Representing the Nation: Sport and Spectacle in Post-Revolutionary Mexico

Claire and Keith Brewster's carefully researched and highly insightful book recounts the story of the 1968 Summer Games, from Mexican elites' struggle to win the bid from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to foreign and domestic doubts regarding the country's ability to host the games successfully, to the games themselves and their legacy in Mexico and beyond. The shattering of track records, due in part to altitude, and the civil rights protest of two African-American athletes on the medal podium and their subsequent expulsion stole the show. After providing an example of how contemporary Mexicans continue to combine an awareness of the country's social contradictions with a patriotic desire to shield the nation from international criticism, the authors conclude that while the games may not constitute a significant benefit to the host, they do offer a window into the construction of national image under acute pressure when tensions and insecurity are laid bare in the very attempt to cover them up.