London, 2012

Mark Perryman is the author of the widely acclaimed Why the Olympics Aren't Good For Us And How They Can Be. During London 2012 he was a frequent media commentator on the politics of the Games. Mark is a Research Fellow in sport and leisure culture at the University of Brighton and author of a number of books on football, Englishness and national identity. He is also co-founder of the self-styled 'sporting outfitters of intellectual distinction' aka www.philosophyfootball.com. Contributors: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Barbara Bell, Billy Bragg, Ben Carrington, Anne Coddington, Gareth Edwards, Bob Gilbert, Eliane Glaser, David Howe, Kate Hughes, Suzanne Moore, Mark Perryman, Gavin Poynter, David Renton, Andrew Simms, Mark Steel, Alan Tomlinson, Zoe Williams.

• Introduction 1. How Was it For Us?: Keynote Essay Mark Perryman, The Good, The Bad and the Orbit 2. London 2012 Snapshot Billy Bragg, The Wonder Stuff 3. Representing London and Olympism Alan Tomlinson, The Best Games Never Eliane Glaser, Fraud of the Rings Bob Gilbert, Park Life 2012 4. London 2012 Snapshot Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Wearing Team GB's Colours 5. The Power and Promise of the Games Ben Carrington, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Black Andrew Simms, The Happiness Olympics Kate Hughes, Sofa, Not so Good 6. London 2012 Snapshot Mark Steel, Dressage for the Masses 7. The Politics of Olympic Sport Zoe Williams, The Wiggo Effect David Renton, The Meaning of Mo David Howe, Blades, Runners and Riders 8. London 2012 Snapshot Suzanne Moore, A Utopian Moment of Beauty and Becoming 9. Sport after 2012 Barbara Bell, From Gold Medals to Grassroots Gareth Edwards, We Have Nothing To Lose but Our Medals Anne Coddington, The Gender Games 10. Afterword Gavin Poynter, A Postcard from Rio 2016 11. London 2012 Reading and Resources

Praise for Why The Olympics Aren't Good For Us "Mark Perryman's clear and concise outline of what the London 2012 games could have been is enthralling, enticing and will make the reader feel the same passion and the same outrage for the games that we could have had this summer."LSE Review of Books