Customer Reviews (1)

Good Book
This book is a good learning tool to use in informing others. ... Read more

Book Description
This fascinating title traces the evolution of competitive swimming from the first organized races in the 1830s to the present day. Controversies, such as the use of steroids by Olympic swimmers, are treated in depth. Prominent figures in the sport are also profiled. ... Read more

Book Description
This book is the only up-to-date general introduction to ancient Greek sport now available in English.Its subjects include the origins and history of the Olympic games, athletic nudity, professionalism, and the place of women in Greek sport.Accessible to nonspecialists, its overall perspective and discussions of many particular problems will also interest experts in Greek history and sport studies. ... Read more

Book Description
Continuing in the tradition of Sports Illustrateds 50th Anniversary Book and The Football Book comes a spectacular celebration of baseball that will be treasured by fans of the National Pastime.With the same kind of unforgettable photographs and award-winning writing that propelled The Football Book to surpass the sales of the 50th Anniversary Book, a New York Times best-seller, this lavish coffee-table volume brings to life the legendary players, the classic action and the great traditions of the Summer Game.In 294 oversized pages, The Baseball Book commemorates the epic teams and characters, the crucial plays and classic games, the personalities and performances and artifacts that have kept baseball at the heart of American sports for more than a century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Let's Play Ball!
I have Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary Book and The Football Book, so I decided to get this spectacular celebration of baseball. If you enjoy watching baseball, seeing how the game has changed over the years and reading about the players' lives, you'll love Sports Illustrated's Baseball Book. Great sportswriting from past eras are reproduced here with plenty of lose-ups that bring back memories, charts and trivia. Whenever company comes over, this is the book everyone seems to pick up and can't put down. If you love a team--any team--you'll love this!

Great pictures, wonderful stories
I am 100% baseball fan. Since being a kid I was moved by the great players achievements. I enjoyed this bokk throughly. It's a work very well done and a prize for sports book's collectors. The only thing I regret isthat, for unknown reasons, some of baseball hall of fame players pictures were not included, namely Harmon Killebrew.

Great gift!
I got this as a birthday gift for my boyfriend last October (he's 22 and loves baseball).He loved it and still uses it for reference all the time.

Baseball Book review
My son loved this book from Sports Illustrated. He's keeping it away from other baseball players on his college baseball team.

Sports Illustrated: The Baseball Book
This book is great!I loved the Football book and decided to get the Baseball book and we love it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A quick and easy read for sports trivia buffs
The collaborative effort of Timothy Jacobs and Russell Roberts, 100 Athletes Who Shaped Sports History is a compilation of one hundred single-page biographies summarizing the lives and achievements of great athletes ranging from Ted Williams, Patty Berg, and Sugar Ray Leonard, to Jackie Robinson, Michael Jordan, and Wayne Gretzky. A black-and-white photograph or a simple sketch of each of the great sports figures accompanies the brief narrative describing their role in the particular sport they embraced. 100 Athletes Who Shaped Sports History is recommended as a quick and easy read for sports trivia buffs, as well as being a great book to introduce young people to the varied and diverse world of sports legends. ... Read more

Book Description
Riess examines the evolution of sport from its rural and urban origins as a less-than-respectable entertainment for the lower classes, through its antebellum upsurge when, with the development of a new sport ideology, it attained respectability--penetrating and finally remaking popular culture.

Using a topical approach, Riess looks at sport from several vantage points, analyzing the interaction between sport and the rise of modern cities; the impact of sport on immigration, race, class, and gender; how sport became accessible through technological innovations; how it became integral to various educational and social movements; the coming of the professional sports figure; sport's links to politics and organized crime; and the role of women in sport. Highlighted with colorful anecdotes, the narrative unfurls a pageant of celebrities and unknowns, players, spectators, and entrepreneurs--all engaged in the drama that is American sport. ... Read more

