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Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police
A Cold War Escape
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Check link for latest rating. ( 515 ratings, 68 reviews)
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Format: Hardback
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Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police
$9800
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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Description
2024 Independent Publisher Book Awards Winner β Silver Medal, World History
Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police is a captivating exploration of Nadia Comaneci's life, the Romanian child prodigy and global gymnastics star who ultimately fled her homeland to escape the brutal oppression of a communist regime. At just 14, Nadia made history by being the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. She went on to win three gold medals, shaping the sport for generations and securing her status as a sporting legend.
However, behind the scenes, as the Romanian communist authorities tightened their control over top athletes, Nadia and her coaches were subjected to constant surveillance by the Securitate, the Romanian secret police. Using 25,000 secret police archive pages, intelligence documents, and wiretap recordings, this book provides a unique perspective on Nadiaβs life and career through the lens of the communist dictatorship that monitored her every move.
Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police delves into Nadiaβs turbulent and sometimes abusive relationships with her coaches, BΓ©la and Marta KΓ‘rolyi, who would later become central figures in the USA Gymnastics scandal. It also addresses Nadiaβs mental health struggles, her 1978 suicide attempt, and her remarkable comeback to win gold at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. The book further examines Nadia's withdrawal from international competition and scrutinizes the dramatic questions surrounding her daring defection to the United States in November 1989. Was her escape orchestrated by CIA agents, directed by President George Bush, or facilitated by the Securitate officers meant to surveil her?
What unfolds is a thrilling narrative of endurance and escape, revealing how one of the worldβs greatest gymnasts risked everything for the promise of freedom.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police offers a captivating exploration of the complex dynamics between Comaneci, her coaches, and the Communist regime, providing a glimpse into the tensions within Romanian and Soviet gymnastics. The book highlights the lengths to which the Ceaucescu regime went to secure Olympic success, involving surveillance and informants, while addressing the impact of these actions on young gymnasts like Comaneci. It offers both a compelling examination of Comaneci's personal struggles and a broader critique of state intrusion into private lives under Ceausescu's dictatorship.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781350321298
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 06 April 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Illustration: 7 bw illus
Contributors:
- Translated by Alistair Ian Blyth
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 32.0mm
Width: 158.0mm
Height: 240.0mm
Weight: 640g
Pages: 312
About the Author
Stejarel Olaru is a Romanian historian, writer, researcher, and former radio and TV broadcaster. He was National Security Advisor for the Romanian Prime Minister (2006-2008), a Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2013-2014) and General Director of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania (2005-2010). He has published several books on the modern history of Romania and the history of the Romanian intelligence services.
Alistair Ian Blyth is a Translator with more than 15 years' experience of translating from Romanian into his native English. His many translations from Romanian include: Little Fingers by Filip Florian; Our Circus Presents by Lucian Dan Teodorovici; Occurrence in the Immediate Unreality by Max Blecher; Coming from an Off-Key Time by Bogdan Suceava; and Life Begins on Friday by Ioana Parvulescu. In 2019, he was the recipient of a Modern Languages Association of America award for his work.
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Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police
2024 Independent Publisher Book Awards Winner β Silver Medal, World History Nadia Comaneci is the Romanian child prodigy and global gymnastics star who ultimately fled her homeland and the brutal oppression of a communist regime. At the age of just 14, Nadia became the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games...Paperback$3299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
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