Games of Deception: The True Story of the First U.S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Germany

Games of Deception: The True Story of the First U.S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Germany Book cover
Author(s): Andrew Maraniss
Publisher: Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Copyright Year: 2019
ISBN/ISSN: 9780525514633
REVIEWED November 1, 2019
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommended Grade Levels: 6-12

Rivaling the nonfiction works of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat (Penguin Books 2014), author Andrew Maraniss covers a lot of territory in this story of the first basketball team to compete in the controversial 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. He traces the origins of basketball beginning with divinity student James Naismith's unique idea in 1891, to the triumphant performance of not only the basketball team, but also other American athletes at the Olympics. The text blends history and sports seamlessly. It provides a window into the evolution of a winning basketball team, offering brief backgrounds on the chosen players and the efforts to win sponsorship from a Hollywood movie mogul, as well as delving into the political climates of both the United States and Germany before World War II. The reader will be appalled to read of the pro-Nazi support of the Olympic Committee leaders and the anti-Semitic sentiment that was then prevalent in America. Maraniss uses his narrative nonfiction text as a platform to communicate the disparity in the treatment of different races both stateside and abroad. The extensiveness of his research is evident, and he has a knack for making the subject compelling and understandable. Even readers who don't appreciate sports will find this story a page-turner. One drawback is the photographs attended by captions are tiny with fuzzy images and small font; although good reference points, this well-written, well-designed work deserves better. Nevertheless, the interesting facts Maraniss presents will appeal to a wide audience of children and young adults and can be a supplemental piece in U.S. history classes when investigating the years leading to the Second World War or for researching the 1936 Olympics Games. It can also be used as a resource in civil rights units that will offer a unique perspective on discrimination against people of color in the United States.

[Editor's Note: For additional resources related to this title, as well as an interview with author Andrew Maraniss, be sure to check out our Games of Deception Educator Guide]

Bernadette Cooke, Teacher-Librarian, Julia R. Masterman School, Philadelphia, PA
Publisher's Product Description
On a scorching hot day in July 1936, thousands of people cheered as the U.S. Olympic teams boarded the S.S. Manhattan, bound for Berlin. Among the athletes were the 14 players representing the first-ever U.S. Olympic basketball team. As thousands of supporters waved American flags on the docks, it was easy to miss the one courageous man holding a BOYCOTT NAZI GERMANY sign. But it was too late for a boycott now; the ship had already left the harbor.

1936 was a turbulent time in world history. Adolf Hitler had gained power in Germany three years earlier. Jewish people and political opponents of the Nazis were the targets of vicious mistreatment, yet were unaware of the horrors that awaited them in the coming years. But the Olympians on board the S.S. Manhattan and other international visitors wouldn't see any signs of trouble in Berlin. Streets were swept, storefronts were painted, and every German citizen greeted them with a smile. Like a movie set, it was all just a facade, meant to distract from the terrible things happening behind the scenes.

This is the incredible true story of basketball, from its invention by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, to the sport's Olympic debut in Berlin and the eclectic mix of people, events and propaganda on both sides of the Atlantic that made it all possible. Includes photos throughout, a Who's-Who of the 1936 Olympics, bibliography, and index.
Media Type: Book, eBook
Binding: HC
# Pages: 240
Price: $17.99
Genre: Nonfiction
Sub-Genre: Exposition