Sport history now provides a burgeoning literature, exploring themes from aerobics to yachting. Though the field is in good health Douglas Booth argues that in comparison to most mainstream history, sport history has rarely been called upon to question the foundations of its historical knowledge.
In "The Field: Truth and Fiction in Sport History," Booth offers a comprehensive assessment of sport history as an academic discipline, exploring the ways in which professional historians can gather materials, construct and interrogate evidence and arguments, and present their stories about the...

2006 North American Society for Sports History Book of the Year

The literature on sport history is now well established, taking in a wide range of themes and covering every activity from aerobics to zorbing. However, in comparison to most mainstream histories, sport history has rarely been called upon to question its foundations and account for the basis of its historical knowledge.

In this book, Booth offers a rigorous assessment of sport history as an academic discipline, exploring the ways in which professional historians can gather materials, construct...

In this book Douglas Booth looks at the role of sport in the fostering of a new national identity in South Africa.

In this book Douglas Booth looks at the role of sport in the fostering of a new national identity in South Africa.

Australians are surrounded by beaches. But this enclosure is more than a geographical fact for the inhabitants of an island continent; the beach is an integral part of the cultural envelope. This work analyzes the history of the beach as an integral aspect of Australian culture.

Australians are surrounded by beaches. But this enclosure is more than a geographical fact for the inhabitants of an island continent; the beach is an integral part of the cultural envelope. This work analyzes the history of the beach as an integral aspect of Australian culture.

The Berkshire Encyclopedia of Extreme Sports provides the first international survey of extreme sports, which include a wide variety of physical pursuits and activities such as bungee jumping, dirt biking, sky surfing, and rock climbing: individualist, adventure-type sports rather than traditional team sports. "Extreme" also refers to the antisocial attitudes and uncompromising values associated with these new sports, attitudes and values that are often in sharp contrast to those of more conservative, mainstream, and middle-class sports. This volume is a state-of-the-art summary of where...