Everyone to Skis!: Skiing in Russia and the Rise of Soviet Biathlon by William D

Description: FREE SHIPPING UK WIDE Everyone to Skis! by William D. Frank Suitable for scholars and general readers alike, this title presents a perspective on the Soviet Union through the history of a sport closely tied to the homeland. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Nowhere in the world was the sport of biathlon, a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship, taken more seriously than in the Soviet Union, and no other nation garnered greater success at international venues. From the introduction of modern biathlon in 1958 to the USSRs demise in 1991, athletes representing the Soviet Union won almost half of all possible medals awarded in world championship and Olympic competition. Yet more than sheer technical skill created Soviet superiority in biathlon. The sport embodied the Soviet Unions culture, educational system and historical experience and provided the perfect ideological platform to promote the states socialist viewpoint and military might, imbuing the sport with a Cold War sensibility that transcended the governments primary quest for post-war success at the Olympics.William D. Franks book is the first comprehensive analysis of how the Soviet government interpreted the sport of skiing as a cultural, ideological, political and social tool throughout the course of seven decades. In the beginning, the Soviet Union owned biathlon, and so the stories of both the state and the event are inseparable. Through the authors unique perspective on biathlon as a former nationally-ranked competitor and current professor of Soviet history, Everyone to Skis! will appeal to students and scholars of Russian and Soviet history as well as to general readers with an interest in skiing and the development of twentieth-century sport. Author Biography William D. Frank earned his PhD in History at the University of Washington. He competed in the United States Biathlon Team Selection Trials for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York and the 1981 Biathlon World Championships in Lahti, Finland, the United States Biathlon Qualification Race Series for the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, the United States Biathlon National Championships of 1979 and 1981, and the United States National Cross-Country Championships of 1985. He is an occasional lecturer in History and Humanities at Central Washington University. Review Frank highlights the importance of skiing in the Russian Civil War and the Second World War, as well as the 1974 World Biathlon Championships in Minsk, when this event took place on Soviet soil for the first time... Franks excellent history of skiing also makes the Soviet Unions efforts in 1945 to ban skiing in occupied Germany far more understandable. * H-Diplo *In Everyone to Skis! Frank weaves through the history of skiing and biathlon in Russia, engaging with the wider political and historiographical context as he does so. Franks book is a welcome addition to the still relatively small number of works on the history of Soviet sport. * The Russian Review *William D. Franks book on Soviet biathlon adds to our knowledge of Soviet sports in several ways.Frank (a former biathlete himself) manages to convey not only enthusiasm for the sport, but also sheds light on crucial changes in the sports rules which turned the balance in one nations favour or crushed anothers aspirations. This makes for lively and interesting reading with great attention to detail. * Slavonic and East European Review *This in-depth look at the development and importance of biathlon for Soviet politics, ideology, and culture can be recommended to everybody who is interested in sports history, as well as in the history of the Soviet Union. * Journal of Sport History *Meticulously researched and highly readable, Everyone to Skis! provides fertile ground for future research, especially for those interested in privilege and social hierarchy in the Soviet Union, or in the connection between sport and socialist ideology. * Canadian Slavonic Papers *I doubt there are many ex-biathletes with a PhD in history, but I give you William Frank, who here richly unfurls Soviet culture by way of guys who ski and shoot. * The Boston Globe *Frank is uniquely suited to write the first history of Russian biathlon... Summing Up: Recommended. * Choice *Frank offers a well-researched and significant addition to the fields of sport history and Russian/Soviet history, enhancing our understanding of an important but not widely studied part of Russian/Soviet culture and society. * Sport History Review * Long Description Nowhere in the world was the sport of biathlon, a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship, taken more seriously than in the Soviet Union, and no other nation garnered greater success at international venues. From the introduction of modern biathlon in 1958 to the USSRs demise in 1991, athletes representing the Soviet Union won almost half of all possible medals awarded in world championship and Olympic competition. Yet more than sheer technical skill created Soviet superiority in biathlon. The sport embodied the Soviet Unions culture, educational system and historical experience and provided the perfect ideological platform to promote the states socialist viewpoint and military might, imbuing the sport with a Cold War sensibility that transcended the governments primary quest for post-war success at the Olympics. William D. Franks book is the first comprehensive analysis of how the Soviet government interpreted the sport of skiing as a cultural, ideological, political and social tool throughout the course of seven decades. In the beginning, the Soviet Union owned biathlon, and so the stories of both the state and the event are inseparable. Through the authors unique perspective on biathlon as a former nationally-ranked competitor and current professor of Soviet history, Everyone to Skis! will appeal to students and scholars of Russian and Soviet history as well as to general readers with an interest in skiing and the development of twentieth-century sport. Review Quote "You will never think about, watch (perhaps even particpate in) biathlon in the same way after reading Franks interesting, well-written and organized, detailed and thoroughly researched book." Details ISBN0875804764 Author William D. Frank Short Title EVERYONE TO SKIS Language English ISBN-10 0875804764 ISBN-13 9780875804767 Media Book Format Hardcover Imprint Northern Illinois University Press Subtitle Skiing in Russia and the Rise of Soviet Biathlon Place of Publication Dekalb, IL Country of Publication United States Year 2013 Publication Date 2013-10-31 Series NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies UK Release Date 2013-10-31 AU Release Date 2013-10-31 NZ Release Date 2013-10-31 US Release Date 2013-10-31 Illustrations 13 halftones Pages 424 Publisher Cornell University Press Alternative 9781501756979 DEWEY 796.930947 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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