BEIJING JOURNAL: A Live, Day-by-Day Account from Backstage at the 2008 Summer Olympics
by Mark Butler

ABOUT THE BOOK:

This book is a live journal by a veteran network television broadcaster, revealing an inside view of TV coverage from Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics... the real story behind the story. It’s an absolute must-read for anyone who follows sports, or those who want to learn about the miracles that occur behind the scenes in order to bring world-class sports to your home.

This unassuming little book is also a remarkable feat of sports journalism powered by new publishing technologies. The author, Mark Butler, sent live daily reports and photos, day by day. They were combined, one by one, into this book. By design, these raw, in-the-moment journal entries were prserved largely as written. The final journal entry is dated August 23, 2008. The resulting book was released on August 24. Astoundingly, it became available in print while the games were still in progress. This is the first time in history that any book-length account of the Olympics has been published before the closing ceremonies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Butler is an electrical and audio engineer. He is president of Majestic Sound Productions, a company that has provided design, consulting, and engineering for music, recording, and television remote productions for the past 25 years. Butler is a seven-time Emmy award winner and a Grammy recipient. Mark works with all the major television networks including NBC, ABC, and Fox. He has helped to broadcast four Olympics, seven Superbowls, four World Series, and worked with artists such as The Rolling Stones, U2, and Alicia Keys. His wife Kim is a multiple Emmy award-winning audio technician. Mark is usually locked in an audio control room, somehow trying to mix a show while helping directors and producers cope with emotions ranging from elation to sorrow to rage… often at the same time! Mark has been with NBC for the last two Olympics, working as an integration engineer for the main Olympic venue designers. In 2008, he dragged his wife Kim to China to work at the International Broadcast Center in NBC’s studio, as you will read in this remarkable behind-the-scenes journal of a history-making sports event that captured the world’s attention like never before.