Book Description
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art now spreading over the rest of the world, and is the only sport from Brazil that seeks Olympic recognition. Originally the preserve of the underclasses in Brazilian society, capoeira is now practised amongst the middle-classes, and even taught as a sport in schools. The author explores the history of capoeira and explores the conflict between traditionalists, who view capoeira as their heritage descended from the maroons, a weapon to be used against injustice and repression; reformers, who wish to see the spread of the sport internationally; and academics, who are attempting to discover the true history of capoeira as opposed to the myth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Elitist
The problem with this book is that He is only using written accounts of Capoeira to validate his views.Many other reviewers mistakenly regard this as "scholarly".It down plays any other perspective about the history, origin, or practice of Capoeira as "questionable" because it was not written about at a certain time.

The problem with this attitude is that it leaves Capoeira's definition in the hands of the white slave owners of Brasil who were writing about it.It neglects the fact that just because someone did not write about something it did not happen.Capoeira's origins, as the author acknowledges is from Angola.These people were followers of oral learning not written learning.It is elitist to suggest that the writing (especially when written by outsiders who were also bias slave holders) is more valuable than the oral traditions.

Capoeira is African.And most of Africa is oral in traditions of learning and recording...thus it is only fair to acknowlege these oral legacies over the outsiders written response to a martial art he did not understand or respect.

a model for other martial art books

I've been reading martial art books for the past sixteen years, and this has to be one of the best.As a practitioner and an academic I have to say this is a welcome addition to any martial arts library whether or not you practice capoeira.This is an extremely well researched, well-footnoted book by a professional historian who has the requisite language and archival skills needed to do justice to the topic.It also traces the historiography of the art, i.e. it critically and convincingly addresses what other scholars have written about capoeira in English and Portuguese.
The price is an issue, and it is well known that books published by Routledge are outrageously expensive (which is why many authors try to publish elsewhere).But if you are serious about capoeira, or need to know how martial art books should be written, then spend the 50$.Although 224 pages doesn't sound like much, this is a book packed with information that has serious implications for thinking about how capoeira history has been appropriated as a political activity.For instructors of capoeira I would advise them to buy this book before they say anything more to their students about capoeira hitsory.

Fascinating history of the art...
Matthias Röhrig Assunção draws on historical fact to propose a view of Capoeira's development as a martial art.Through research, and much like many of us, through objective interpretation he ascertains what is reality, and what is fiction.Furthermore, he relates the common myths surrounding Capoeira to the people who need them, and proposes that at times myths are exactly what inspires individuals.He is, however, an advocate of fact, truth, and reality; and this shows in his work.

The book is by far the most in depth work on Capoeira written in English to date. (To the best of my knowledge)It's perspective is born of inquisition rather then the "gospel truth" word of mouth tradition so common in Capoeira circles.
Bravo !!!I am sincerely touched now that this book has been published, for I myself have been attempting various essays regarding some of the topics explored here.I am glad that the perspective came from a source so well educated, and through such a large spectrum of information.I have received educated reason to back many opinions I have had to date.

Salve,
Instrutor LoboGuara (Associacao Cordao de Contas do Canada)
Paul Bielak and David M. Cvet ... Read more

Book Description
In this second edition of his lively, compact history of America's game--widely recognized as the best of its kind--Benjamin G. Rader expands his scope to include commentary on baseball in the 1990s: the Latino invasion, the building of retroparks, the dizzying race for new home-run records, and other topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

"Solid Throwback Piece of Work"
Great book, I actually read this book during the All-Star Break and it conjured up reminants of nostalgia from my own Little League days. Rader examines a "semi-comprehensive" look at Baseball's flucuating stages, touching economical and social issues, while recounting memorable games. Rader's compelling account of Ruth's "called shot" of the 1932 World Series made me feel as if I was at Wrigley! He also reminds us that American History and Baseball will forever remain synonomous, remembering the Great Depression and how the game once struggled as well. The "War Years" also serve as a testament to Baseball's effect on American society and how the game diverted many fellow Americans attention. Throughout the book, Rader illustrates graphs and charts, highlighting a club's attendance, realignment issues, and salary-cap/player income. Solid piece of historic literature on the development of the game and American history as well, his objective sold me completley, moreover, rekindled my passion for the game on all levels.
AllotofVision
-Marshall University-

