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Two planks and a passion

Two planks and a passion

the dramatic history of skiing
HistorySociology
Pages
436
Published
2008
Language
English

Synopsis

Roland Huntford traces the history of skiing from its origins 20,000 years ago as a means of survival in the last ice age to its evolution into a modern recreation. This comprehensive history places skiing within its social and political contexts, detailing its global spread and importance across various facets of life. Huntford utilizes original Old Norse, Russian, ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Arabic sources, alongside his expertise in Scandinavian history and polar exploration, to present a definitive account.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

InformativeIntellectualThought-Provoking

Genres

History Sociology

About the author

R
Roland Huntford

Roland Huntford (born 1927) is an author, principally of biographies of Polar explorers. He lives in Cambridge, and was formerly Scandinavian correspondent of The Observer, also acting as their winter sports correspondent. He was the 1986–1987 Alistair Horne Fellow at St Antony's College. He has written biographies of Robert Falcon Scott, Ernest Shackleton and Nobel Peace Prize winner Fridtjof Nansen; these biographies have been the subject of controversy. Huntford's controversial The Last P...