The London Olympics of 2012 Politics, Promises and Legacy

by Wagg, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9781137326331
• ISBN10: 1137326336
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-08-28
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

When the choice came to be made in 2005, Paris was the most fancied city to host the Olympic Games of 2012. But the Games, to the surprise of some, were awarded to London. And, like all Olympics of recent times, important questions were raised, which this book attempts to answer: Why London? Lord Coe and his promotion team promised an Olympics that would 'inspire a generation': would such inspiration be likely, or even possible and, if so, what form would it take? London's East End would be regenerated, but to whose benefit? Was the Games' opening ceremony an accurate depiction of Britain? Was the media coverage of London 2012 too critical? What was the role of the corporate sponsors of the Games, and why was so much money spent on Olympic security?

Stephen Wagg's book provides a compelling and comprehensive analysis of the politics of the London 2012 Olympics, asking who won, and who lost out in this seminal event, and whether it has created a lasting legacy.

Author Biography

Stephen Wagg is a professor in the Carnegie Faculty of Leeds Beckett University, UK and has written widely on the politics of sport. With Helen Jefferson Lenskyj he edited The Palgrave Handbook of Olympic Studies (2012). His other recent books include Sounds and the City (edited with Brett Lashua and Karl Spracklen, Palgrave, 2014), Thatcher's Grandchildren (edited with Jane Pilcher, Palgrave, 2014) and An Introduction to Leisure Studies (with Peter Bramham, 2014).

Table of Contents

1. The Contemporary Olympic Games - Commercial Juggernaut or the Price of Progress?
2. The Games Come to London
3. 'It remains unclear how local people will benefit…': Post-Bid, Pre-Games - Prognostication and Protest
4. Looking for Inspiration: The Politics of the Olympic Flame at London 2012
5. 'Isambard Kingdom Brunel Wasn't Marxist': The Opening Ceremony of London 2012
6. 'Just Put Down the Pepsi…': London 2012 and the Corporations
7. How Good Does That Feel? London 2012: Media and Celebrity
8. Islands of Gentrification? London 2012, Politics and Legacy