THIS HISTORY IS ON THE BALL. AND, YES, IT SCORES. BIG.
Benjamin Rader's second edition of his definitive history of America's favorite national pastime continues to score. Big. The lively, compact history has been expanded, now including baseball in the 1990s, the Latino invasion, the building of retro parks, the dizzying race for home runs (think Sosa and McGwire), the return (again) of the New York Yankees and team dynasties. This may be a somewhat scholarly analysis of the sport, but it's also highly approachable and highly readable and rich in detail. Rader takes readers into the game both inside and outside the foul lines; he also corrects errors he made the first time 'round, most notably in chapters 14 and 15. (Readers of the first edition will know exactly what we mean, and can start whooping it up now.) As for the rest of you, all together now: Take me out to the ballgame ....

Baseball history the way it should be written
I am currently taking a course at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux,Louisiana, entitled: The History of Baseball. Thus far, Benjamin Rader'sbook has provided valuable insight into the complete early history of therise of baseball. Anyone seeking to explore the beginnings of the game, andwhat the game has become from its beginning, should use "Baseball: AHistory of America's Game" as the primary source. ... Read more

Book Description
"The Big Red Machine," an assemblyline of sober, unsmiling Olympic champions--this was the image that dominated Western thinking about Soviet sports.But for Soviet citizens the experience of watching sports in the USSR was always very different.Soviet spectators paid comparatively little
attention to most Olympic sports.They flocked instead to the games they really wanted to watch, rooted for teams and heroes of their own choosing, and carried on with a rowdiness typical of sportsfans everywhere.The Communist state sought to use sports and other forms of mass culture to instill
values of discipline, order, health, and culture.The fans, however, just wanted to have fun.Official Soviet ideology was never able to control or comprehend the regressed and pleasure-seeking component not only of spectator sport but of all popular culture.
In Serious Fun, Robert Edelman provides the first history of any aspect of Soviet sports, covering the most popular spectator attractions from 1917 up to the end of the Soviet Union in 1991.Edelman has used the highly candid sports press, memoirs, instruction books, team yearbooks, and press
guides and supplmented them with Soviet television broadcasts and interviews with players, coaches, team officials, television bureaucrats, journalists, and fans to detail how spectator sport withstood the power of the state and became a sphere of life that allowed citizens to resist, deflect, and
even modify the actions of the authorities.
Focusing on the most popular sports of soccer, hockey, and basketball, Edelman discusses the dominant teams and the biggest stars: the international competitive successes as well as the many failures.He covers a variety of topics familiar to Western sports fans including professionalism, fan
violence, corruption, political meddling, the sports press, television, and the effect of big money on competition.
More than just a sports book, Serious Fun takes us deep into the social fabric of Soviet life. Edelman shows how the Big Red machine so visible in international competition was much like the giant steel mills and dams of which the Soviets boasted.These were the achievements of a state that put
production above all else, but spectator sport was part of a long-suffering consumer sector that the industrial giant would never satisfy.This volume will bring a broader, richer understanding of Soviet life not only to students of popular culture and Russian history but to sports fans
everywhere. ... Read more

Book Description
Politics has always been an integral part of the Olympics--not an occasional intruder in the form of a boycott, protest, or act of terrorism. In this probing social history, distinguished by a lively mix of journalism and scholarship, Allen Guttmann discusses theintended and actual meaning of the modern Olympic Games, from 1896 to 2000. Recounting the memorable and significant athletic events of the Olympics in terms of their social and political impact, Guttmann demonstrates that the modern games were revived to propagate a political message and continue to serve political purposes.

