This lively and deeply researched history - the first of its kind - goes beyond the great names and moments to explain how British sport has changed since 1800, and what it has meant to ordinary people. It shows how the way we play reflects not just our lives as citizens of a predominantlyurban and industrial world, but what is especially distinctive about British sport. Innovators in abandoning traditional, often brutal sports, and in establishing a code of `fair play', the British were also pioneers in popular sports and in the promotion of organized spectator events.Modern media coverage of sport, gambling, violence and attitudes towards it, nationalism, and the role of sport in sustaining male identity are also explored, and the book is rich in illuminating and entertaining anecdotes, which it combines with a serious historical understanding of a fascinatingsubject.

Many of the sports that have spread across the world, from athletics and boxing to golf and tennis, had their origins in nineteenth-century Britain. They were exported around the world by the British Empire, and Britain's influence in the world led to many of its sports being adopted in other countries. (Americans, however, liked to show their independence by rejecting cricket for baseball.) The Victorians and Sport is a highly readable account of the role sport played in both Victorian Britain and its empire. Major sports attracted mass followings and were widely reported in the press. Great sporting celebrities, such as the cricketer Dr W.G. Grace, were the best-known people in the country, and sporting rivalries provoked strong loyalties and passionate emotions. Mike Huggins provides fascinating details of individual sports and sportsmen. He also shows how sport was an important part of society and of many people's lives.

In this innovative study, Patrick Ismond provides an analysis of the issue of racism within British sport. It presents a number of theoretical positions regarding race, racism and sport, before providing a background history of the involvement of minority ethnic communities. Much detailed primary research is used to inform interesting discussions concerning racism in sport and its relationship to ethnicity, identity and notions of Englishness and Britishness. The study also includes a valuable analysis of sexism in sport, and the discrimination suffered by minority ethnic sportswomen.

Americans may like to think they invented baseball (even if Jane Austen wrote about it decades earlier). And the French might be proud of founding the modern Olympics (when, in fact, a Shropshire doctor beat them to it by forty years). BUT IT WAS THE BRITISH THAT GAVE SPORT TO THE WORLD. From the beginnings of 'the beautiful game' - raucous matches of folk football with hundreds of players on each side - to the original bowls - a thin excuse for drunkenness and gambling - games grew into sports here in Great Britain. And in Can We Have Our Balls Back, Please? Julian Norridge tells their stories with wit and good humour. Including all the many sports we Brits have to be proud of - boxing, horse racing, cricket, football, rugby, hockey, lawn tennis (nearly called 'sphairistike') and more - and even those few that got away, this is everything you need to know about the very British love of sports and all the great games it's produced. Because, even if we rarely win them, it's good to know we invented them.

This book offers a comprehensive study, and social history, of the development of sports medicine in Britain, as practiced by British doctors and on British athletes in national and international settings. It takes as its focus the changing medical concept of the ‘athletic body’. Athletes start the century as normal, healthy citizens, and end up as potentially unhealthy physiological ‘freaks’, while the general public are increasingly urged to do more exercise and play more sports. It also considers the origins and history of all the major institutions and organisations of British sports medicine, and shows how they interacted with and influenced international sports medicine and sporting events. As well as being an important read for anyone interested in ‘body history’, this volume will be essential reading for those studying or researching the history of modern medicine, sports, or twentieth century Britain more generally.

Sport is big business; international in nature and the focus of much media and cultural attention. In thisVery Short Introduction, Mike Cronin charts the history of sport, from its traditional origins in folk football and cock fighting to its position as a global phenomenon today. Looking at a variety of sports from team games such as rugby, cricket, and football to games for individuals such as golf, tennis, and skiing, he considers how these first emerged and captivated the interest of ordinary people, and how sport has been transformed within our daily lives. Exploring the relationship between sport and class, gender, commerce, identity, and ethics, Cronin considers some of the central issues in sport today, including the high pay of professional footballers and the glamour of women in sports, as well as fair play standards. Charting sport through the ages and around the world, this is a short guide to the history, development, and place of sport in contemporary global society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "The detective story is a game between two players, the author...and the reader."—Ronald Knox From the squash court to the golf links, the football pitch to the swimming pool and the race course to the cricket square, no court, grounds, stadium or stand is safe from skullduggery. Entering the arena where sport clashes with crime, this spirited medley of short stories showcases the greatest deadly plays and criminal gambits of the mystery genre. With introductions by Editor Martin Edwards and stories by some of the finest writers in the field—including Celia Fremlin, Michael Gilbert, Gladys Mitchell, and Leo Bruce—this new anthology offers a ringside view of the darker side of sports and proves that crime, naturally, is a game for all seasons.

Young athletes, parents, coaches and PE teachers want to know how good nutrition can help young sportsmen and women fulfill their potential. As the government focuses on healthy eating for children, this is becoming even more important with the growing threat to their well-being from inactivity and obesity. With the 2012 Olympic Games approaching, the number of young people participating in sport is set to be the highest it has ever been. Carefully researched and satisfying the need for a nutrition book specifically for this age group, Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes offers clear advice to sports coaches, teachers and parents of young people wanting to maximise their sports performance through eating healthily and sensibly. The book covers issues such as: Weight, body composition and eating disorders Nutritional considerations for five different sport categories Practical nutrition tips Eating plans and competition eating strategies Easy delicious and nutritious recipes.

First published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This brand new Handbook addresses Paralympic sports and athletes, providing practical information on the medical issues, biological factors in the performance of the sports and physical conditioning. The book begins with a comprehensive introduction of the Paralympic athlete, followed by discipline-specific reviews from leading authorities in disability sport science, each covering the biomechanics, physiology, medicine, philosophy, sociology and psychology of the discipline. The Paralympic Athlete also addresses recent assessment and training tools to enhance the performance of athletes, particularly useful for trainers and coaches, and examples of best practice on athletes' scientific counseling are also presented. This new title sits in a series of specialist reference volumes, ideal for the use of professionals working directly with competitive athletes.