or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
24 used & new from $9.00

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels (Paperback)

~ (Author) "It seems like roller derby has always been around..." (more)
Key Phrases: lead jammer, derby dames, roller derby skaters, Can They Do That, Rolling Thunder, Leo Seltzer (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

List Price: $18.00
Price: $14.04 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $3.96 (22%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually ships within 1 to 2 weeks.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

14 new from $12.32 10 used from $9.00

Frequently Bought Together

Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels + Rollergirl: Totally True Tales from the Track + Whip It
Price For All Three: $33.76

Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Show details

  • This item: Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels by Catherine Mabe

    Usually ships within 1 to 2 weeks.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Rollergirl: Totally True Tales from the Track by Melissa Joulwan

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Whip It by Shauna Cross

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Whip It

Whip It

by Shauna Cross
4.6 out of 5 stars (18)  $8.92
Rollergirls - The Complete Season One

Rollergirls - The Complete Season One

DVD ~ Ann Calvello
4.0 out of 5 stars (6)  $24.99
Kansas City Bomber

Kansas City Bomber

DVD ~ Raquel Welch
Hell On Wheels

Hell On Wheels

DVD ~ Bad Girl
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $24.95
Roller Derby Art: Women, Wheels, and Wicked Fun

Roller Derby Art: Women, Wheels, and Wicked Fun

by Sherrie Cullison Pfouts
3.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $22.79
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

Easy to follow and fun...The fun layout and large variety of pictures definitely make "Roller Derby" worth picking up. -- Bruised News, July 7, 2007


Product Description


Scores of American women are leading double lives. By day they are librarians, financial analysts, bartenders, teachers, and even mothers; by night their athletic alter egos assume their authority with monikers such as Helen Wheels, Dirty Britches, Anna Mosity, and Assaultin' Pepa. They lace up their skates, slide into racy racing uniforms, and adorn a full set of protective gear. One of America's greatest sports is back-roller derby.

In Roller Derby, readers will encounter roller derby in its various incarnations, from the original Depression-era games through the days of Roller Jam to its current revival.

What started as a dance-a-thon-style test of endurance has evolved into a unique sport that exemplifies point-scoring, body-checking, speed, blood, punches, and miles and miles of personality and style. Punctuated throughout the book are derby vignettes: stories from old-school and new-school girls, the process of selecting a derby name and style, the artistic element to logos and uniforms, so-gruesome-you-just-have-to-look injuries, what's legal during a bout and-more importantly-what's not, and much more.

Encircling the story of roller derby are vintage promo paraphernalia and histori-cal photographs, as well as stunning, full-color and black-and-white, modern-day shots of the women, the bouts, and the sport.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Speck Press (November 1, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1933108118
  • ISBN-13: 978-1933108117
  • Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 7 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,839 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #1 in  Books > Sports > Individual Sports > Rollerskating & Rollerblading
    #9 in  Books > Sports > Extreme Sports
    #61 in  Books > Nonfiction > Education > Multicultural

More About the Author

Catherine Mabe
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Catherine Mabe Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels
60% buy the item featured on this page:
Roller Derby: The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels 4.2 out of 5 stars (9)
$14.04
Rollergirl: Totally True Tales from the Track
15% buy
Rollergirl: Totally True Tales from the Track 4.5 out of 5 stars (36)
$10.80
Whip It
8% buy
Whip It 4.6 out of 5 stars (18)
$8.92

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars This is the book that skaters should give their friends and family, July 7, 2007
I am a roller derby referee, "Willy Callit," having gotten my start with the Lonestar Rollergirls of Texas, the league that began the modern roller derby revival. I am currently an independent roller derby referee in the Pacific Northwest.

Ms. Mabe and Speck press have produced a beautifully photographed and well researched book on the origins of derby through the modern (mostly) flat track revival. This book is the one a skater should hand her family when asked, "Roller derby? Why on earth do you want to do that?"

