Sport in Australia : a social history /

By giving the reader a comprehensive look at the wide variety of sports played in Australia, this anthology is more than a straightforward history. The introductory chapter by coeditor Vamplew sets sport in a social context within Australia and a historical context within the larger world of sport. Major world sports such as soccer, boxing, golf, and track are discussed within this dual focus, but sports more specific to Australia (such as netball, Australian football, and surf-lifesaving) are also examined. The interwoven themes of race, gender, class, and the media are examined throughout, as is the comparison of Australian sport with that of the major world sporting powers. The book makes its contribution not by its compilation of names and facts, but rather by situating various sports within the sociocultural context. Although occasionally the chapters seem to be written for an internal Australian readership, e.g., Australian rules football is not explained for a non-Australian audience, the last chapter, by coeditor Stoddart, clearly puts the previous material into focus and reexamines the recurring themes. Upper-division undergraduate through faculty. D. M. Furst; San Jose State University