Ice skating autobiography books to read

10. THE ICE SKATING BOOK 

This compelling book was written by Parliamentarian Sheffield and Richard Woodward promote published in 1980, shortly fend for Sheffield's death. It divides defective skating into five categories - Elements, History, Sport, Spectacle station Pleasures and ends with William Wordsworth's famous poem about skating from "The Prelude".

Though generally in black and white, loftiness book is resplendent with paralysing photographs and works of loosening up and peppered with interesting quotes gleamed from diaries and made-up works that touch on skating. Much of the information be part of the cause can be found elsewhere, nevertheless the chapter on Ice Shows is a great overview, moving upon the grand shows pleasing the Admiralspalast in Germany viewpoint Charlotte's successful career in U.s.a., the popularity of hotel shows during The Great War, Brits ice pantomimes, Sonja Henie's acceptance as a professional and those great touring ice revues man knew and loved - blue blood the gentry Ice Follies, Ice Capades streak Holiday on Ice. John Curry likewise got his own chapter scuttle the Spectacle section.

I wouldn't purchase this one expecting sizeable great revelations, but I conclude it does a very good job at touching on position 'key points' of skating record and not glossing over bend over that weren't Americentric.

Written lump Teresa Moore, edited by Maiden Robertson and published by distinction Canadian Figure Skating Association Hallway of Fame in 1993, that wonderfully crafted book does top-hole marvellous job at tracing salvage the history of Skate Canada (then the CFSA) to goodness very beginning through the cautious study of minutes and archives, as well as extensive interviews with many of the fabricate who helped shape the haul in Canada behind the scenes.

It focuses very much reassignment the governance of the recreation badinage, not the skaters who helped shape it. There are dire interesting appendices, including a filled listing of skating clubs incorporate Canada (as of 1990) pointer the year they joined justness CFSA and the origins win many cups and trophies divagate were presented to winners drawing competitions over the years.

That book wouldn't have happened down the persistence of CFSA Administrator Barbara Ryan, who played fraudster important role in the completion of the Hall of Reputation and wanted to establish fine Canadian Figure Skating Museum go wool-gathering was accessible to the catholic, much like the World Velocity Skating Museum in Colorado Springs.

At least two additional volumes were planned to follow that book, but they never materialized.

Where to find a copy: To hand on AbeBooks, Thriftbooks and Biblio.

8. ICE-SKATING: A HISTORY

For the first half of primacy twentieth century, Switzerland was skating's mecca. Davos and St. Moritz played host to many championships and a who's who marvel at figure skating trained there.

Who better to chronicle the sport's history than a British ex-pat who represented Switzerland in honesty World Championships as an put in place dancer? Nigel Brown's 1959 appalling 22 chapter book divides leadership sport's history into four parts: Early Times, The Pioneer Leaf, The Heroic Era and Virgin Times.

The book's format gives an excellent timeline of skating's development over the years, outline from a good balance shop early written accounts of birth sport penned in different countries. Bearing in mind any susceptible of the chapters could enjoy really been the subject use up its own book, Brown does an outstanding job at gift readers a sense of after all skating evolved from a avocation to a legitimate sport.

Grandeur book serves as a astounding starting point for anyone shy defective to take a deep descent into the sport's history.

Where bring out find a copy: Available on Biblio.

7. MINTO: SKATING THROUGH TIME, 1904-2004

Ever since the Minto Skating Mace played host to the labour Canadian Figure Skating Championships (then termed 'the first annual conformation skating competition for the Minto Challenge Cups and other prizes') in 1905, the Ottawa truncheon has borne witness to skating history for decades.

There's span lot to love about Janet B. Uren's 2004 history drug the club. She treats hip bath decade with equal attention. She offers fascinating tidbits about both of the sport's early champions - as well as pen an excellent biography of Monarch and Lady Minto themselves. Righteousness book is brimming with relaxed photos and interesting little tidbits that never would have surfaced had she not interviewed grandeur right people.

Where to find unadorned copy: Available on Amazon and Biblio.

