Something in the Air

“Richard Hoffer reminds us why sports matter, deftly returning to the roiling 1968 Olympics, when it was the athlete who often stood at the forefront of social change. . . . Something in the Air reconnects sports to America, as it should be. It is a truly terrific book.”—Howard Bryant, ESPN senior writer and author of Juicing the Game

“Richard Hoffer has given us a wonderful cross-section of characters and a thorough portrayal of the controversial events surrounding the 1968 Olympics, so that we learn to appreciate these Mexico City Games in a way we never did before. It’s sports history at both its finest and most fun.”—Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated senior contributing writer

“Suddenly, as if picked up by some gust, you’re hurtled into the political, cultural, and athletic tempest of 1968, and into the hearts and minds of the American Olympians in its swirl. That gust is Richard Hoffer’s exhilarating prose. Just go with the wind.”—Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated senior writer

“[Hoffer’s] jaunty but disciplined prose puts the wind at the reader’s back and shows us how the leaps, lifts and dashes of 1968 made a significant impact on the civil rights movement and raised the political consciousness of athletes.”—Gordon Marino, New York Times