{"product_id":"9781408181379","title":"Floodlights and Touchlines: A History of Spectator Sport","description":"\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e2014\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpectator sport is living, breathing, non-stop theatre for all.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFocusing on spectator sports and their accompanying issues, tracing their origins, evolution and impact, inside the lines and beyond the boundary, this book offers a thematic history of professional sport and the ingredients that magnetise millions around the globe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt tells the stories that matter: from the gladiators of Rome to the runners of Rift Valley via the innovator-missionaries of Rugby School; from multi-faceted British exports to the Americanisation of professionalism and the Indianisation of cricket. Rob Steen  traces the development of these sports which captivate the turnstile millions and the mouse-clicking masses, addressing their key themes and commonalities, from creation myths to match fixing via race, politics, sexuality and internationalism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInsightful and revelatory, this is an entertaining exploration of spectator sports' intrinsic place in culture and how sport imitates life – and life imitates sport.","brand":"Bloomsbury USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47138089959664,"sku":"9781408181379","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781408181379_p0.jpg?v=1763718320","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781408181379","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}