Strong, beautiful and modern: national fitness in Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, 1935-1960

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, a wave o state-sponsored ‘national ftness’ programmesswept Britain and its former colonies. Following revelations of the Nazi enthusiasm for government-backed sports and the organisation of mass leisure, the programmes quickly foundered. They probably laid, however, the foundations for the twentieth century’sobsession with ftness – a key facet of modern life.In this highly original account, Charlotte Macdonald shows how governments becameconvinced that they must encourage citizens to be healthier and more active, and howthese efforts reinforced the cultural ties of the Empire. Alongside these state-sponsored efforts was a growing emphasis from business, the medical establishment and popularculture on the importance o having a better body. Strong, Beautiful and Modern explains the origins o the modern preoccupation with ‘the body’. And, at a time when government concern over public health issues such as obesityis once again on the rise, it offers valuable lessons as to why the frst national ftness drivewas ultimately a failure.Drawing on extensive research, and written in vivid, lively prose, Strong, Beautiful and Modern is an historical investigation into the way that people and their governmentsthink about their health and well-being, and how those historical views have shaped ourmodern life