Running: A Global History

Description

It is probably not surprising to learn that the modern craze for running is not new: our species has been running since we were able to stand upright. What may be surprising, however, are the many ways and reasons we have performed this painful, exhausting and yet exhilarating activity down the ages. In this original, humorous and almost improbable world history, Thor Gotaas brings us many unusual and curious stories showing the remarkable diversity of running, from earliest times to the immense popularity of running today at athletics meetings, world championships and Olympic games.

Thor Gotaas is a writer who specializes in folklore and cultural history. His previous books include The Gypsies (2000), The First in the Race: The History of Cross-Country Skiing in Norway (2003), and Ski Makers: The History of Norwegian Skis (2007).

'From starting-gun to finishing tape may be a clean ten seconds, but behind that moment swirl a few thousand years of human joy and despair and endeavour - this seems to be the argument of Gotaas's rich and engrossing book.' - The Spectator 'As well as being vital to our early survival, running is a universal form of play, as this fascinating study shows ... Gotaas's research ranges as freely across the globe as it does through time.' - The Observer 'An admirable attempt to cover the running phenomenon, not merely in its cultural and historical sweep but also in its philosophy ... It is the attempts by Gotaas to get beneath the surface of running that provide the book's most revelatory moments.' - Matthew Syed, The Times