The development of sport in the twentieth century has been examined from a variety of angles.
Rarely though has the work of the creative writer been considered in detail. This book
directs its attention to this neglected area examining a selection of novels in which the
subject of sport has featured prominently. It highlights the ways in which novelists in the
second half of the twentieth century have approached sport explained its place in society and
through the sporting subject constructed a critique of the historical circumstances in which
their narrative is set. The study therefore seeks to complement the increasing body of work on
the representation of sport through such media as film television and autobiography. It also
brings a fresh dimension to the use made by historians of literary sources suggesting that
creative fiction can be far more valuable as historical evidence than has customarily been
acknowledged.
