In 1948, the world was still recovering from war, and the "Austerity Olympics" were a low-key affair sponsored by Craven A cigarettes.

BBC: Walking London��s Olympic sights

These are austerity Olympics.

CNN: Why Britain doesn't love the Olympics

Janey Cotton's recent and riveting book "The Austerity Olympics" describes a country and a sports culture that would seem primitive not only to Jessica Ennis, Britain's 2012 heptathlete hopeful, but also to Milo of Croton, who won six titles at consecutive Olympics in the sixth century BC.

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