Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the first authoritative and comprehensive account of the world's greatest sporting and cultural event. It tells the complete story of the 2012 Games from inception, through the successful bidding process and the planning and preparation phase, to delivery, the post-Games period and legacy. Written by a world-class team of international Olympic scholars, the book offers critical analysis of the social, cultural, political, historical, economic and sporting context of the Games. From the political, commercial and structural complexities of organising an event on such a scale, to the sporting action that holds the attention of the world, this book illuminates the key aspects of the 2012 Games, helping us to better understand the vital role that sport and culture play in contemporary global society. The book is divided into two volumes: Volume Two - Celebrating the Games, examines the period of competition and immediately afterwards, covering key topics such as: - London welcomes the world - hospitality and the look of the games - Experiencing the games -spectators, tourists, volunteers, shoppers, viewers - Media and communications - Running the games - Creating Olympic celebrities - Protesting the games - Commerce, retail and consumption - Documenting London 2012 in films and books - The legacy of the 2012 Games for London, the UK and the Olympic Movement Richly illustrated with the personal accounts of key stakeholders, from sports administrators and politicians to athletes and spectators, and including essential data and evocative visual material, this book is essential reading for anybody with a personal or professional interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, global culture or the development of sport.

Vassil Girginov is Reader in Sport Management/Development at Brunel University, UK. He is a founding board member of the Bulgarian Olympic Academy and has been researching, teaching and working for the Olympics for 25 years. His research interests and publications (including six books) are in the field of the Olympic movement, sport development and comparative management and policy analysis.

1. Researching and writing about the Games: an introduction Part One: Britain Welcomes the World 2. Dressing up London 3. Re-thinking Hospitality: How London Welcomed the World to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Part Two: Experiencing the Games 4. Volunteering at the Games 5. LOCOG: A Temporary Organisation Within a High Velocity Environment 6. Watching the Games 7. Tweetting the Olympic Games 8. Visiting the Games: spectators, fans and behaviours 9. Shopping at the London Games 10. Spectating the Games 11. Living in the Olympic zone Part Three: Science, technology and Olympic celebrities 12. Helping athletes excel 13. Shaping viewing experiences: The Biggest Spectacle on Television's Grandest Stage 14. Celebrity and the London 2012 Spectacle Part Four: Seizing the Olympic platform 15. Using the Olympic platform for communications 16. Protesting the Games 17. Seizing the Olympic platform: 6.6 million and counting Part Five: Documenting the Games and their legacies 18. Inspire a Publication: Books, Journals, and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games 19. Documenting the Games through film: Lights, camera, action! 20. London 2012 Legacy Strategy: Did it deliver? Conclusions 21. London 2012: beyond everyone's Games