Boxing : a concise history of the sweet science / Gerald R. Gems.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gems, Gerald R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Boxing--History.

Boxing.

History.

Boxing--Social aspects--History.

Boxing--Social aspects.

Physical Description:

xiv, 345 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2014]

Summary:

Sport fans have long been fascinated with boxing and its brutal demonstration of physical and psychological conflict. Accounts of the sport appear as far back as the third millennium BC and Greek and Roman sculptors depicted the athletic ideals of the ancient era in the form of boxers. Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are recognized throughout the world, and boxing films continue to resonate with audiences-from the many Rocky movies to Raging Bull, Ali, Million Dollar Baby, and The Fighter. In Boxing: A Concise History of the Sweet Science, Gerald R. Gems provides a succinct yet wide-ranging treatment of the sport, covering boxing's ancient roots and its evolution, modernization, and global diffusion. The book not only includes a historical account of boxing but also explores such issues as social class, race, ethnic rivalries, religious influences, gender issues, and the growth of female boxing. The current debates over moral and ethical issues relative to the sport are also described. While the Primary coverage of the political, social, and cultural impacts of boxing focuses on the United States, Gems also examines the sport on a global level. Addressing important issues and events in the history of boxing and featuring numerous photographs, Boxing: A Concise History of the Sweet Science will be of interest to boxing fans, historians, scholars, and those who want to learn more about the sport. Book jacket.

Contents:

Ancient boxing

The evolution of boxing

The relationship between boxing and social class

The social construction of race

The concept of ethnicity

Religion

Gender

Conclusions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 311-334) and index.

ISBN:

9781442229907

144222990X

OCLC:

868000188