Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels

by Catherine Mabe and Mabe

"Thrill-seeking women leading double lives--accountant by day, hell on wheels by night--will find a great introduction to derby history here, from its early days to the '70s RollerJam heights to its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933108118
• ISBN13: 9781933108117
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
• Length: 159 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.1" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Best Friend Loved It

My best friend and I took up roller derby together. I got this for her birthday, and she went wild! It's informative, colorful, and fun!

great research and photos

bad news first: as a skater i'd have to say that i appreciated the book by melicious a bit more, it was a bit more inspiring and informational for a roller girl active in the sport. as willy callit sez, the captions could've been a bit more descriptive, but as that wasn't what the book was about that's more of a personal preference and not really a flaw. again, another personal preference would've been to see more national representation of current leagues, this one seems REALLY centered in the western conference. if you're an eastern girl and are looking for familiar faces, you probably won't see any unless you travel around a lot. BUT this book has really great photography, i mean it's really, really nice. it's supported by thorough research and is a quality read. i definitely enjoyed it and am glad i bought it. if you want to know more about the origins of derby yesterday and today, and get up to date on how the game is played, you really need to read this one. recommended, for sure!

I need to carry this book with me at all times!

I absolutely love this book! I have been playing roller derby for almost 3 years and never have I found something that so completely and beautifully illustrates what this sport is to me and what I love about it-- I feel like I need to keep it with me at all times so I can show it to strangers who ask me about derby. The book explains it so much better than I can. The pictures are gorgeous, and obviously shot and selected by people who know and love derby. Granted, it is a coffee table book, but for someone who wants to know what roller derby is but doesn't have the time to commit to a novel and just wants to get the basic gist and leaf through pages and pages of phtographic eye candy, this book is perfect. This book is a must-have for any derby girl or derby fan, or family member or friend who wants to know what all the fuss is about. Catherine Mabe knows derby, knows the derby community, and in general just knows what she's talking about. Her book is lovely. Buy it!

Roller Derby by Catherine Mabe

This book gives the history of roller derby from the begining in 1935 to the present. It is an easy read with wonderful pictures. This is the perfect book if you would like to learn how the flat track roller derby revolution came to be.

This is the book that skaters should give their friends and family

I am a roller derby referee, "Willy Callit," having gotten my start with the Lonestar Rollergirls of Texas, the league that began the modern roller derby revival. I am currently an independent roller derby referee in the Pacific Northwest. Ms. Mabe and Speck press have produced a beautifully photographed and well researched book on the origins of derby through the modern (mostly) flat track revival. This book is the one a skater should hand her family when asked, "Roller derby? Why on earth do you want to do that?" That said, it's essentially a coffee table book, scaled down. Those actually involved in the sport will be disappointed in its relatively simplistic treatment of material. A particular peeve of mine is that many of the skaters in the photos, many of whom are personal friends, are not adequately identified in either the text or captions. Although not really relevant to a book of this scope I'm disappointed that the skaters did not get more recognition beyond "Strong Rollergirl." But of course, this is clearly not what the book is trying to be. This book is for the individual who attends one or two bouts, or has friends who attend on a casual basis, and wants to know more. It's for those who have vague recollection of sitting in front of the Philco black and white set on weekends watching the mixed-gender old schoolers tear it up and want to find out what happened to the sport in the intervening forty years or so. It's for those otherwise unfamiliar who want to get a feel for what the sport of Derby is about, as well as a little bit of eye candy along the way. As such, it works well and I consider it an excellent addition to my collection. But I will not likely be re-reading it, more likely I will be loaning it to those benighted individuals among my cronies and co-workers who simply don't get what all of the derby fuss is about. For that purpose, I'd rate it top notch.