This second edition of Guttmann's critically acclaimed history includes coverage of the controversial tenure of Juan Antonio Samaranch as president of the International Olympic Committee, a period tainted by rising drug use among athletes and scandals accompanying the awarding of sites and marked by the debut of openly professional athletes and the significantly increased role of female athletes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Skims the surface
This is a frustrating book.On one hand, there is a lot of good detail and information on the inception and growth of the modern Olympic games.On the other, just when you think Guttmann is going to delve deeper into a topic he simply skips right on by and gives a quick recap of the medal winners in a given year.He barely even mentions the travesty of 1972 in Munich, and makes only passing mentions of some of the iconic moments of the last 50 years.Instead, he seems much more concerned with the behind the scenes wrangling amongst the various members of the IOC.Indeed, the subtitle of the book should be "A history of the IOC leadership."

Thus, a definitive history of the Olympic games remains to be written.Although the blurbs on the back claim this is a landmark in social and political history, it is anything but.Babe Didrickson, Billy Mills, etc are mentioned, but that's about it.Even his discussion of South Africa and the associated boycotts related to Apartheid are fractured and incomplete.

It's worth a read...but I wish I had visited the library for this one rather than spent my money on it.I recommend you do the same. ... Read more

Book Description
Surfing traces the history of the sport from its beginnings in ancient Hawaii through the mid 1960s. This revised edition of the 1966 classic features extensive illustrations, a new introduction, and articles by Mark Twain and Jack London recounting their observations on surfing. The book also explores the development of the surfboard and follows surfing's timeline from the earliest legends to the accomplishments of modern surfing heroes.

By Ben Finney and James D. Houston. 120 pages, approximately 50 black-and-white historical photographs, with maps and diagrams, size: 10 3/4 x 9". Smythe-sewn paperbound book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Flat Seas
Surfing: A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport (1996) by Ben Finney and James D. Houston, which calls itself'the first book to chart surfing's Pacific origins in the context of Polynesian culture,' has its juiceless roots in Finney's mid-Sixties master's thesis at the University of Hawaii.

Written without enthusiasm or verve, the book plods along, its undistinguished text style flattening what should be a colorful, vital, and fascinating history. For the 30th anniversary addition, the authors state that they have decided not to revise the text, a strategy which might have worked had the original been stronger. But Surfing: A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport, at a slim 117 pages, could badly use some lively additional material.

Though the book contains a variety of prints of traditional Hawaiian surfing practices and customs, there are surprisingly few historical photographs, and less than a handful from the post-Forties period. Though most of the photographs included are excellent, avivid photo documentary of one of the most colorful sports in history the book is not.

Surfing: A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport may be useful to students or novice researchers, but most of the information contained here can be found elsewhere, and in brighter, more stimulating form.

The book does include interesting maps of the most heavily-used surfing areas in ancient times, a pronunciation guide, an appendix of Hawaiian surfing terms, and firsthand observations by Mark Twain and Jack London as they witnessed the sport in 1872 and 1911.

Good
This is a great book with lots of awesome pictures, this book is great, I really recommend it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a great way to look backin sports
it has outstanding pictures and it is just a great book buy it ... Read more

Book Description
A leading authority on classical games here provides a comprehensive study of the practice of combat sports in the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, and the Near East. Describing and analyzing the sports of boxing, wrestling, stick-fighting, and pankration, Michael B. Poliakoff discusses such topics as the function of competition and violent games in ancient society; on the social background of the participants, showing the broad spectrum of Greek athletic personnel; on the significance of the appearance of combat sport in myth and literature; and on the alleged cultic functions of the ancient combat sports. The book is copiously illustrated with photographs of numerous objects rarely or never before published. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Book!!!!!!
Well to start off im 18 and HATE READING (as does everyone in my generation) and from the way that this book was layed out I thought it was the average encyclopidia style book that is boring as hell and that only Stephen FRICKEN Hawking could only understand. I did order it seeing from the last 4 reviews and found out that this book is actually very informative and very well written to keep your attention regardless if you hate reading or not. Filled with greek storys and in formation on pankration, boxing and wrestling. And little things about them that will make you sound smart LOL. I even used this book as my main source for my essay in college and got a A to be honest this was my only source really the other 5 books were the encyclopidia style that looked like they were written in greek rather than be on the damn topic. Anyways really good book definitly would say buy it though there is only like 3 pages on stick fighting so if your looking for that you might be a little disapointed but none the less this book is to good to not get.

