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Not Just a Game by Doug Zipes
It is 1936 as track star Dietrich Becker trains for the Berlin Olympics. Supported by his wife and an unknown benefactor, Dietrich is hiding a dangerous he is Jewish. But when he unexpectedly loses to the legendary Jesse Owens, a humiliated Dietrich crumbles under overwhelming pressure and makes a decision that changes everything. Thirty-six years later, Dietrich's son, Adam, assistant head of the 1972 Israeli Olympic team, travels to Munich, where eleven Israeli athletes including one of his friends, fencing coach Levi Frankel, are murdered by Islamic terrorists. Eventually Adam's daughter, Kirsten, is taught to fence by Levi's widow and sets her sights on the 2016 Olympics. When she travels to Rio with the Israeli team just as Nazism is reborn, Kirsten and a French fencer become intrigued by rumors that Hitler fled WWII to South America. After visiting Bariloche, Argentina to investigate, they explore Hitler's house and find the priceless Amber Room. As her journey leads her back to the Olympics, Kirsten soon discovers she is fighting not just to win gold but also for her life.Not Just a Game is the riveting story of three generations of Olympic athletes as they attempt to survive monumental challenges in the shadow of Hitler and during a rebirth of Nazism.
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Published January 1, 1867
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 10, 2022
I was in Vienna years ago where I saw and understood a little bit of history re"fencing" and "running" as it pertained to Jewish and Israeli olympians participating in the games from their beginning.
That precipitated me to pickup this fiction novel which includes a brief chapter regarding Jesse Owens, and the advice he took from a jewish olympian who wanted him to win.
Not sure that part is fiction, but if so -it was fascinating; if not, it was clever.
Theme of the book is good, as well as the many topics covered.
There is a current plot running throughout the book, stemming back to Hitler and now the Fourth Reich, which is true and makes perfect sense for this book.
The author also weaves a mystery through the entire book.
And then comes the major twist near the end.
And thats why I gave it 3 stars. :(
Maybe its just me- everyone else gave it 5*.
That precipitated me to pickup this fiction novel which includes a brief chapter regarding Jesse Owens, and the advice he took from a jewish olympian who wanted him to win.
Not sure that part is fiction, but if so -it was fascinating; if not, it was clever.
Theme of the book is good, as well as the many topics covered.
There is a current plot running throughout the book, stemming back to Hitler and now the Fourth Reich, which is true and makes perfect sense for this book.
The author also weaves a mystery through the entire book.
And then comes the major twist near the end.
And thats why I gave it 3 stars. :(
Maybe its just me- everyone else gave it 5*.
March 1, 2017
Not Just a Game is a highly interesting story based on Nazi regime. The story takes us through three generations and present a dangerous present time where Nazis still have their influence and are ready to break havoc on the Jews. The highlight of the story was Kirsten speech where she implores the Nazis to work towards creating a better earth by getting rid of the various problems of the present day and not be fixated on the Jews.
The book has many surprises which would enthrall the readers. It is well researched and makes us travel through history. It shows the courage of different people in different positions and at different points of time and how it is the joint effort of people that a tragedy is averted and situation is saved. By making Rio Olympics as the center of the latter part of book, the author had provided immediacy to the novel while also revealing many aspects of the Olympics to the readers. Highly recommended by me!
The book has many surprises which would enthrall the readers. It is well researched and makes us travel through history. It shows the courage of different people in different positions and at different points of time and how it is the joint effort of people that a tragedy is averted and situation is saved. By making Rio Olympics as the center of the latter part of book, the author had provided immediacy to the novel while also revealing many aspects of the Olympics to the readers. Highly recommended by me!
March 10, 2017
What a great idea for the novel, mixing three generations of professional athletes with historical events in three different eras and top it all with Nazism and Hitler. I absolutely love the idea for the plot, but the execution is even better. The book is divided into three parts, we are in 1930s in Berlin, there is our main guy Dietrich, Jesse Owens, Hitler and everything we know from history, written in a riveting and fresh way. Then there is Israel in, I think, 1972 where the horrible murders of athletes happened. There we meet our main character Kirsten, she begins to train fencing and at the last part we are in Rio in 2016 Olympics where we are back to Hitler and rebirth of Nazism.
I know this sounds chaotic and nonsensical when I write it like that, but that is why I'm not a writer and Zipes certainly is, and a darn good one. He connects all the main threads of the story in a flawless way across many decades and ties them up in a satisfying way at the end. Characters are well shaped and the story never drags, it is really a page turner all the way. Most of all, I love the mix of sport and Nazism, it makes kind of a sport themed thriller, and that is definitely not something I come across every day. Don't miss this.
I know this sounds chaotic and nonsensical when I write it like that, but that is why I'm not a writer and Zipes certainly is, and a darn good one. He connects all the main threads of the story in a flawless way across many decades and ties them up in a satisfying way at the end. Characters are well shaped and the story never drags, it is really a page turner all the way. Most of all, I love the mix of sport and Nazism, it makes kind of a sport themed thriller, and that is definitely not something I come across every day. Don't miss this.
March 1, 2017
Three generations, fighting to compete and survive, but unknown to them, their fight will not only be for the gold of victory but also to stop something that once could end the world as we know it.
In my opinion, one of the ways for you to know how good a book can be, it’s the effect it has on you, if it makes you forget that is all fiction then the book is amazing and you should tell others to read it right away.
I absolutely love this book, not only because it told stories from different events in different times but also because it deals with some theories that has been waving everywhere, and it was a matter of time for someone to make up a story with that, but thank God it was a story of this quality, otherwise it would been mediocre.
It would not be fair for me to tell you more about this masterpiece, details from past Olympics games, how that can be linked to World War 2? Read this book and find the answer.
In my opinion, one of the ways for you to know how good a book can be, it’s the effect it has on you, if it makes you forget that is all fiction then the book is amazing and you should tell others to read it right away.
I absolutely love this book, not only because it told stories from different events in different times but also because it deals with some theories that has been waving everywhere, and it was a matter of time for someone to make up a story with that, but thank God it was a story of this quality, otherwise it would been mediocre.
It would not be fair for me to tell you more about this masterpiece, details from past Olympics games, how that can be linked to World War 2? Read this book and find the answer.
September 10, 2021
Indeed, it is not just a game.
The author does a fantastic job weaving facts and fiction into an interesting novel. While the story is entertaining, it reminds the reader to not forget the atrocities of the past. I thoroughly enjoyed the book Dr. Zipes. By the way doc, you were right. There was definitely more than one pathway. Literally dozens of them.
The author does a fantastic job weaving facts and fiction into an interesting novel. While the story is entertaining, it reminds the reader to not forget the atrocities of the past. I thoroughly enjoyed the book Dr. Zipes. By the way doc, you were right. There was definitely more than one pathway. Literally dozens of them.
January 30, 2017
Excellent thriller based on history of WWII and several prior Olympic games. The author keeps the action going with a complicated but well-paced plot.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews