In this important work by Rosen and Smith, the stories of athletes whose lives and legacies often elude attention by some and are held close to the heart and live on in memory by others are rendered by a cadre of accomplished sport scholars. In a world that grows more complex by the day, this collection offers an entree into discussions regarding globalization, nationhood, and culture through the lives of athletes renowned in their homelands and sport communities. If sport is more than a game, the lives of athletes are more than their accomplishments on the field, intimately tied as they are to local and world politics and social forces that influence them and that they, in turn, influence.--Ellen J. Staurowsky, professor of sports media in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College More than Cricket and Football tackles contemporary preoccupations with sporting celebrities head-on. Present-day demands that professional athletes perform as role models for wider society are subjected to scholarly scrutiny. Over a dozen cogent case studies explore key twentieth-century individuals who came to represent something larger than themselves, especially off the field of play.

Each contributor demonstrates their love of sport and scholarly erudition in equal measure. Building on the biographical, the reception of various sports stars in differing international and global contexts is also subject to a thorough investigation, making this volume essential reading.--Graham Barnfield, senior lecturer in journalism at the University of East London.