Wrestling dates back to ancient times, but it was not until Edmond Desbonnet (1867-1953) produced his groundbreaking work The Kings of Wrestling in 1910 that its history was set down in book-length form. His work consists of nearly 150 biographies and accompanying photos of the men who pioneered professional wrestling, particularly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He explains how Greco-Roman wrestling emerged in France around 1845 and then evolved into a big business during its golden age of 1890 to 1910. The sport drew men from all over Europe as well as Africans, Turks, East Indians, Russians, Americans, and others. Wrestling became the first truly international sport the world had ever known.
Desbonnet wrote his history in French, and it is translated here for the first time. This richly illustrated edition has an introduction and extensive annotations, along with many contemporary newspaper articles, book excerpts and magazine pieces from French, Italian and German sources.
Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
Introduction to The Kings of Wrestling
The Kings of Wrestling
by Edmond Desbonnet
Foreword: Wrestling Is the Primordial Sport
The Kings of Ancient Wrestling
The Kings of Wrestling: The Early Years
The Kings of Wrestling: Contemporary Wrestlers
Appendix and Metric Conversions
Appendix 1: Timothée Trimm, Truly Strong Men
Appendix 2: Jules Vallès, Excerpts from The Street
Appendix 3: X, Among Men
Appendix 4: Edmond Renoir, Wrestling and Wrestlers
Appendix 5: Léon Ville, Excerpts from Wrestling and Wrestlers
Appendix 6: Bertrand Fauvet, Fairground Performers
Appendix 7: Rémy Saint-Maurice, Wrestling and Wrestlers
Appendix 8: Frantz Reichel, Wrestling: A Music Hall Sport
Appendix 9: Paul Pons, Excerpts from Wrestling
Appendix 10: Alberto Cougnet, Excerpts from Greco-Roman Wrestling on the
Mat
Appendix 11: Adolf von Guretzki, Excerpts from Modern Wrestling
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
David L. Chapman, a Seattle-based independent scholar, has written many books and articles on physique photography, sport history, gender studies, film and popular culture. He worked on the translation of Edmond Desbonnets massive French history for more than three decades.
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