That said, it's essentially a coffee table book, scaled down. Those actually involved in the sport will be disappointed in its relatively simplistic treatment of material. A particular peeve of mine is that many of the skaters in the photos, many of whom are personal friends, are not adequately identified in either the text or captions. Although not really relevant to a book of this scope I'm disappointed that the skaters did not get more recognition beyond "Strong Rollergirl."

But of course, this is clearly not what the book is trying to be. This book is for the individual who attends one or two bouts, or has friends who attend on a casual basis, and wants to know more. It's for those who have vague recollection of sitting in front of the Philco black and white set on weekends watching the mixed-gender old schoolers tear it up and want to find out what happened to the sport in the intervening forty years or so. It's for those otherwise unfamiliar who want to get a feel for what the sport of Derby is about, as well as a little bit of eye candy along the way.

As such, it works well and I consider it an excellent addition to my collection. But I will not likely be re-reading it, more likely I will be loaning it to those benighted individuals among my cronies and co-workers who simply don't get what all of the derby fuss is about. For that purpose, I'd rate it top notch.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I need to carry this book with me at all times!, October 3, 2007
By M. Dai Zovi (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I absolutely love this book!
I have been playing roller derby for almost 3 years and never have I found something that so completely and beautifully illustrates what this sport is to me and what I love about it-- I feel like I need to keep it with me at all times so I can show it to strangers who ask me about derby. The book explains it so much better than I can.
The pictures are gorgeous, and obviously shot and selected by people who know and love derby. Granted, it is a coffee table book, but for someone who wants to know what roller derby is but doesn't have the time to commit to a novel and just wants to get the basic gist and leaf through pages and pages of phtographic eye candy, this book is perfect. This book is a must-have for any derby girl or derby fan, or family member or friend who wants to know what all the fuss is about.
Catherine Mabe knows derby, knows the derby community, and in general just knows what she's talking about. Her book is lovely. Buy it!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars great research and photos, October 3, 2007
bad news first:
as a skater i'd have to say that i appreciated the book by melicious a bit more, it was a bit more inspiring and informational for a roller girl active in the sport. as willy callit sez, the captions could've been a bit more descriptive, but as that wasn't what the book was about that's more of a personal preference and not really a flaw. again, another personal preference would've been to see more national representation of current leagues, this one seems REALLY centered in the western conference. if you're an eastern girl and are looking for familiar faces, you probably won't see any unless you travel around a lot.
BUT this book has really great photography, i mean it's really, really nice. it's supported by thorough research and is a quality read. i definitely enjoyed it and am glad i bought it. if you want to know more about the origins of derby yesterday and today, and get up to date on how the game is played, you really need to read this one. recommended, for sure!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars makes a good textbook
Mabe's book makes for an excellent textbook on roller derby. other reviews have labeled it as a good coffee table book, and i agree. Read more
Published 9 months ago by psillytom

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Friend Loved It
My best friend and I took up roller derby together. I got this for her birthday, and she went wild!
It's informative, colorful, and fun!
Published 10 months ago by Chelsea Mae

4.0 out of 5 stars Roller Derby: The History and All Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels
I bought this book strictly for memories of when I watched it in the 50's. It served its purpose.
Published 18 months ago by J. Lanini

4.0 out of 5 stars fabulous pix
this is a great, glossy book giving a quick overview of the history of roller derby. awesome pictures! and the words are great too. Read more
Published 19 months ago by R. F. Payne

4.0 out of 5 stars Roller Derby
This was a very informative read. If you are interested in starting to Derby or just becoming a fan check it out.


DD Hunter
Stateline Roller Derby Diva
Published on October 17, 2007 by S. Wagner

5.0 out of 5 stars Roller Derby by Catherine Mabe
This book gives the history of roller derby from the begining in 1935 to the present. It is an easy read with wonderful pictures. Read more
Published on September 21, 2007 by C. Dunphy

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.