Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games | 
 enlarge | Authors: Jerry Caraccioli, Tom Caraccioli
Creator: Walter F. Mondale
Publisher: New Chapter Press
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 115464
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0942257405
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.48
EAN: 9780942257403
ASIN: 0942257405
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: New publication, perfect condition, hardcover w/ dust jacket. Intro by VP Walter Mondale.
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Product Description
With a thorough exploration of the political climate of the time and the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, this book describes the repercussions of Jimmy Carter’s American boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Despite missing the games they had trained relentlessly to compete in, many U.S. athletes went on to achieve remarkable successes in sports and overcame the bitter disappointment of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity dashed by geopolitics.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Olympics, Politics, and the Summer of 1980 July 19, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Competing in the Olympics is the opportunity of a lifetime. It is something for which many promising athletes train and prepare for a good deal of their young lives. But back in 1980, the Olympic hopes of the entire United States Summer Games team were dashed when former president Carter made the decision to withdraw, a direct response in protest to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Hopes of Olympic glory were, for many, an impossible dream since there was little or no chance to ever compete again.
Boycott is a book written about some of the athletes who lost their once in a lifetime opportunity to compete in the Olympics and wear the coveted Olympic medals. It was a very tough decision, and the politics of the situation are presented several times in the book. Former president Carter felt it was the right thing to do and he had the support of most of the U.S. Congress, as well as the support of a large percentage of the population. But the Olympic hopefuls on the United States team felt otherwise. Many had trained and fought hard for many years to qualify for the Olympics, only to see their Olympic dreams go up in smoke, and all because of politics.
Eighteen different athletes are profiled in this book and each has his/her own story to share, expressing their feelings both then and now. For some, the feelings of bitterness were very real back in 1980 and they were extremely angry at Carter for allowing politics to influence sports. The Olympics were supposed to be free from political influence and while politics certainly played a role in past Olympic events, these athletes did not want to see history repeat itself. They knew they would likely never get another chance to compete in the Summer games, and many voice the bitterness they felt at the time- and still feel today- when they think about this decision and the profound impact it has had on their lives.
While most of the 1980 Summer Game Olympic athletes were very unhappy, there were those who cared less than others. For some, it wasn't the end of a career in sports so it wasn't that important. They still had a promising professional career just ahead. For others, the boycott was grudgingly accepted because, as much as they wanted to compete, they felt the decision was in the best interests of the United States. Others backed Carter's decision because they felt that it was only right to support their president and respect his decision.
The fact that this book includes opinions from athletes whose opinions vary so much is one of its strongest points. The authors obviously did not intend to use this book to make a political statement. If they did, they would have concentrated only on the athletes who were angry; only those who were accepting of the decision; only those who were indifferent; etc. Instead, the book presents viewpoints from multiple angles. The feelings presented by these eighteen athletes are pretty clear, but they vary from person to person and about the only emotion they all share in common is that of disappointment.
Between the profiles of the selected athletes, Boycott includes a rundown of the political facts as they have been recorded, from the initial invasion of Afghanistan to the attempted lawsuit brought on by the athletes against the government and the Olympic committee. Former Vice- President Mondale wrote the preface to this book, but one thing missing from this book is a response from former President Carter himself. We know that Carter would still back his decision, but it would have been interesting to hear a response from Carter about his decision from 1980 and how he feels about it now.
Overall, Boycott is a very good book about the withdraw of the United States athletic team from the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games. It offers a good summary of the political situation, varying opinions from the selected group of eighteen athletes, and a preface from former vice president Mondale. The book steers clear of opinion and lets the athletes speak for themselves; expressing their feelings of bitterness, depression, indifference, and sometimes anger toward the politicians in Washington who stole their once in a lifetime opportunity.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too July 16, 2008
In the summer of 1980, President Jimmy Carter made the choice to boycott the Summer Olympics, which were being held in Moscow, Russia.
After a vote by the USOC (United States Olympic Committee), about 650 athletes' Olympic dreams were gone. The controversy and personal stories from the athletes themselves are gracefully put together by Tom and Jerry Caraccioli.
This unique book gives readers two viewpoints about the controversial 1980 Summer Olympics. Both of the Caraccioli's give the historical background and the reasons for the boycott. Then the personal stories from many 1980 Olympian athletes provides the personal impact this event in history had on real people who had real dreams.
This interesting book is a great read for people who aren't aware of the boycott and the controversies that surrounded the sporting tradition.
Reviewed by: Steph
 The unsung heroes of the 1980 Olympics... June 21, 2008
The unsung heroes of the 1980 Olympics...
[...]
In 1980, The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and Jimmy Carter called for a boycott of the Olympic Games to be held in Moscow. The U.S. Olympic athletes sacrificed their dreams for their country; they are the unsung heroes of the era. They trained for years in hopes of winning a gold medal but were not allowed to participate. Twin brothers, Tom and Jerry Carraccioli, shed light on the events leading up to the boycott and the heroic effort of the U.S. team. In the words of former Vice President Walter Mondale, "The Soviet Union would've loved it if American athletes had made a big issue against our policy. They would've grabbed on to that and said, `See, America is putting its own athletes down and the athletes are mad about it and want to come to Moscow." The facts are stated in a professional manner. Boycott is a well written and fascinating look back at history.
