In this collection, sixteen scholars explore topics as diverse as the historical debate over black athletic superiority, the selling of sport in society, the eroticism of athletic activity, sexual fears of women athletes, and the marketing of the marathon. 

In line with the changing nature of sport history as a field of study, the essays focus less on traditional topics and more on themes of class, gender, race, ethnicity, and national identity, which also define the larger parameters of social and cultural history. It is the first anthology to situation sport history within the broader fields of social history and cultural studies. 

Contributors are Melvin L. Adelman, William J. Baker, Pamela L. Cooper, Mark Dyreson, Gerald R. Gems, Elliott J. Gorn, Allen Guttmann, Stephen H. Hardy, Peter Levine, Donald J. Mrozek, Michael Oriard, S. W. Pope, Benjamin G. Rader, Steven A. Riess, Nancy L. Struna, and David K. Wiggins.

A classic of scholarship, A Sporting Time rewrites the narrative of how Americans embraced sports. Melvin L. Adelman argues that modern sports began its rise long before the close of the nineteenth century. Focusing on games like baseball and cricket, turf sports like horse and harness racing, and competitive activities ranging from rowing to billiards to boxing, Adelman shows how American athletics became increasingly organized and commercialized. He also traces the emergence of national standards and competition, specialized player roles, the growth of sports information systems, and the ideological sanctions that promoted the moral and social benefits of sport.