This study investigates the politics behind 100 years of Olympic history, from Baron de Coubertin's revival of the Games to Atlanta in 1996. The author asks who holds power within it, how it is financed and how the costly business of bidding for the Games works. He then covers recent history: the Cold War Games of Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984; Seoul 1988 - a PR exercise by the Korean government; and Barcelona 1992, arguably the most commercial and televisual Games in history.