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Stephen Pogany

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Cold War Games: Spies, Subterfuge and Secret Operations at the 1956 Olympic Games

by Harry Blutstein

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read in September 2018

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Stephen Pogany said: " This book tells a remarkable story.
Who would have thought that the 1956 Summer Olympic Games - which came to be known as the ‘friendly’ Games hosted in Melbourne Australia between 22 November and 8 December - could have been a hotbed of spying and C This book tells a remarkable story.
Who would have thought that the 1956 Summer Olympic Games - which came to be known as the ‘friendly’ Games hosted in Melbourne Australia between 22 November and 8 December - could have been a hotbed of spying and Cold War dirty tricks.
The story starts with an account of the infamous 'blood in the water" water polo match in which one of the Russians punched a Hungarian player in the face. It turns out to be much more than that, with a KGB agent watching on and urging the Russians to hit the Hungarians.
Included in the account is much more about the Hungarian athletes, who had been left severely traumatized after the invasion of their Country by the USSR just weeks before the Opening Ceremony - and who still went on courageously against all odds to finish with a tally of 26 medals.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter that revealed a secret operation conducted by the Americans (CIA?) using Sports Illustrated journalists to encourage Hungarians to defect; in fact, several brave athletes did defect. In keeping with the times, all levels of communication on this secret operation were conducted by employing coded telegrams, some of which are included in the book and are fun to read - thankfully, with a guide on how to decode them.
Not often does one discover a history book that reads like a Le Carre novel. This one does that and is actually based on a real story that took place in a year that was to be plagued by another global event – the Suez Canal Crisis.
The volume ought to be considered a must addition to the libraries of Australian Secondary schools/colleges and Tertiary level Educational Institutions -an effort that, undoubtedly, would enrich students' knowledge with content that relates to a very special moment in the History, Sports and Politics of our Country.
Congratulations to the author for developing a highly engaging, enjoyable and memorable volume that is rich in factual and intensely-researched content - all based on a four-yearly global event that heralded the arrival of Australia as a powerful and talented contender to the International World of Sport. ...more "

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— Sep 07, 2018 06:58AM

Sep 07, 2018 07:52AM · see review