Discover the astonishing, inspirational, and largely unknown true story of the eighteen African American athletes who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, defying the racism of both Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South. Written by award-winning director Deborah Riley Draper, two-time Golden Globe nominee and Emmy, Grammy, and seven-time NAACP Image Award recipient Blair Underwood, and bestselling author Travis Thrasher.

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As a companion piece to the brilliant documentary Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, this book draws on over forty hours of interviews and extensive research the filmmakers obtained which did not make the final film cut. It explores key elements of the story and provides fuller context on the prospect of an Olympic boycott, the relationships between the president of the International Olympic Committee and the Nazis, the different perspectives of Jewish athletes, the NAACP and black newspapers, and details about the actual lives of the eighteen Olympians from family members’ testimonials.