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Muscletown USA: Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell | 
 enlarge | Author: John D. Fair
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $77.00
New (1) Used (3) from $71.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 2284184
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 420
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.3
ISBN: 0271018542
Dewey Decimal Number: 338.76887641092
EAN: 9780271018546
ASIN: 0271018542
Publication Date: May 1999
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN............ July 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I grew up in a household in which I was not welcome. Two individuals made my life bearable: Mickey Mantle and Bob Hoffman! From the late fifties through the late sixties I was a welterweight lifter out of Oakland, California. I enjoyed a small measure of success. I can recall being at the newsstand each month on the appropriate day to search the racks for the latest Strength and Health. I would read those magazines from cover to cover, every word, and would do so several times before the next issue was released. And throughout those years I certainly bought more than my share of York equipment.
Someone once said something to the effect that if you have an idol look a little closer and you will see that you are selling yourself short. The author, Mr. Fair, looks a little closer, but not unfairly, in my opinion. Growing up with Strength and Health I was not aware of many of Mr. Hoffman's shortcomings. And now that I know them, nothing has changed. For Hoffman is still number one in my book. In my view the character flaws only serve to humanize him. Something wrong with that? How many of you who've submitted critical reviews regarding Hoffman have lived steller lives? How many of you have built sucessful businesses from the ground up? And most importantly, How many of you have MADE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of so many? The silence is deafening. Regarding the book, I find it well written. Also of great interest to me are the photos of the luminaries of that era. I am thankful that this book was written, and I am pleased to have read it. Mr. Fair, how about bios on some of the high profile people of the "weight game", Grimek, Reeves, etc?
Well researched and a good read. April 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Whether you agree or disagree with the "tone" taken towards Bob Hoffman in this book - whether he was a devil or a saint (though the truth is, no doubt, somewhere in between) - you'll have to agree that a lot of time, work and research went into writing this book. Dr. Fair interviewed a lot of history's most prominent figures in the Iron Game in compiling the material here.
Everyone with personal experience will have their own opinion of Bob Hoffman as a man. I don't really think that's the point here. The point is that Fair did a monumental task in putting this book together. There's a lot of interesting and little-known history contained it. I don't think anyone interested in the history of the Iron Game should be without it.
Muscletown USA March 11, 2008
This is a great book. It gives great insight,into the lives of the old York barbell crew and Bob Hoffman.It also goes into the lives of many of the old Weightlifters such as John Davis,the first African-American,Olympic Champion,and at one time the worlds strongest man! You will also see that Bob Hoffman,was not the best cat in the world to go drinking with! Liked to fight! It does tell of the workings of the champs of old and would be of value to anyone interested in the world of pre-steroid,and post-steroid weightlifting.
 so so January 29, 2006
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
the book has everything you would want to know about hoffman and other famous bodybuilders, strongmen but the way the book was written too much information, was not entertaining.
Hoffman did it all for his own glory! October 25, 2005
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The bottom line is t hat Bobby Hoffman did all this for his own good and it is really irrelevent as what the iron game was back in the 40's was nothing compared to what the sport is today. What Hoffman had control of with a little carnival act, a subculture that was widely ridiculed by the general public and still would be if the sport where left in the hands of Hoffman and the AAU.
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