A Website Dedicated to the Study of Strength, Health, Fitness and Sport Across Centuries, Countries and Contests.
Very few things excite me more than a new book on physical culture. It's a sad admission. Believe me I'm well aware but it is nonetheless true. While the fitness industry is a haven for new, often uninformed, websites and ebooks, a well researched history is often lacking. One of the few men to consistently... Continue Reading →
Muscles in the Movies: Perfecting the Art of Illusion, by John D. Fair and David L. Chapman, University of Missouri Press, 2020, xvi + 426 pp., $65.00 (hardback), ISBN 978-082622-215-2 Muscles in the Movies represents the first, in-depth, historical study into the evolution of muscularity and film. The scale of this endeavour is the first... Continue Reading →
A number of readers have reached out in the past month asking for book recommendations on the history of physical culture. As someone who has spent several years researching the topic, I've read my fair share of good, and not so good, books. Thankfully today's book, the first of our 'Brawny Books' book club, falls... Continue Reading →