Customer Reviews

Figure Skating: A Celebration

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I own many, many skating books and this one by far contains the best overall history of skating. If you are a relatively new fan of the sport, you should definitely include it in your collection! It is also the least biased of the general 'coffee table' skating books -- although it is obvious that every skating author has their favorites, I never felt that Smith at any point in the book was forcing her opinions on the reader. Overall, a TERRIFIC book that should be mandatory in all "History of Skating 101" classes! :)

If you are a skater or an educated fan of skating, this is the definitive skating book that should be the centerpiece of your skating book collection. A+!

I re-read this book after paging through the ludicrously biased Inside Figure Skating and found it once again to be a wonderful breath of fresh air. True, the author seems to spotlight more Canadian skaters than most other books, but unlike books like Inside Figure Skating, Smith presents each skater she profiles objectively and equally. I enjoy reading this book every few months or so, as it is a great refresher on the history's sport. My only complaint is that the copy of the book I have does not feature prominent skating stars of today -- I do hope to see Beverly Smith write another book soon featuring more of the skaters on the past 3 years or so.

I bought this book for my birthday and like it very much. I especially like the foreword written by Elvis Stojko. He shows knowledge much beyond his years.

This was Beverley Smith's first foray into skating books, and it was a decent start.

Her editor, however, should be fired. There were a plethora of mistakes and factual inaccuracies in this book. It appeared to be hastily written, and many section seem totally based on things television commentators said. Smith's third book, "Talking Figure Skating" is much better for in-depth and behind-the-scenes reporting.

"Figure Skating: A Celebration" does contain an informative section on judging that is good for novice fans, and it gives relatively unbiased overviews on the top competitiors in each discipline of figure skating. Unlike the hardback version, the paperback contains an additional section on the 1994-95 season.

The true saving grace is the many beautiful pictures contained in this book. Even if it isn't a particularly compelling read, it's nevertheless a good book to have on your coffee table.

I got this book for Christmas in 1994, and was fortunate enough to meet Elvis Stojko prior to the Canadian Figure Skating championships in Halifax in January, 1995. He was gracious, and gladly autographed my copy of this book. The figure skating fan will enjoy this book and its coverage of skating through the years. The new fan will enjoy learning about the figure skating disciplines, jumps and fan favorites, who are still entertaining us today in ice shows. I have shared this book with people who do not follow figure skating and it was most helpful in giving information on the who's who from skating in the nineties, and how these skaters have influenced today's skating generation. This book would make a great gift for the new or old fan alike, worth 4 stars.

I agree with the first review, and there is definitely some Canadian bias, as the first reviewer pointed out. Don't believe it? Check out page 154 in the hardcover edition. The blurb written on that page, quoting a famous Canadian coach, is not only totally biased but completely ludicrous!

This book wasn't the best I've ever read, but it wasn't as bad as the other reviewer noted. (I didn't notice the bias he/she claimed to find.) I found it an informative, fulfilling read... not too simple, but full of figure skating details that were well-organized and easy to follow. Too many figure skating books these days are a bunch of glossy pictures and lots quotes about feelings: "When I won the gold, I felt more joy than ever before or ever since...." or "Such and such skater brings such depth and artistic quality to the ice. She's unmatched." BLECH! This book doesn't sell out so easily; it actually gives you useful information on skating: the culture and politics, the techniques and rules, the people and places, and especially, the history. I felt much more informed about skating in general after I read it.

When I received this book, I was thrilled by the wonderful photographs of skaters from around the world. However, some of the text of this book left me dazed and confused. The author of this book is Canadian, and for some inexplicable reason, she felt the need to put down skaters who are not Canadian to make skaters from her home country look better. She then gave the book a title that would make the reader think that it celebrated the sport and all of its stars. Dissing some skaters to uplift others is a "celebration"? Hmm.. Go figure. Don't waste your time or money with this drivel.

This book has many nice photographs and for that reason would be a nice addition to a skating library. Unfortunately it is somewhat lacking in substance and textual content. As for the "bias" issue raised by other reviewers, I say "what do you expect?"....after all the author is Canadian!