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megbellinger's review
emotional
informative
fast-paced
5.0
As we head into an Olympic season inevitably damaged by fearmongering around the idea of trans athletes, this book was genuinely mind blowing to me. I was absolutely fascinated by the initial history of gender non conforming athletes, and the role that the Nazis and a healthy dose of Red Scare played in establishing bogus rules to regulate women's sports is entirely unsurprising when you give it a closer look. This book also does an excellent job of demonstrating how little the governing bodies making these rules care about women's sports at all, a theme that is all too clear among the transphobes and bigots of the modern day. Not for nothing, the writing is also super engaging and easy to follow along with, even for someone who tends to read more fiction. I can't recommend this book enough!
readingunderadesk's review
5.0
Very fascinating to see the Nazis to gender inquisition pipeline!
The Other Olympians as an audiobook is a nine-hour history of both women's participations in international sports (leading to their inclusion in the Olympics) and really how precious and personal other people get about what's going on with others. It is a mostly linear story woven together from historical documents and articles of the time (the early 1900s in and around, before and after the rise of Nazi Germany) but also personal letters and essays and accounts from those who lives the lives reported on here.
And outside of the Olympic history, it's stories of sex and gender history -- how gender transition was treated in the 1920s/30s (largely positive!), how the public mind saw these things, all while being very careful to explain to the listener certain terminology and mindsets of the time and how they would not match the more mainstream namings of today, and especially that there is no 100% black and white way to define sex-- not by chromosomes nor physical characteristics nor a multitude of other things.
Very important read to anyone interested in sports, women, LGBT issues, or who even has questions about 'should trans folks compete in competitive sports?' These are not new issues or concerns and gender nonconforming folks (who sometimes are not even trans but may not fit in what someone else may define as a woman or man!) have always been around and always living normal lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for review!
The Other Olympians as an audiobook is a nine-hour history of both women's participations in international sports (leading to their inclusion in the Olympics) and really how precious and personal other people get about what's going on with others. It is a mostly linear story woven together from historical documents and articles of the time (the early 1900s in and around, before and after the rise of Nazi Germany) but also personal letters and essays and accounts from those who lives the lives reported on here.
And outside of the Olympic history, it's stories of sex and gender history -- how gender transition was treated in the 1920s/30s (largely positive!), how the public mind saw these things, all while being very careful to explain to the listener certain terminology and mindsets of the time and how they would not match the more mainstream namings of today, and especially that there is no 100% black and white way to define sex-- not by chromosomes nor physical characteristics nor a multitude of other things.
Very important read to anyone interested in sports, women, LGBT issues, or who even has questions about 'should trans folks compete in competitive sports?' These are not new issues or concerns and gender nonconforming folks (who sometimes are not even trans but may not fit in what someone else may define as a woman or man!) have always been around and always living normal lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for review!
lifewithtomcat's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
GREAT read. For me, this slice of history feels VERY current.
“The Other Olympians” examines some of the historical events from the last century that help explain the lack of support for women in athletics, the normalization of sexual assault to insure athletes are true “women,” and the undue hysteria around transgender athletes.
I enjoyed this book via audiobook and the narration was outstanding.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley.
elliepses's review
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Incredible book that fulfills its stated goal: to “unflatten” the 1930s and challenge linear narratives of historical progress. It wonderfully renders the lives of a group of trans athletes in that era who were largely accepted by their respective societies. It also shows how a Nazi sympathizer-run International Olympic Committee used vague, unscientific, and fear-mongering versions of their stories to establish the discriminatory and non-sensical sex testing we still see in sports today.
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