Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror, and Triumph at the Olympic Games

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany%E2%80%94where outstanding performances by U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz and USSR gymnast Olga Korbut were overshadowed by the slaying of 11 Israeli team members by Palestinian gunmen%E2%80%94Montana State University history professor Large (Nazi Games: The Olympics of 1936) provides a densely detailed look at what he calls "history's first globally televised act of terrorism." Using newly released sources, he chronologically explores the political, social, cultural, and athletic dimensions of the Games of the XX Olympiad, focusing on the hostage crisis that began on Sept. 5 when members of the Black September organization broke into the Olympic Village's Israeli living quarters, claimed hostages, and demanded the release of 236 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The subsequent standoff and botched rescue attempt resulted in the deaths of all the captives and most of their captors. Though the deadly stalemate takes up the bulk of Large's book, and will therefore make this comprehensive take on the games appeal primarily to historians, the author doesn't forget his sports fans. While the tragedy unfolded, the games continued on, and Large devotes considerable attention to the many athletic feats and conflicts. However, while the author's detached reporting style works well in terms of relating the story, it fails to inject emotion into the most significant elements of this tragic history. Photos. (Apr.)