'Review from previous edition Review from previous edition Excellent. fascinating background reading for anyone planning to watch Athens 2004.'Sunday Times'Spivey's prose is always full of flavour and The Ancient Olympics must rate as one of the most enjoyable and intelligent books about the ancient Greeks currently on the market.'James Davidson, Daily Telegraph'Absorbing. crammed with information about the sporting events themselves'The Spectator'For the real story of the Olympics this is the ideal read: a very lively look at the games from ancient to modern.'Publishing News'Spivey is an ideal companion for this fine journey through Greece - past and present. We find out what Olympia represented in Antiquity and how the Olympics have become a part of the Western psyche.'Bettany Hughes, historian and presenter of The Spartan and Seven Ages of Britain.