{"product_id":"book-d847","title":"Games of Deception","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e*\"Rivaling the nonfiction works of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown's \u003ci\u003eThe Boys in the Boat\u003c\/i\u003e....Even readers who don't appreciate sports will find this story a page-turner.\" --\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Connection \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"An insightful, gripping account of basketball and bias.\" --\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eStrong Inside\u003c\/i\u003e comes the remarkable true story of the birth of Olympic basketball at the 1936 Summer Games in Hitler's Germany. Perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Boys in the Boat\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUnbroken\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn a scorching hot day in July 1936, thousands of people cheered as the U.S. Olympic teams boarded the \u003ci\u003eS.S. Manhattan\u003c\/i\u003e, bound for Berlin. Among the athletes were the 14 players representing the first-ever U.S. Olympic basketball team. As thousands of supporters waved American flags on the docks, it was easy to miss the one courageous man holding a \u003cb\u003eBOYCOTT NAZI GERMANY\u003c\/b\u003e sign. But it was too late for a boycott now; the ship had already left the harbor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1936 was a turbulent time in world history. Adolf Hitler had gained power in Germany three years earlier. Jewish people and political opponents of the Nazis were the targets of vicious mistreatment, yet were unaware of the horrors that awaited them in the coming years. But the Olympians on board the \u003ci\u003eS.S. Manhattan\u003c\/i\u003e and other international visitors wouldn't see any signs of trouble in Berlin. Streets were swept, storefronts were painted, and every German citizen greeted them with a smile. Like a movie set, it was all just a facade, meant to distract from the terrible things happening behind the scenes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the incredible true story of basketball, from its invention by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, to the sport's Olympic debut in Berlin and the eclectic mix of people, events and propaganda on both sides of the Atlantic that made it all possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eGames of Deception\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Maraniss does a great job of blending basketball action with the horror of Hitler's Berlin to bring this fascinating, frightening, you-can't-make-this-stuff-up moment in history to life.\" -Steve Sheinkin, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBomb\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUndefeated\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I was blown away by \u003ci\u003eGames of Deception\u003c\/i\u003e....It's a fascinating, fast-paced, well-reasoned, and well-written account of the hidden-in-plain-sight horrors and atrocities that underpinned sports, politics, and propaganda in the United States and Germany. This is an important read.\" -Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Newbery Honor winning author of \u003ci\u003eHitler Youth\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A richly reported and stylishly told reminder how, when you scratch at a sports story, the real world often lurks just beneath.\" --Alexander Wolff, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Audacity of Hoop: Basketball and the Age of Obama\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49328394338608,"sku":"BDd847","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/363242-d847-Square.jpg?v=1733717395","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-d847","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}