An Excellent Survey of Classical Martial Arts
Poliakoff gives a thorough overview of the three combat sports of the ancient Olympics (wrestling, boxing, & pankration), their rules, the training involved, and the attitudes of the Ancients towards those sports.He speaks briefly of Egyptian stick fighting, but the dearth of ancient literature on the subject means he can treat it only superficially.

In addition to describing the sports, Poliakoff gives biographies of some of the more famous practitioners and voices some opinions about the usefulness of combat sports to the body politic, especially in the field of athletics.

In his exposition, Poliakoff sometimes dismisses as fantastical legend some feats which are achievable by well trained athletes.For example, he expresses grave doubts about the tradition that the wrestler Milo of Kroton could lift and carry a bull.In the mid-20th century there was a carnival performer, H.E. Mann, who lifted and carried a bull as a part of his act.Mann's act was inspired by Milo.Poliakoff neglects to mention that Milo is credited as the father of "progressive resistance" weight training.Milo began with a calf and lifted it daily until it became full grown.H.E. Mann trained for his carnival act exactly as Milo did, beginning with a calf and lifting it daily until it became full grown.One of the USA's earliests vendors of weight training equipment was the Milo Barbell Company.

Poliakoff takes a dim view of the savagery involved in ancient combat sports and sees no correlation between the combat sports and actual military service.Although Poliakoff seeks to show that excellent combat athletes make poor soldiers, he does cite numerous counter examples to his position.It seems ancient Greek history is full of individuals who distinguished themselves both in the games and on the battlefield.

Notwithstanding Poliakoff's anti-combat-sports agenda, the book is an informative and enjoyable reading experience.

Nothing New Under the Sun
Fans of modern day Pankration, as in the UFC, Pride and other such events, will be fascinated to read of the close parallels between the ancient and modern versions in terms of technique, match style as well as audience reception.Many of the same issues facing the sport today were dealt with by the ancients.

More important perhaps is what is revealed regarding the importance and effectiveness of combat sports outside the competitive arena.Poliakoff quotes Homer, Alexander and others to make the point that boxing, wrestling and pankration may not be so effective in producing an effective warrior.Alexander, for instance, didn't approve of boxing and wrestling but did favor stick fighting.Champion athletes in the Iliad are cowardly in battle.The Romans blame the Greek love of "games" on their decline.

Scholarly, readable, relevant.

