From Library Journal

This biographical encyclopedia covers athletes as far back as tennis pioneer Mary Outerbridge (b. 1852) and as recent as Sarah Hughes (b. 1985), the figure skater whose stunning come-from-behind win at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City captured viewers' hearts worldwide. Edelson, a former sports columnist and reporter, has chosen 153 athletes based on three criteria: "greatest athletes," "most significant trailblazers," and "diversity" (of sport, race, and time period). The articles engagingly summarize the athlete's career and usually narrate the most dramatic event in her career (e.g., Kerri Strug's landing on a broken ankle, Wilma Rudolph's triple Olympic gold, Brandi Chastain's winning soccer goal). Each article ends with two to five sources for further reading, and the book also includes a two-page general bibliography, a list of athletes by sports and by era, and an index. Unfortunately, the book has only 50 photographs, though it would have been useful to see pictures of all the athletes. Its closest competitor, Janet Woolum's Outstanding Women Athletes: Who They Are and How They Influenced Sports in America (2d ed. 1998), covers fewer athletes (86 vs. 153) but has photos of each. The articles are similar in writing interest and length (about two pages). Woolum includes an extensive section on history and useful appendixes listing winners in sports events over the years. Of course, Edelson includes more recent athletes, such as Hughes, track star Marion Jones, and bobsledder Vonetta Flowers. Libraries with Woolum's first edition, issued in 1992, should update it either with the second edition or with Edelson's title, either of which would fill the reference need in this area. Recommended for college and public libraries. Kathy Ruffle, Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, B.C.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From

Edelson provides a biographical look at more than 150 women who have had a significant impact in sports. Although the title would lead the reader to assume these are all women from the U.S., they are not. For example, Sonja Henie, Martina Navratilova, and Monica Seles are imported athletes, and Henie and Navratilova achieved citizenship long after their professional careers were set. Other women included are not athletes in the traditional sense, but their contributions include coaching, refereeing, and being the "first" in their fields. Examples are rock climber Lynn Hill, markswoman Annie Oakley, baseball umpire Pam Postema, commentator Robin Roberts, and coach Pat Head Summitt. Women in organized sports include basketball player Teresa Edwards, soccer player Mia Hamm, golfer Nancy Lopez, gymnast Mary Lou Retton, and skier Picabo Street.

Each entry is one to two pages long, with biographical information, further reading, and sometimes an accompanying photograph. In addition to the general index, entries are indexed by sport and by year of birth, from 1850 to 1989.

Other recent titles on this subject are The Women's Sports Encyclopedia (Holt, 1997) and Nike Is a Goddess: The History of Women in Sports (Atlantic Monthly, 1998). A to Z of American Women in Sports provides an update to this area of the reference collection at a moderate cost and is a good selection for junior-high, high-school, public, and community college libraries. RBB
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