Horseracing and the British 1919-39 (Studies in Popular Culture) - Hardcover

Huggins, Mike

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0719065283 ISBN 13: 9780719065286

Publisher: Manchester University Press, 2004

Synopsis

From the prize-winning author of Flat Racing and British Society 1780-1914, this is the first book to provide a detailed consideration of the history of racing in British culture and society and to explore the cultural world of racing during the inter-war years. It breaks new ground by showing how racing's pleasures were enjoyed even by the supposedly respectable middle classes, and gave some working-class groups hope and consolation during economically difficult times. Regular attendance and increased spending on betting were found across class and generation, and women too were keen participants. Enjoyed by the Royal Family and controlled by the Jockey Club and National Hunt Committee, racing's visible emphasis on rank and status helped defend hierarchy and gentlemanly amateurism, and provided support for more conservative British attitudes. The mass media provided a cumulative cultural validation of racing, helping define national and regional identity, and encouraging the affluent consumption of sporting experience and frank enjoyment of betting.

About this title

About the Author

Mike Huggins is a part-time lecturer in history at St. Martin's College, Ambleside.

Review

"This book reveals some major findings, not least about the part that racing and betting played in the lives of women, and the sport's inherent conservatism."--Wray Vamplew, University of Stirling

Edition details

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0719065283
• ISBN 13: 9780719065286
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256