Just in time for the Paris Games, Assouline is releasing a brand-new book, The Last Heroes: 100 Moments of Olympics Legend, offering readers a glimpse of Summer Olympic history—beginning with the 1896 Games in Athens.
The tome, which features over 100 illustrations, is would be a gorgeous addition to any coffee table stack—and offers profound insights into the modern Olympics. "The beginning of the twentieth century experienced major political and social crisis. The previous century had seen the rise of social and industrial revolutions, the formation of republics, and the birth of a new world. The major worldwide conflicts followed shortly thereafter. Sports followed a similar transformation, becoming more structured and liberated," The Last Heroes co-author Étienne Bonamy tells T&C. "The revival of the Games, which began in Athens in 1896, accelerated this trend by establishing international federations, organizing competitions, and focusing on the human aspect in sports."
He adds, "The early Games took place under the shadow of international expositions, such as those in Paris and St. Louis. However, by 1920, following World War I, the Games had reached autonomy. The Olympics raised anonymous individuals, praised the most gifted, and began to depict a world that was far from ideal but gradually assigned privileges and responsibilities to everyone. From Berlin to Munich, Melbourne to Beijing, the Olympic Games have never escaped the world's imperfections but have frequently carried their dreams forward. In this manner, the Games have always been linked to their time and represent modernity."
In The Last Heroes, French journalists Olivier Margot and Bonamy write about 100 significant moments in Olympic history, which parallel major world events. Town & Country is pleased to exclusively share three of those moments inside featuring James Connolly, Harry Llewellyn, and Jesse Owens:
In Athens, James Connolly won the triple jump (13.71 meters) becoming the first Olympic champion of the modern era. He also won second place in the high jump and third in the long jump. After his Olympic career, he would go on to become a journalist for the Boston Globe and then the Boston Post. "Connolly is the first modern Olympic champion," Bonamy tells T&C. He was "a Harvard student and scholar-athlete who represented youth, ambition, and taking chances on the future. Like many others, he crossed the Atlantic in quest of the unknown, establishing himself as a pioneer."
Jesse Owens is perhaps one of American's most famous Olympic athletes. "In 1936, Jesse Owens competed in Berlin to establish that he was the quickest sprinter at the moment. He saw himself as a symbol of the free world, an African American athlete standing in sharp contrast to Adolf Hitler's Aryan supremacist perspective. Owens' four triumphs were more than just athletic achievements; they made an important message," Bonamy says. "Today, we remember his presence rather than his medals and accomplishments. The developing media, athletic, and political effect of the Games is dependent on the actions and destinies of a few men and women who, on that day, prove to be stronger than everything.”
"Harry Llewellyn, a Welsh equestrian, competed in the 1952 Games in Helsinki, when the Olympics were already established," Bonamy explains. "After winning the dressage championship, he lifted Danish rider Lis Hartel, who finished second, to the podium. Llewellyn assisted Hartel, who was unable to stand due to polio, in a moment that exemplified the wonderful friendship that athletics can provide. This gesture goes beyond competitiveness and becomes a celebration. A similar occasion occurred in 1992, when Ethiopian Derartu Tulu and South African Elena Meyer finished a lap together with their flags interwoven following the 10,000m race in Barcelona. Such moments in sports, particularly at the Olympics, which bring together nearly 200 nations, reflect the human spirit and common humanity in surprising ways."
The Last Heroes is on sale today, for a retail price of $120, as is a limited run of 100 numbered, Special Edition Collection copies, which will retail for $2,750. For those copies, "each clamshell case is adorned with a custom designed plaque of the medal from the inaugural modern Olympic Games," per Assouline. More information online at Assouline.com.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
