{"product_id":"the-first-london-olympics-1908-4284","title":"The First London Olympics: 1908","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the summer that saw the first successful flight of the Zeppelin, a 140 acre site of scrubland in West London was transformed into the White City, which housed the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition - and a state-of-the-art stadium built to house the first London Olympics. The Olympics were organised by volunteers in just 18 months and at a fraction of the cost of the modern Olympics and yet, just as today, the sport was overshadowed by doping scandals and caused international uproar. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe ferocious competitiveness of a US team dominated by New York Irish Americans led to a succession of 'scandals' culminating in the historic marathon when Italian confectioner baker Dorando Pietri's heroic efforts at the limits of exhaustion so entranced on-lookers that track officials helped him across the finish line. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCoinciding with the 100th Anniversary of the first London Olympics, this delightful social and sporting history - illustrated with over 70 contemporary images - provides a thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oxfordbookstore","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44787392315571,"sku":"9780749929404","price":580.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0718\/4164\/4723\/files\/blk_imp_17477371299780749929404.jpg?v=1762818784","url":"https:\/\/oxfordbookstore.com\/products\/the-first-london-olympics-1908-4284","provider":"Oxfordbookstore ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}