Howard P. Chudacoff

Howard Chudacoff describes a special and fascinating world: the urban bachelor life that took shape in the late nineteenth century, when a significant population of single men migrated to American cities. Rejecting the restraints and dependence of the nineteenth-century family, bachelors found sustenance and camaraderie in the boarding houses, saloons, pool halls, cafes, clubs, and other institutions that arose in response to their increasing numbers. Richly illustrated, anecdotal, and including a unique analysis of The National Police Gazette (the most outrageous and popular men's publication of the late-nineteenth and the early-twentieth century), this book is the first to describe a complex subculture that continues to affect the larger meanings of manhood and manliness in American society. The book contributes to gender history, family history, urban history, and the study of consumer culture and will appeal to anyone curious about American history and anxious to acquire a new view of a sometimes forgotten but still influential aspect of our national past.

"One of the great attractions of American sports is the speed with which they move. Another is that every championship season will hold their banners and trophies in places of honor. And still another is that every bad season comes to an end and hope springs eternal that next year will be splendid. Amid all the swiftly changing seasons of sports, and amid the moments that are remembered, even savored, there have been events and decisions that have proved to be turning points. Focusing on the period after 1950, Howard Chudacoff identifies seven such turning points. They are: (1)The emerging role of the NCAA in organizing sports, establishing rules, and enforcing them; (2)The integration of colleges and universities; (3)Contracts offered for college football for the new technology, TV; (4)The Supreme Court decision of 1984 that settled who could control TV revenue; (5)The passage of Title IX in 1972, requiring colleges and universities to expand women's varsity athletics; (6)The widespread scandals involving cheating in games, eligibility, and recruitment; and (7)Payment to players. Chudacoff provides the histories of each, all of which were controversial. Some still are"--

"This single volume, comprehensive survey of American urbanization offers readers a basic chronological organization while integrating political, social, and economic history throughout."--BOOK JACKET. "Focusing on the history of urban people, on the ways people relate to their urban world, and on the ways in which they shape it, authors Howard P. Chudacoff and Judith E. Smith emphasize the practical details comprising the fabric of daily life as they ask questions such as: Why do people go to the city? What do they find there? How do they cope? What do they contribute? How are they rewarded?"--BOOK JACKET.