Riess examines the evolution of sport from its rural and urban origins as a less-than-respectable entertainment for the lower classes, through its antebellum upsurge when, with the development of a new sport ideology, it attained respectability--penetrating and finally remaking popular culture. Using a topical approach, Riess looks at sport from several vantage points, analyzing the interaction between sport and the rise of modern cities; the impact...