"Quick trigger Carter" bullies Moscow athletes June 19, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Boycott
Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games
Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli
Review: Gary Mack
Rating:5- stars
Sometimes the most complex matters break down in the most rudimentary ways. Though I'm no apologist for his country club politics, it was refreshing to hear President Bush state in a recent ESPN interview that he would not support a boycott of the China Olympics over Tibet's claim of occupation, preferring to leave politics out of the world's greatest sporting event. Of course, Bush was a pretty good baseball player who once threw a perfect strike as the President in his infamous post 9/11 toss to the plate.
President Carter on the other hand, known for his limp softball hits barely making it over the second baseman's glove in his pre-election exhibitions down in Plains, Georgia, had no problem with his decision to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Carter's verdict to do so seemed a "quick trigger" in response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Perhaps, if Carter were a better athlete, the plight of so many of our nation's very best athletes in 1980 would have taken a different course. It's just a theory...
In "Boycott," Tom Carraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli carefully build a narrative on the times and the issues related to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In between the personal stories of the athletes, the Caraccioli brothers integrate chapters on the Carter Doctrine, American and Soviet's historical relationship with Afghanistan, the USOC vote, the Athletes lawsuit, and the results of the boycotted Moscow games. Using tight vignettes to present serious information without losing the reader's interest, the authors dispassionately mark the course of those times, tepidly revealing their point of view on the over-all issue through the poignant life stories of the athletes themselves. It's quite a tight rope act.
There's even a foreword from former Vice-President Mondale, who admits he wasn't much of an athlete himself. Though Mondale apologizes to the athletes, he never wavers on the Carter Administration's strong arm tactics to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics, as it was his April 12, 1980 emotional plea to the USOC House of Delegates that really sealed the deal for the Carter Administration. Vice-President Mondale insists the boycott was the correct decision, even though it's clear now, and reaffirmed in the text, that the CIA was gleeful the Soviets pushed into Afghanistan and caused their own Viet Nam. In the thick of the Cold War, the thinking then was to bog down the Soviets in a political and economic quagmire that would eventually seal their doom. Thanks to an obscure liberal Congressman named Charlie Wilson, the Stinger, and a new American President named Ronald Reagan, the Soviet Union imploded on to the ash heap of history. I guess the plan worked.
Transcending all the historical analysis, all the speeches, all the rhetoric, all the political posturing, comes the stories of the athletes themselves, stories of the ghosts amongst us; their training methods, their victories, their dreams. Much like the final scene in the movie, "Hoosiers," where the camera pans to the black and white photo of the Championship team as the sounds of yesteryear echo to the audience, the personal sagas of the athletes in Boycott leave you sentimental and numb.
Sure we've heard of Isiah Thomas and Bill Hanzlik of NBA stardom but what about names like Don Paige, Glenn Mills, Gwen Gardner, Gene Mills, Craig Beardsly, Sue Walsh, Amy Koopman, Carol Blezejowski, Luci Collins, David Kimes, Brian Gust, Lisa Buese, Linda Cornelius Waltman, or Thomas Schuler. In a country of big land, what monument, what museum, what Wheatie box cover remembers these forgotten names?
The famed sportscaster, Dick Enberg, sums it up best on the back sleeve of the Carracioli's book,
...."Thanks to the authors we are reminded of their brave, but painful sacrifice. This book, then, becomes their belated, but deserved, Olympic salute."
Thus, Tom and Jerry Carracioli's Boycott is as noble as the efforts and ambitions of all our forgotten 1980 Summer Olympic athletes.
Sleep well Mr. Carter.
Nicely done study of politics, athletes, and broken dreams June 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Boycott" is a comprehensive look at both the circumstances of the United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow and some of the athletes that were affected by the boycott. The book has nine chapters that explain the events leading up to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan; the White House's decision to boycott the Olympics; the Olympic Committee's decision to go along with the boycott; a lawsuit filed by some of the Olympians; the result of the Olympic games; messages from some of the Olympians to Jimmy Carter; and a complete list of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. Scattered throughout the book are stories of 18 of the athletes that made the Olympic team only to see their dreams shattered by the boycott.
"Boycott" is a nicely done, evenhanded look at the events and people involved in the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. The book provides both sides of the story (Walter Mondale wrote the forward). The reasons for the boycott and the subsequent lawsuit are certainly interesting to read about, as was the ceremony the White House held as a sort of consolation prize for the athletes. The epilogue about the efforts to have the medals given to the athletes at the ceremony declared Congressional Gold Medals is also very interesting.
While the political aspects were interesting to read, my favorite parts of the book were the athletes' stories. Authors Tom and Jerry Caraccioli focus on athletes from all different sports for whom the 1980 Olympics was their last chance of making an Olympic team. Outside of Isiah Thomas, most of the athletes are unknown today and you can't help wonder how performing in the Olympics would have changed their lives (this is particularly true in the case of Ron Galimore, the first African-American to make a U.S. Olympics gymnastics team). It is interesting not only to read the athletes reactions to the boycott (some are still bitter, some were but aren't any more, and some never were) but how they became Olympians in the first place. Each story is equally compelling.
"Boycott" is a well-done look at politics, athletes, and broken dreams.
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