- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: L.A. Weekly Books; First Edition edition (Mar 15 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312245394
- ISBN-13: 978-0312245399
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14 x 1.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 159 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,486,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
If the mania for bulging muscles wasn't born in the 1930s in Santa Monica, home of the original Muscle Beach, it was certainly incubated and seen into its precocious adolescence there. Veterans like Jack LaLanne and Joe Gold were at that point maverick athletes and stunt performers who claimed the small patch of sand as their stomping ground. In Muscle Beach: Where the Best Bodies in the World Started a Fitness Revolution, Marla Matzer Rose documents the heyday of a tiny subculture that still has enormous social ramifications at the turn of the millennium.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
The Story Behind America's Iconic Patch of Sand--Muscle Beach, California
Almost half a century before health clubs, fitness videos and weight training became American obsessions, a pioneering enclave in Santa Monica, California, started the physical culture boom. In the 1940s, Jack LaLanne, Vic Tanny, Joe Gold, Les and Pudgy Stockton and other lieks them drew thousands of visitors to the beach to watch their feats of strength and acrobatic displays. As more viewiers became participants, body building and fitness becaome a part of the mainstream culture.
Muscle Beach is full of rich, new material about the original Muscle Beachers, many of whom are still alive and testaments to the benefits of a life devoted to fitness. With its fresh anecdotes and thirty-two rare and wonderful photographs, this history brings a legendary stretch of beach into focus.
Almost half a century before health clubs, fitness videos and weight training became American obsessions, a pioneering enclave in Santa Monica, California, started the physical culture boom. In the 1940s, Jack LaLanne, Vic Tanny, Joe Gold, Les and Pudgy Stockton and other lieks them drew thousands of visitors to the beach to watch their feats of strength and acrobatic displays. As more viewiers became participants, body building and fitness becaome a part of the mainstream culture.
Muscle Beach is full of rich, new material about the original Muscle Beachers, many of whom are still alive and testaments to the benefits of a life devoted to fitness. With its fresh anecdotes and thirty-two rare and wonderful photographs, this history brings a legendary stretch of beach into focus.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Reading,
By A Customer
This review is from: Muscle Beach: Where the best Bodies in the World started a fitness revolution (Paperback)
Living at the beach in Los Angeles, I have a great interest and love of the culture which continues to intrigue and influence the rest of the world. Today's current focus on health and body building largely stems from the Muscle Beach phenomenon. This book puts that lifestyle into historical context in an enlightening and entertaining fashion.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Read!,
By KarenSantaFe "KarenSantaFe" (Santa Fe) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Muscle Beach: Where the best Bodies in the World started a fitness revolution (Paperback)
Marla Matzer Rose's highly readable book beautifully captures the 'slice of life' that was Muscle Beach in its infancy. Especially delightful are the photographs from that period, which wonderfully capture the flavor of the time. Well researched, well written. An excellent read for history and fitness buffs, or for anyone curious about the glorious days of early Los Angeles. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!!
4.0 out of 5 stars
fun pop-culture history,
By Skyd M. "skyd_marx" (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Muscle Beach: Where the best Bodies in the World started a fitness revolution (Paperback)
I find the previous reviews quite biased and agenda-ridden. This is a light-hearted look at the Venice Beach muscle culture, with some great anecdotes. The book's few comments about heterosexuality are, in my opinion, merely to demonstrate that the scene was mixed, and not exclusively the province of stereotypical Muscle Marys. If you have any interest in the history of bodybuilding or Venice Beach, this is definitely up your alley. No pun intended.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