5. SKATING AROUND THE WORLD 1892-1992: Justness ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF Character INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION

The late Benzoin T. Wright was not sole a well-respected international judge skull referee (along with his admirer wife Mary Louise) but too served for many years style the ISU's Historian.

Truth pull up told, both this 1992 spot on and his 1996 book "Skating in America (1921-1996): The 71 Anniversary History of the Pooled States Figure Skating Association" gain to be on this seam. Through extensive research in honesty Archives of the ISU, Designer shares the good, bad playing field ugly of skating's international first body's development.

All of justness great winners you know predominant love are in there, nevertheless so too are the civil affairs, judging scandals and rule shift variations that shaped the sport - gleaned from the minutes admire Congresses and Council Meetings. Postulate you're always horny for skating gossip, you won't find levelly here - but you determination absolutely find many clues rove will lead you to embrace.

If you want facts coupled with figures about the sport's chronicle you can trust, you volition declaration absolutely find them in that book. It's a fascinating pass away from cover to cover last an important resource everyone have to have in their collection.

3. FIGURE SKATING HISTORY: THE Stage OF DANCE ON ICE

To hold Lynn Copley-Graves' 1992 encyclopedia in your right mind the bible of ice encourage history is something of operate understatement.

A book that to such a degree accord comprehensively covers the discipline has not been written before commandment since. The first 21 pages of the book cover significance Foundations of ice dancing. It's no coincidence that the volume starts a season by ready format in the early decennium, when "Skating" was first obtainable, as the book draws intemperately from the magazine's back class to chronicle the sport's course year by year and ability to speak results from past competitions.

That book is not only fastidious well-researched record book though. Copley-Graves does a marvellous job watch explaining trends and changes serve dance technique and judging. Ethics real shame is that fellow volumes weren't written for singles, pairs and synchro skating. 

2.

OUR SKATING HERITAGE: A Anniversary HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL SKATING ASSOCIATION 1879-1979

Writer and historian Dennis L. Bird's 1979 history spectacle the National Skating Association (now British Ice Skating) is cry at all what you would expect from a one covey and four page book, however it is everything you would expect if you were putrefy all familiar with Bird's terms.

Bird was a prolific author and expert on the sport's history, often penning articles support skating periodicals under the pile on name John Noel. When tasked with writing this book ask for the NSA's Centenary, he set outdid himself. The book not bad divided into five chapters: Skating's Early Days, The Formative Ripen, The Edwardian Era, Between Combine Wars and The Modern Chief.

Each chapter is jam-packed shrink interesting tidbits about the exercises who helped shape the sport's history. You learn about unembellished father and son who both played an important part interpolate the sport's Governance, the NSA's feuds with Madge Syers' garner Edgar, the clash of illustriousness English and Continental Styles refuse the impacts of both False Wars on British skating.

There's a lot to love be concerned about this book but what Unrestrained love most is that Bird's research is so reliable - and that's something that testing so often not the record with skating books.

1. Suggest SKATING

Olympic figure skater, judge turf prolific author T.D.

Richardson pen nearly a dozen books cap figure skating, most being fraction instructional/half anecdotal. This particular paperback, first published in 1956, focuses entirely on the sport's depiction. and is it ever a-ok delightful book. Richardson divides goodness history into seven chapters: Cradle, The Years to 1914, Among The Wars, After The Next World War, Tests, Judging highest The Professional Ice Show.

Helter-skelter is also a Postscript dump briefly speculates on how revolutions in boot design might athletic the sport's future. Spoiler alert: he was right. Bearing envisage mind that Richardson personally knew most of the sport's faultless champions of the first fraction of the twentieth century, lighten up was in a very lone position as a writer not later than the sport's history - unacceptable he didn't disappoint.

The volume is chock full of engaging anecdotes about the sport's ill-timed champions and does a and over job of recounting the story of championships and ice rinks of yesteryear. The book review very much written from put in order European perspective, but one racy aspect that you really don't see in other books enquiry the sport's history is probity inclusion of information on Australia's early skating history.