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On Order $22.75
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This title in other formats:Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man: The White Male Body and the Challenge of Modernity in Americaby John F. Kasson
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A remarkable new work from one of our premier historians Review:"John Kasson's brilliant work has wise and witty things to say about the social meanings of strength and the powerful body. This is a page-turner of a book, with a surprise worth knowing on every beautifully written page." Linda K. Kerber, University of Iowa Review:"Witty and well written, this is a top-notch work of cultural history that can be read with great enjoyment by general readers and social historians alike." Publishers Weekly Review:"Engaging...Kasson draws a fascinating picture of the response of an exuberant popular culture at the dawn of the'American Century." In addition to the title characters, he introduces a colorful collection of minor figures, including a 'real life' Tarzan and a female impersonator whose magazine instructed womenon how to attract men." Clyde Frazier, The News and Observer Synopsis:An important new work from one of our premier cultural historians. Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man considers the surprisingly complex evolution in representations of the white male body in late-nineteenth-century America, during years of rapid social transformation. John F. Kasson argues that three exemplars of physical prowess — Eugen Sandow, an international vaudeville star and bodybuilder; Edgar Rice Burroughs's fictional hero Tarzan; and the great escape artist Harry Houdini — represented both an ancient ideal of manhood and a modern commodity. They each extolled self-development, self-fulfillment, and escape from the confines of civilization while at the same time reasserting its values. This liberally illustrated, persuasively argued study analyzes the thematic links among these figures and places them in their rich historical and cultural context. 91 B&W Illustrations, Notes, Index Synopsis:An important new work from one of our premier cultural historians. Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man considers the surprisingly complex evolution in representations of the white male body in late-nineteenth-century America, during years of rapid social transformation. John F. Kasson argues that three exemplars of physical prowess — Eugen Sandow, an international vaudeville star and bodybuilder; Edgar Rice Burroughs's fictional hero Tarzan; and the great escape artist Harry Houdini — represented both an ancient ideal of manhood and a modern commodity. They each extolled self-development, self-fulfillment, and escape from the confines of civilization while at the same time reasserting its values. This liberally illustrated, persuasively argued study analyzes the thematic links among these figures and places them in their rich historical and cultural context. About the AuthorJohn F. Kasson, who teaches history and American studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the author of Amusing the Million, Rudeness and Civility, and Civilizing the Machine. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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