A fascinating and quirky look at the history of cycling through 100 objects that have changed the bicycle as we know it. Have you ever wondered why the leader's jersey at the Tour de France is yellow? Where Graeme Obree's record-breaking bike 'Old Faithful' got its nickname? Or the role of bloomers in bicycle design? Find out in this absorbing and quirky look at the history of cycling and the development of bike-related design through 100 pivotal objects. Charting the journey from the laufmaschine to the Brompton, through the early prototypes and the two-wheeled toys of the aristocracy, to the speed machines we know today. Filled with fascinating photographs and illustrations, this book immerses you in the history of cycling – from the boneshaker via the bicycle powered washing machine, to cuddly lions and ball bearings.

A history of American sports told through one hundred iconic objects

The period of Britain’s Industrial Revolution was perhaps the most transformative era in the nation’s history. Between about 1750 and 1914, life and work, home and school, church and community changed irreversibly for Britain’s rapidly expanding population. Lives were transformed, some for the better, but many endured abysmal domestic and workplace conditions. Eventually improvements were made to Britain’s social fabric which led to the prospect of richer and more fulfilled lives for working men, women and even children. Focusing on 100 objects that either directly influenced, or arose from, these changes, John Broom offers a distinctive insight into this fascinating age. With plentiful illustrations and suggestions for visits to hundreds of places of historical interest, this book makes an ideal companion for a journey into Britain’s industrial past.

Modern sport originated in Europe. During the age of Enlightenment, gymnastics and athletics from Antiquity were rediscovered and changed into new cultural and educational forms, which shaped both the body and the mind. The industrialisation of Britain and Europe eventually introduced organisational patterns that gave 'sport' not only a name, but also a new structure. This was a distinctive product of European civilisation, which spread across the modern world. The 100 objects that are collected here are both material objects and forms of communication which explore the transformation and diversity of sports, games and physical education in Europe whether for training, performing or as part of other forms of celebration or festivity. This book is the first attempt to create a kaleidoscopic history of European sport through its rich material culture and emerged from a desire to develop transnational research in sports history. 110 authors from 39 countries have participated in a genuinely pan-European project, introducing the reader to the fascinating range of people, institutions and places which made up the world of modern European sport.

The history of the world has been told in objects. But what about the objects that tell the history of women? What are the items that symbolise the journey of women from second-class citizens with no legal rights, no vote and no official status to the powerful people they are today? And what are the objects that still oppress women, even now? From the corset to the contraceptive pill, the bones of the first woman to Rosa Parks's mugshot and the iconic Mary Quant cape, A History of Women in 100 Objects documents the developing role of women in society through the lens of the inanimate objects that touched women's lives, were created by women or that at some time – perhaps even still – oppressed them. Woven by two leading historians, this complex, fascinating and vital tale of women and womanhood is told with a lightness of touch and depth of experience that will appeal to all those interested in women's history.

A fascinating and quirky look at the history of cycling through 100 objects that have changed the bicycle as we know it. Have you ever wondered why the leader's jersey at the Tour de France is yellow? Where Graeme Obree's record-breaking bike 'Old Faithful' got its nickname? Or the role of bloomers in bicycle design? Find out in this absorbing and quirky look at the history of cycling and the development of bike-related design through 100 pivotal objects. Charting the journey from the laufmaschine to the Brompton, through the early prototypes and the two-wheeled toys of the aristocracy, to the speed machines we know today. Filled with fascinating photographs and illustrations, this book immerses you in the history of cycling – from the boneshaker via the bicycle powered washing machine, to cuddly lions and ball bearings.

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. These days the bicycle often appears as an interloper in a world constructed for cars. An almost miraculous 19th-century contraption, the bicycle promises to transform our lives and the world we live in, yet its time seems always yet-to-come or long-gone-by. Jonathan Maskit takes us on an interdisciplinary ride to see what makes the bicycle a magical machine that could yet make the world a safer, greener, and more just place. Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.