Sport is a vital part of our daily lives and culture, but it is also a multi-million pound industry; it plays an important role in the functioning of many communities, but it is also crucial for the international entertainment network. Andrew Blake examines the tensions between these different areas, arguing that the body should be placed at the centre of all sporting discourses. A critical look at sport can illuminate a whole range of issues - identity and nationality, design, performance, representation and aesthetics - and all these are explored in this innovative book, which opens up a whole new area of research and cultural criticism.