This volume investigates the intersection of athletic competition and global political maneuvering throughout the twentieth century. Arnd Krüger and Jim Riordan, both established scholars in the field of sports history, synthesize a broad range of historical data to argue that sport has functioned as a primary instrument of statecraft, soft power, and ideological conflict. The text provides a structured framework for understanding how international sporting events have been leveraged by governments to legitimize regimes, influence diplomacy, and project national identity on the world stage.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for students and researchers exploring the political dimensions of athletics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the breadth of the historical research presented by the authors.