Women First: The Female Tradition in English Physical Education 1880-1980

In this study of the remarkable dominance achieved by women in the field of physical education in England from the late nineteenth century, Sheila Fletcher opens a new perspective in recent educational history. Through the development of the physical training colleges pioneered by women, and with close reference to the history of Bedford -- one of the most prestigious -- she examines the achievement of the pioneers the changes in gymnastics from Ling to Laban and the way in which, after the Second World War, women lost out to men in this field.This highly readable account of the making and breaking of a female tradition will appeal to both feminists and to students of physical education, to those interested in social and educational history and to the general reader.