Sport in America: From Wicked Amusement to National Obsession

This book brings to one volume 19 essays representing some of the best sport history research in the field today. Sport in America helps fill the gaps in American sport history literature and provides a balanced perspective by presenting a variety of methodological approaches to historical research. This affordable reader is primarily designed to supplement these widely used sport history texts: -Benjamin Rader, American Sports: From the Age of Folk Games to the Age of Spectators -Betty Spears and Richard A. Swanson, History of Sport and Physical Activity in the United States -William J. Baker, Sports in the Western World -Elliott J. Gorn and Warren Goldstein, A Brief History of American Sports Written by distinguished scholars, these high-quality essays focus on the changes and patterns of American sport during five distinct eras over the past 400 years. Readers will find topics such as -the relationship between urbanization and sport; -the role of women in sport; -the influence of ethnic and racial groups in sport; -the role of consumer culture in sport; and -the interdependence among sport, physical education, and other health professions. Students and scholars will appreciate the variety of perspectives and the opportunity to explore the diversity of America's sporting past.