Product Description

London's victory in the campaign for the 2012 Olympics on 6 July, 2005 was one of the biggest surprises in the history of the modern Games. For most of the two year bidding campaign, Paris was regarded as the firm favourite with few experts believing the French could be beaten. But the London team never gave up on the dream of bringing the world's most prestigious sporting event back to Britain. London bid leader and British Olympic hero, Sebastian Coe, Tony Blair and David Beckham all played a part in winning the most competitive race for the Games in Olympic history. But it was far from plain sailing and the campaign was a rollercoaster ride of emotions: full of drama, controversy and tears from the moment businesswoman, Barbara Cassani was given the task of launching the bid in 2003 to the fateful day in Singapore when her successor, Lord Coe, and the rest of the world was told London had won. Mike Lee was at the heart of this intriguing journey through the entangled world of International Olympic Committee politics, international sport, British politics and the media as he travelled the world with Coe and other team members to present London's case.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84159 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 22
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Mike Lee was London 2012's Director of Communications and Public Affairs during the campaign to secure the Olympics for the city. He has previously worked as a senior adviser for the Rt Hon David Blunkett MP and as Director of Communications and Public Affairs for UEFA.

Customer Reviews

Irritating
As you can guess from the title - I found this book irritating. The subject matter itself was interesting and well written - but why did the author refer to himself in the third person all the time. The way it was written served as a mechanic for ego inflation and in my reading of the text got in the way of the enjoyment. Rewrite the book and change it if you want to sell more!

A very interesting book for business or pleasure readers
This book provides a great insight into the bid and the various characters, problems, challenges and processes involved. I could not put the book down and I found the story of the bid and the involvement of characters as diverse as Tony Blair, David Beckham and Seb Coe very interesting and entertaining. A great book that is just as good as a business insight as it is for a relaxing read just for pleasure.

The inside view of how London won the Games
Mike Lee's account of the race for the 2012 Olympic Games is a riveting read. The twists and turns of the campaign, many of which are made public for the first time, show how the London bid managed to triumph by the narrowest of margins. Resignations, world politics, sporting stars and high level arm-twisting are brought to light - this will be essential reading for all future bidders for the Olympics.