This book examines the complex transformation of British sport in the second half of the twentieth century. Focusing on the key role of the media as a driving force for change, it also provides a fascinating account of the wider social and cultural history of post-war British sport.

This book examines the complex transformation of British sport in the second half of the twentieth century. Focusing on the key role of the media as a driving force for change, it also provides a fascinating account of the wider social and cultural history of post-war British sport.

The contributors to this collection of essays explore the symbolic meanings that have been attached to sport in Europe by considering some of the mythic heroes who have dominated the sporting landscapes of their own countries, including W.G. Grace, Jean Borotra, Max Schmeling, Raymond Kopa and Gina Bartoli. The ambition is to understand what these icons stood for in the eyes of those who watched or read about them.

The contributors to this collection of essays explore the symbolic meanings that have been attached to sport in Europe by considering some of the mythic heroes who have dominated the sporting landscapes of their own countries, including W.G. Grace, Jean Borotra, Max Schmeling, Raymond Kopa and Gina Bartoli. The ambition is to understand what these icons stood for in the eyes of those who watched or read about them.

The aim of this reader - one of a set of four volumes on urban history covering the late 12th to early 20th centuries - is to gather together in an accessible form a number of key contributions to the study of the English medieval town.