Dropping the Torch
Book • 2010
Nicholas Evan Sarantakes' Dropping the Torch examines the political and diplomatic dimensions of the United States' boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics under President Jimmy Carter.
The book traces the decision-making process within the Carter administration, explores domestic and international reactions, and situates the boycott within the broader context of Cold War tensions following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Combining archival research with interviews and policy analysis, Sarantakes assesses the boycott's effectiveness as a tool of foreign policy and its consequences for athletes, U.S.
-Soviet relations, and Olympic politics.
The work contributes to understanding how sporting events can become sites of geopolitical contestation.
The book traces the decision-making process within the Carter administration, explores domestic and international reactions, and situates the boycott within the broader context of Cold War tensions following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Combining archival research with interviews and policy analysis, Sarantakes assesses the boycott's effectiveness as a tool of foreign policy and its consequences for athletes, U.S.
-Soviet relations, and Olympic politics.
The work contributes to understanding how sporting events can become sites of geopolitical contestation.
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Nicholas Gordon
Nicholas Evan Sarantakes, "The Battle of Manila: Poisoned Victory in the Pacific War" (Oxford UP, 2025)
