Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.58 (633 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1613743971 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-01-18 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
But along with the excitement came the inevitable scandals, charges of doping—coca leaves!—and insider gambling. Strange as it sounds, during the 1870s and 1880s, America’s most popular spectator sport wasn’t baseball, boxing, or horseracing—it was competitive walking. It even spawned a riot in 1879 when too many fans showed up at New York’s Gilmore’s Garden, later renamed Madison Square Garden, and were denied entry to a widely publicized showdown.Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport chronicles competitive walking’s peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence, and how pedestrianism marked the beginning of modern spectator sports in the United States.. Inside sold-out arenas, competitors walked around dirt tracks almost nonstop for six straight days (never on Sunday), risking their health and sanity to see who could walk the farthest—500 miles, then 520 miles, and 565 miles! These walking matches were as talked about as the weather, the details reported from coast to coast.This long-forgotten sport, known as pedestrianism, spawned America’s first celebrity athletes and opened do
"Fascinating Read About Little Known Aspect of 19th Century American History" according to jopet. Pedestrianism – When Watching People Walk Was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport is a fascinating read about a little known part of 19th century American history. It’s hard to believe that before baseball, bicycle racing, or boxing gained prominence, the most popular spectator sport in America, and to a lesser degree England, was watching people walk on a circular track for days on end (usually six as the Sabbath was more strictly observed. Joe Hohmann said Very interesting. For a activity once rated as "America's most popular", I never heard of this one! This was a enjoyable read that was well researched and well written. It contains interesting side trips into the histories of electric lights, Madison Square Garden, and other sports.. fun way to learn history If you enjoy nonfiction, this book is for you. It reads like a dissertation, but is full of really interesting and quirky facts relating to the sport of competitive walking. I had no idea walking was such a huge draw before the sports we now take for granted became popular. This book tells the history of competitive walking and the characters who participated. It's a worthwhile way to spend reading time.
“Matthew Algeo’s ‘Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport’ (Chicago Review) is one of those books which open up a forgotten world so fully that at first the reader wonders, just a little, if his leg is being pulled.” —The New Yorker