Tales of Gold

These oral accounts of Olympic games from 1912 to 1984 are stirring, if only because so many of the gold medalists overcame adversity to gain their triumphs. Carlson, a professor at Western Michigan University, and Fogarty, a professor at Ferris State University, open with an interview with Abel Kiviat, age 96, the nation's oldest living Olympian, continue with other participants in the games in the years when the Olympics were notable for international camaraderie, then trace the growing nationalism that began in 1936. Among the most interesting entries are those by Benjamin Spock, who shows that Chariots of Fire was not an accurate representation of the 1924 games; Eleanor Holm, who was dismissed from the 1936 squad for drinking and ""roistering''; Bill Bradley, who has a number of unusual recommendations about the future games; and ``Billy'' Mills, whose story of running his victory lap 20 years after he won his race is memorable. Photos not seen by PW. (November)