The 1932 Olympic games took place in Los Angeles in the depths of the Great Depression; that they were held at all falls barely short of miraculous. The United States sent thirty-seven women to compete--seventeen swimmers, seventeen track and field athletes, and three fencers. It was not easy, and far from acceptable, for a woman to be an athlete in 1932. As late as April 1931 the International Olympic Committee seriously considered eliminating women's events. The young Americans did their part to capture the imagination of ...
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The 1932 Olympic games took place in Los Angeles in the depths of the Great Depression; that they were held at all falls barely short of miraculous. The United States sent thirty-seven women to compete--seventeen swimmers, seventeen track and field athletes, and three fencers. It was not easy, and far from acceptable, for a woman to be an athlete in 1932. As late as April 1931 the International Olympic Committee seriously considered eliminating women's events. The young Americans did their part to capture the imagination of spectators and reporters. Through the sports press they catapulted the Olympic Games and women's athletics into the nation's consciousness as never before. Doris Pieroth creates vivid portraits of the women, including the great Babe Didrikson, the confident and outspoken track and field star; Tidye Pickett, one of only two African American women who represented the United States despite encountering racial discrimination; and Helene Madison, winner of three gold medals in swimming, who returned triumphantly to Seattle's West Green Lake Beach--as a hotdog vendor (park department rules barred women from teaching swimming). The team truly represented America--a democratic cross-section from New York to California, Washington to Florida, Minnesota to Texas and points in between. Drawn from public pools, schools and playgrounds, municipal and industrial recreation programs, and private clubs alike it reflected the country's entire socio-economic spectrum. Their attainments and triumphs went a long way toward insuring that women's events would continue as an integral part of the Olympic Games--a prospect by no means certain in 1932. Pieroth's account is drawn from interviews with eleven of the women athletes, family members, other Olympians of the era, and witnesses of the 1932 games. She also quotes extensively from contemporary journalists such as Paul Gallico, Westbrook Pegler, and Damon Runyon, whose mixture of condescension, fulsome admiration for the "glamour girl" swimmers, and genuine, if sometimes grudging, admiration for the accomplishments of the athletes provides an intriguing view of the stereotypes these Olympic contestants were challenging. Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics is the story of those remarkable people--their dedication and their delight in competition. In recounting their Olympic summer and their varied routes to Los Angeles, it adds to the history of sport the identities and details of a specific athletic cohort and their experiences in striving for excellence and acceptance.
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Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $9.72, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $9.72, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $9.74, good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
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Seller's Description:
Good-Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name-GOOD Standard-sized.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $14.00, very good condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $28.05, very good condition, Sold by Bob's Book Journey rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austin, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
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Near Fine. Book. Signed by Author(s) Pieroth's account is drawn from interviews with eleven of the women athletes, family members, other Olympians of the era, and witnesses of the 1932 games. SIGNED by the author with a warm inscription on the half-title page. Softcover, xii, 186 pp., vintage photos. Very minimal wear, clean text, tight binding.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $10.58, good condition, Sold by BooksRun rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Philadelphia, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $12.00, very good condition, Sold by Books End Bookshop rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from SYRACUSE, NY, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $13.85, good condition, Sold by CatTale's Books & Gifts rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brainerd, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
Add this copy of Their Day in the Sun: Women of the 1932 Olympics to cart. $15.50, very good condition, Sold by Daedalus Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Portland, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1996 by University of Washington Press.
