History of Sports: Wrestling

by Don Nardo

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560068930
• ISBN13: 9781560068938
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Lucent Books
• Length: 104 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.8" x 9.6"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

History was Never So Much Fun

Yes, I did say history! This is not one of those silly bios of flamboyant pro wrestlers published to exploit teenaged mat fans. Rather, it tells, in considerable detail and in lively, readable prose, the entire history of the sport, from the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the courts of medieval kings to frontier America to the modern day, including both the amateur and professional versions. Important historical figures are profiled, and appropriate space is given to true greats of the sport, such as Frank Gotch and Dan Gable. The way the author traces the transition from real to fake wrestling in the pro ranks in the early decades of the twentieth century is masterful and fascinating. The only fault I can find with the book is the cover photo, which shows two outdated, unknown, and very ugly pro wrestlers in an unflattering pose. Otherwise, I highly recommend the book to all wrestling fans and anyone who like sports.

Fascinating from beginning to end

I for one have to admit that didn't know that wrestling is the oldest sport around and that practically every society in human history has had some form of wrestling! This book gives the whole history of the sport in an easy to read style and covers both amateur and professional wrestling today, which is all very fascinating. I especially liked the section on the pro wrestlers of the early twentieth century, including the greatest of all, who was the amazing Frank Gotch.

Great Book!!

For any fan of wrestling, amateur or professional, this is the best general history of the sport for students and general readers that I know of. It goes way back to ancient Egypt and and the Greeks and explains in detail about how they invented or perfected most of the holds and throws used in modern wrestling. The book also does a terrific job of tracing the development of the sport through the middle ages to early modern England, and from there to colonial America (where George Washington was known for being a champion wrestler!!!). It also tells how amateur and professional wrestling diverged in the late 1800s and early 1900s and how the professionals started out wrestling for real but later resorted to fakery. I recommend this book to all those who enjoy wrestling or just watching it, and also to sports fans in general.