{"product_id":"9781350579705","title":"Social History of Soviet Sporting Heroes","description":"\u003ch1\u003eSocial History of Soviet Sporting Heroes\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSylvain Dufraisse | Augusta Dörr\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003eHIS032020\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis book examines the political role of athletes in the Soviet Union between the 1930s and the 1980s.\u003c\/b\u003e A translation from the French edition, \u003ci\u003eA Social History of Soviet Sporting Heroes\u003c\/i\u003e analyses how the Soviet government created a sporting elite to promote Marxist-Leninist ideals and to project an image of superiority on the world stage, especially during the Cold War.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSylvain Dufraisse reveals how Soviet champions, treated as socialist ambassadors, were elevated to the status of national heroes. They embodied the ideal of the New Soviet Man and socialist values like discipline, resilience, and self-sacrifice. Dufraisse details the rigorous selection and training processes these athletes underwent, governed by strict oversight to maximize their performance. At the same time, he highlights the intense pressures faced by Soviet athletes, as their achievements were directly tied to the prestige of the Soviet regime.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough detailed accounts of these champions' lives and using archives from various Soviet institutions (including the Central Committee, Communist Youth organisations, and the Committee of Physical Culture and Sports), the book offers a fascinating insight into the interplay between sports, ideology, and power in the USSR, illustrating how the regime strategically shaped sport to serve its political ambitions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSylvain Dufraisse \u003c\/b\u003eis Senior Lecturer at Nantes Université, France and a Junior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France. He is the author of two books in French: \u003ci\u003eLes héros du sport, une histoire des champions soviétiques (années 1930-années 1980) \u003c\/i\u003e(2019) and \u003ci\u003eUne Histoire sportive de la guerre froide\u003c\/i\u003e (2023).\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18 March 2027\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9781350579705\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e304\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53976398397580,"sku":"9781350579705","price":103.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/lateknightbooks.com\/products\/9781350579705","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}