London 2012: The Greatest Show on Earth, by Jon Mattos: Keep the Olympic passion burning with this - and more - lavish commemorative books

TRENDING...RELIVE LONDON 2012

It may have finished but it will never be forgotten -- and there are plenty of upcoming books that will provide the prompts to help relive the magic of the Olympic dream that was London 2012.

Indeed, there is a whole series of official London 2012 Olympic Games commemorative titles due to appear between now and October -- and these are some to look out for.  They can be pre-ordered by clicking on the picture links or the highlighted titles.

Quick off the blocks is London 2012: The Greatest Show on Earth, which promises to relive every important moment from every day, from Opening Ceremony to last Sunday's fantastic finale, with everything in between, recording the joy and exultation of the Olympic gold medallists as well as remembering some of the hard-luck stories.

The book is structured in such a way to provide a day-by-day record not only of who won what but of the great stories, outstanding achievements and heroic performances that lay behind each triumph, all brought to life by stunning action photographs.  It will serve as the perfect keepsake from a fantastic Games.

Written by Jon Mattos, who was part of the Press Association's team covering the Games, and published by Carlton Books, it is due to be released on September 13. Pre-order it now.

If you are prepared to wait a little longer, an October 12 publication date is the target for what promises to be the ultimate story of perhaps the finest two weeks of sport ever witnessed on English soil.

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games : The Official Commemorative Book traces the whole incredible story, from early concepts through to the physical creation of the Olympic Park, the Torch Relay and the innovative Cultural Olympiad. It explores both Games in detail, revealing how record-breaking athletes, spectators, volunteers and locals combined to make London 2012 such a stunning success story.  Beautifully designed and featuring the Games' most evocative photography and a foreword by Lord Coe, the driving force behind bringing the Olympics to Britain and making it such a triumph for the nation, London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: The Commemorative Book promises to capture and preserve the magical atmosphere of a once in a lifetime event.

The authors are the husband-and-wife team of Sybil Ruscue and Tom Knight, who were asked by publishers John Wiley and Sons to take on the mammoth project together.  Ruscoe is best known as a former BBC Radio Five Live presenter but whose experience of sports reporting goes back to her days on weekly papers in Shropshire in 1978.  Knight is a former Daily Telegraph athletics correspondent with more than 30 years in sports journalism, and who has witnessed eight Olympic Games. Follow this link to pre-order.

A week later, a Box Set will be released that combines the official Commemorative Book with The Games, written by another Telegraph journalist, Brendan Gallagher.

The Games: Britain's Olympic and Paralympic Journey to London 2012 traces Britain's Olympic and Paralympic past through powerful narrative, striking anecdotes and over 250 original images. It captures the individual atmosphere of past Games across the world, from 1930s Berlin to 1980s Moscow, Sydney in the Millennium to Beijing's Birds Nest in 2008, and explores the explosion of interest in the Paralympic Games.

London's previous roles as host, rescuing the Games in 1904 after Vesuvius erupted and battling with postwar austerity in 1948, are considered both as contemporaries saw them and from a historical perspective, as are individual stories of British medal winners. The final chapter focuses on preparations for London 2012, from individual athletes to the radical keynotes of sustainability and regeneration.

Gallagher is also the author of Making History at London 2012, which is subtitled 25 Iconic Moments at the Olympic and Paralympic games, a commemorative anthology featuring 25 first-hand accounts from some of the UK's finest journalists, whose powerful narrative conveys the intense atmosphere of the moments that defined London 2012, including the renovation of the Olympic Park, the nationwide Torch Relay, the inspiring performances by individuals and teams, the innovative Cultural Olympiad and spectacular Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Also published by John Wiley and Sons on October 12, Making History at London 2012 will form half of another Boxed Set due for release a week later with Heat of the Moment, which is a collection of 25 extraordinary stories from the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Already available is The Olympic Torch Relay : Follow the Flame of London, which traces the route of relay around the UK week by week, Stunning photography and lively narrative explore the excitement of the Torch Relay as the countdown towards the London 2012 Games gathers pace. The book traces the route around the UK, week by week, celebrating the diverse regions in powerful images of landscape, buildings, banners and local specialities, from biscuits to beers.

Written by Sarah Edworthy and illustrated with many evocative photographs, it is a pageant of amusing anecdotes and intriguing stories from spectators and torch bearers, as well as adding the perspective of ‘local heroes' competing in the London 2012 Games. The Olympic Torch Relay : Follow the Flame of London (John Wiley & Sons) is a fascinating portrait of a nation full of expectation, poised on the brink of a sporting phenomenon, a reminder of how almost every corner of the land acquired a place in Olympic history.

To buy or pre-order any of these books, click on the illustrations or the highlighted titles to be taken to the amazon.co.uk site.

For more Olympic books, visit the Sports Bookshelf Shop

Home