"...victory...gained in blood..."
This book effectively shows that ancient sports were
also about the rough and tumble and agony, as well
as the skill, courage, and cleverness.The book
is a complete survey including information about
ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, but primarily focuses
on Greek and Roman sports and venues.
As the author, Michael Poliakoff, says in Chapter
I, "General Aspects of the Ancient Combat Sports,"
"Boxing, wrestling, and pankration, a sport that
allowed a variety of unarmed fighting tactics, were
the three important forms of combat sport in the
ancient world. *** The element of fighting makes
combat sports easy to mark off as a group; more
difficult is settling on a definition of sport in
general.I define sport and athletics in this book
as activity in which a person physically competes
against another in a contest with established
regulations and procedures, with the immediate
object of succeeding in that contest under criteria
for determining victory that are different from those
that mark success in everyday life."
The chapters of the book are: General Aspects of
the Ancient Combat Sports/ Wrestling/ Pankration/
Stick Fighting/ Boxing/ The Nature and Purpose of
Combat Sport/ The Participants in Greek Combat
Sport/ Metaphor, Myth, and Reality/ as well as
an Appendix titled "Combat Sport, Funeral Cult,
and Human Sacrifice."
The book is very well illustrated throughout
the text with photographs from vases, drinking
cups, statues, Egyptian wall paintings and
sculptures, a photo of a Greek wrestling
manuscript, and a modern photo of Nuba wrestlers
in the Sudan.
Each of the chapters is also divided into
interesting sub-sections.In Chapter VI, for
instance, the sub-sections are: The Problem of
Athletic Violence/ The Nature of Ancient Criticism/
Military Consideratons/ Military Critics/ An
Agonistic Society/ Sport in Other Cultures: The
Contrast with Greece/ and, Greek Agon and Social
Need.
Each chapter starts with a highly interesting
and engrossing introductory paragraph.From the
"Wrestling" chapter comes this: "Wrestling appealed
deeply to the ancients.Though far from being a
gentle sport, it is substantially less violent and
injurious than the other two combat sports: it pits
one man against another in a close struggle that
maximizes the role of skill and science.In a
manner that encourges wide participation, it tests
an array of martial virtues: cunning, boldness,
courage, self-reliance, and perseverance."
-- Robert Kilgore.

Very good historical review of "Combat Sports." back then.
I give this book an 8 because it had a vlaue to me beyond what normally would be sought.I am a fan of today's comabt sports, the UFC, Pancrase, Vale Tudo, etc...This was the beginning and it was facinating to me.I had read about Pancration, Boxing and Wrestling in ancient times in another book (which this list doesn't have access to I notice...) called "Living in teh Combat Zone" by Rick Renner - published by Pillar Books of Tulsa OK.It's A Christian book, but has tremendous historical value as well. Joe ... Read more

Amazon.com
Both a gathering and a celebration, Nike brings together some of the best women writers on sports to chronicle, sport by sport, the struggles and the politics that permeate the arena, and the achievements of the achievers who've broken through to rise above. "The story of women in sports," writes former Stanford basketball star Mariah Burton Nelson in the introduction, "is a personal story, because nothing is more personal than a woman's bone, sinew, sweat and desire, and a political story, because nothing is more powerful than a woman's struggle to be free."

Sport by sport, the history of women in sports unfolds in sweeping, breezy narratives: Shelley Smith on basketball, Grace Lichtenstein on tennis, Malanie Hauser on golf, Amy Nutt on baseball, Karen Karbo on swimming, Kathleen McElroy on track and field--and the list goes on. And, of course, heroes emerge: Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Althea Gibson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gertrude Ederle, Billie Jean King, and scores of others who've slipped through memory's net and are finally rescued here.

Clearly assembled to inspire, Nike indeed does. But it also instructs. "This book shows what women can do when they work hard, when they team up, when they hurdle the barriers that are placed in front of them," writes Nelson. "It's about them, but it's also about us. By revealing their past, it points the way toward our future." And in Nike, so much of what's revealed borders on revelation. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

An essential book on women's sports
I am an author and scholar in the field of women's athletics, and this book is among the very best I have come across. Mariah Nelson provides an inspiring introduction, and the chapters cover a wide variety of sports from basketball to track and field to equestrian events. Each chapter is written by a different author, and they all bring unique voices to the mix. Editor Lissa Smith has done a great job of making it all hang together.

"Nike is a Goddess" is highly recommended to anyone interested in the history of women in sports.

--Vince Prygoski, author of "Worst to First, or, a 'Shock'ing tale of Women's Basketball in Motown" (available through Amazon.com)

A must read for sports fans of both genders
There are 13 essays about various sports and also includes and introduction and conclusion.Some of the essays were better than others, usually because of the sport the essay examined.Babe Didrikson is featured in more than one essay, which highlights her significance to women's sports. The essays really draw attention to the many contributions many women, who's names are not commonly known, have brought to their sports.As a knowledgeable sports fan I enjoyed learning new things about female athletics.The essay's covered Track and Field, Baseball and Softball, Tennis, Golf, Canoeing Kayaking, Rowing Sailing, Skiing, Figure Skating, Swimming, Equestrian Sports, Gymnastics, Soccer, Ice Hockey, and Basketball. I totally skipped the Boating, Equestrian, and Ice Hockey essays and skimmed the Skiing essay. These sports don't interest me even in men's sport (except Ice Hockey, but I can't buy the women's version of the sport).I would recommend this book and I'll keep it in case my 6 year old daughter one day wishes to learn more about one or more of these sports.

