SANDOW THE MAGNIFICENT

SANDOW THE MAGNIFICENT
Eugen Sandow and the Beginings of Bodybuilding
David L. Chapman

Before Schwarzenegger, Reeves and Atlas, there was German-born Eugen Sandow (1867-1925), a muscular vaudeville strongman who used his good looks, intelligence, and business savvy to forge a fitness empire. Sandow’s is the story of the earliest days of the fitness movement, during which he established a worldwide chain of gyms and published a popular magazine. As the first superstar in his field, Sandow also pried open some surprising cracks in the Victorian wall of prudery. After many of his major public events he gave private “receptions” wearing little more than a G-string. This book also includes samples of the strongman’s photographs, which were anxiously sought by both male and female admirers.

273 pages, paperback