Title/Author:
“Five
Strides On the Banked Track: The Life and Times of the Roller Derby” by Frank
Deford
Tags:
Roller
Derby, History
Publish date:
April 8,
2014 – re-release in electronic form.
Originally published in 1971
Length:
137 pages
Rating:
4 ½ of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
When I
found out that a book on the Roller Derby was going to be offered by NetGalley,
I was very happy. To find out it was
written by Frank Deford, one of the most prominent sports writers and a member
of the National Sports Writers Hall of Fame, well, that just made it even
better. The book did not disappoint as
it was a well written, fascinating look at history and players, both male and
female, of the Roller Derby.
Many
people over 50 will recall when Roller Derby was a staple on television, several
nights a week in some places. It was
part sport, part show, but always entertaining.
The sport was developed in 1935 by Leo Seltzer, initially as a skating
endurance contest. It later included
contact thanks to a suggestion by legendary sportswriter Damon Runyan. The sport took off from there, becoming a
spectacle that would have troubles during World War II and then take off when
television helped beam it into households.
Deford
weaves the history of the sport into stories about the lifestyle of Roller Derby
skaters. It is a unique lifestyle that
can harden people and they seemed to form their own convent. It was common for skaters to become romantically
involved and get married while on the road.
Some of the stories are inspiring, some are somewhat sad, but all of
them paint a picture about what the life of a Roller Derby skater is like.
The only
drawback of the book is that there is no update on what became of the skaters
Deford portrayed in the book. Since the
book has been re-released as an e-book, that information would have been a nice
touch to let fans who watched these skaters know what happened to them. Deford’s writing makes the reader really
connect with these performers as they are really just regular men and women who
were eking out a living on the “banked track” as was commonly stated. One big difference between these athletes and
those of today – there is a lot of junk food eaten by the skaters as they are
on the road, and nearly every one of them smoked cigarettes. Can you imagine LeBron James or Russell
Wilson lighting one up as soon as they hit the locker room?
Overall, this
is a very good book for readers who have never had the chance to enjoy Deford’s
writing, for readers who remember the spectacle that was the Roller Derby, or
for those who just enjoy human interest stories.
I wish to
thank NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest
review.
Did I skim?
No
Pace of the book:
Very good,
as the history of Roller Derby is told in a brief but complete manner. The stories and interviews with the players
are interesting and humorous as well as a little poignant.
Do I recommend?
Yes,
whether the reader is old enough to remember when Roller Derby was a television
staple or not. The book is an
interesting look at the past with some lessons and observations that are still
relevant more than 40 years later.
Book Format Read:
E-book
(Kindle)
Buying links:
Still have the original copy of this on my bookshelf. Deford obviously had a lot of fun with this.
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