FINALLY
I would really like to exhale now that someone finally gave props to the female basketball players who have great talent, but are not in the WNBA or Over Seas playing on a "professional level".Nike is a Goddess went "underground"to the best pro-am basketball tourney for woman at West 4th.ST. in NYC.These are the woman who have played for years in college and many other pro-am basketball tournaments.These woman are "street legends" of NYC.
These woman are excellent players, professionals, mothers and SUPERB basketball players. I'm so glad someone noticed, Thanx!

This book reminds women of just how much they have achieved.
I was so impressed with this book that I plan to include it in a graduate-level college course about women's sports.

A remarkable book about remarkable women !
A MUST for all young women of today -truly inspirational.A comprehensive and significant book. ... Read more

Book Description
In Patriotic Games, historian Stephen Pope explores the ways sport was transformed from a mere amusement into a metaphor for American life. Between the 1890s and the 1920s, sport became the most pervasive popular cultural activity in American society. During these years, basketball was invented, football became a mass spectator event, and baseball soared to its status as the "national pasttime." Pope demonstrates how America's sporting tradition emerged from a society fractured along class, race, ethnic, and gender lines. Institutionalized sport became a trans- class mechanism for packaging power and society in preferred ways--it popularized an interlocking set of cultural ideas about America's quest for national greatness. Nowhere was this more evident than the intimate connection established between sport and national holiday celebrations. As Pope reveals, Thanksgiving sports influenced the holiday's evolution from a religious occasion to a secular one. On the Fourth of July, sporting events infused patriotic rituals with sentiments that emphasized class conciliation and ethnic assimilation. In a time of social tensions, economic downturns, and unprecedented immigration, the rituals and enthusiasms of sport, Pope argues, became a central component in the shaping of America's national identity. ... Read more

Book Description
France's performance in the 2002 World Cup brought back painful memories of a time when France was a weak contender in world and European football - a time when national or club teams rarely won, and the French were renowned for having little interest in the game. Today, football plays a unique role in French society. French players and coaches are highly sought after abroad and the national team has chalked up significant recent victories, including a World Cup and European Championship. This book is the first in English to examine the extraordinary cultural, economic, and political history behind French football's development throughout the twentieth century and up to the present day. It focuses on the past twenty years and concludes with a discussion of the fallout from the World Cup 2002.Imported from Britain by the middle classes in the late nineteenth century, football entered French national consciousness between the wars. As with everywhere else in Europe, the game helped to unite communities and forge new social identities. Although the State has generously supported youth coaching, the evolution of the professional sport has been slow due to tight community control, high taxes and lack of income from paying spectators. In a bid to compete successfully in Europe, the owners of France's big city clubs are seeking to commercialize the game, despite the resistance of central and local authorities.Hare traces the gradual evolution of traditional French football values and explores the impact of new and controversial business practices. Have French football's influential club chairmen sold out to business values and television? Why has the national team been so successful when club teams have not? How are top clubs being re-branded to catch a national and international audience of consumers? What role does the modern supporter play, and what are the links between businessmen, politics and the commercialization of the sport? What is peculiarly French about French football, and what does football tell us about France? Hare also pays specific attention to issues relating to race and racism. He looks at racist attitudes among fans, and considers how the multi-cultural and multi-racial population of France is reflected in the national football team. This book not only provides a fascinating cultural history of French football, but also an engrossing account of how national identity and community values are being transformed and reshaped in the global marketplace. ... Read more