Sport and the Military

On battleships, behind the trenches of the Western Front and in the midst of the Desert War, British servicemen and women have played sport in the least promising circumstances. When 400 soldiers were asked in Burma in 1946 what they liked about the Army, 108 put sport in first place - well ahead of comradeship and leave - and this book explores the fascinating history of organized sport in the life of officers and other ranks of all three British services from 1880-1960. Drawing on a wide range of sources, this book examines how organized sport developed in the Victorian army and navy, became the focus of criticism for Edwardian army reformers, and was officially adopted during the Great War to boost morale and esprit de corps. It shows how service sport adapted to the influx of professional sportsmen, especially footballers, during the Second World War and the National Service years.

Author: Tony Mason,Eliza Riedi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 11/29/2010
Pages: 298
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.32lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780521877145

Review Citation(s):
Choice 09/01/2011

About the Author
Mason, Tony: - Tony Mason is Professor Emeritus at the International Centre for Sport History and Culture at De Montfort University, Leicester.Riedi, Eliza: - Eliza Riedi is Lecturer in Imperial History at the University of Leicester.