around the world as they compete for gold on the global stage.
Olympic Games have often been used as a platform for political statements, as well as a stage for host nations to proudly show who they are.
Perhaps one of the most famous examples of that pomp and circumstance is the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. It was a coming out party for Nazi Germany. The nation had been decimated after World War I, but was reemerging under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. Even though World War II wouldn’t begin in force for another few years, tensions were high at the Games as many were fearful about the rise of German fascism.
The weight of these Games is captured in the new novel “Played: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.” Based on real stories, authors Glenn Allen and Rick Kaufman detail the key events leading to the Olympics and how the political games off the field were as fascinating as the competition on it.
Ahead of the Olympics, Allen and Kaufman join us to discuss their book, the 1936 Games, and what that competition can teach us for the future. That’s next time on Charlotte Talks.
GUESTS:
Glenn Allen, co-author of “PLAYED: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics”
Rick Kaufman, co-author of “PLAYED: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics”
