'The Games of London will stand out as the most memorable gathering of athletes ever seen in the world.'
Lord Desborough, head of the British Olympic Committee

Over one hundred years ago, London hosted its first Olympic Games. It was a world away from the modern-day Olympics - everything was built and organised in less than two years, and at a minute fraction of today's costs. 'Amateur pluck' was still the highest virtue - or so the British Olympic Committee thought.

Not everyone agreed with that sentiment; the strongly nationalistic American team was involved in a series of rows, boycotts and disqualifications, and the Germans were outraged at the defeat of their fencing team. There was even a doping scandal, with accusations that the Canadian favourite for the Marathon had been nobbled with a dose of strychnine. Far from engendering goodwill among nations, the Games caused international uproar (as they often do today).

Rebecca Jenkins' book delightfully evokes the vanished world of the 1908 London Olympics, aided by many charming, nostalgic illustrations. Her book is a fascinating slice of social and sporting history - and provides a thought-provoking contrast to the forthcoming London Olympics of 2012.