“No hanging back, no rest: a golden cloud / Of sand swirls in their wake, the flecks of foam, / The breath of the pursuers, soak them through: / So great is their love for praise, their will to win.” — Virgil

Get ready to immerse yourself in the unparalleled greatness of the Olympic Games with The Last Heroes: 100 Moments of Olympics Legend. The Olympics are a unifying tribute to athletic prowess, bridging cultures, language, and borders—all in the striving for gold. From celebration to disappointment, from hardship to triumph, this title recounts the emotional and suspenseful scenes that make the Games so riveting. Experience the electric energy of the first opening ceremony, at the London Games in 1908, a parade of the best athletes in the world. Feel the exaltation of Jesse Owens crossing the finish line to receive his fourth gold medal at the Berlin 1936 Games, silencing the Reich’s dogma without needing to say a word. Hear the roaring crowd urging on Derek Redmond as he is helped around the track by his father following a devastating injury, refusing to give up. The Olympics are much more than winning and losing—they are a reflection of humanity.

Authored by distinguished French journalists Olivier Margot and Étienne Bonamy, this extraordinary volume, set to debut just before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, captures the hundred most significant moments in Summer Olympics history. Brimming with stunning photography, this title embodies the spirit of the Games in a definitive and visually captivating compendium that only Assouline can deliver.

The book will be available in our Classic Collection, and a limited run of 100 numbered, Special Edition Ultimate Collection copies. For The Last Heroes Ultimate title, each clamshell case is adorned with a custom designed plaque of the medal from the inaugural modern Olympic Games.

About the author:

Olivier Margot served as the editor in chief at L’Équipe and L’Équipe Magazine for twenty-five years. He is the winner of twenty-three national and international journalism awards, from the Antoine Blondin Prize to the Olympic Media Award, and is also the author of over twenty books, including Last Heroes: A Tribute to the Olympic Games (2004), Time of Legends (2017), The Man Who Never Died (2020), and Louis Vuitton: Trophy Trunks (2022).
Étienne Bonamy is a journalist who specializes in sport. He has contributed to Le Sport and Le Figaro, in addition to writing for L’Équipe since 1992, with a focus on Olympic sports. He has covered the Games since 1992. And in 2005, he became editor in chief of L’Équipe. Since then, he founded the CEBO Média press agency, specializing in the production of written and video content on sport and its environment.