{"product_id":"fox-tossing-octopus-wrestling-other","title":"Fox Tossing Octopus Wrestling \u0026 Other","description":"\u003cb\u003e'An entertaining new book… which looks back at the most bizarre sporting activities ever devised by mankind' \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Perfect book for the Christmas stockings of adults and curious children' \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For those who enjoyed the quirkiness of \u003ci\u003eSchott's Miscellany\u003c\/i\u003e, the erudition of \u003ci\u003eThe Etymologicon\u003c\/i\u003e or the extremes of \u003ci\u003eThe Dangerous Book for Boys\u003c\/i\u003e, this is the ideal read.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e From \u003cb\u003eFlagpole Sitting\u003c\/b\u003e to Hot Cockles, Edward Brooke-Hitching has researched through piles of dusty tomes to bring vividly back to life some of \u003cb\u003ethe most curious, dangerous and downright bizarre sports\u003c\/b\u003e and pastimes ever devised, before we thought better of it and erased them from the memory. After all, who would ever want to bring back \u003cb\u003eFox Tossing\u003c\/b\u003e, a popular sport for men and women in 17th-century Germany? The sport involved dozens of couples pairing up and standing 20-25 feet apart in an enclosed field, each holding one end of a net, and then they would pull hard at both ends as the fox ran past, sending it flying high into the air.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There are many other sports revealed within these pages that are unlikely ever to make an appearance on our TV screens, such as \u003cb\u003eFirework Boxing\u003c\/b\u003e, which is just as dangerous as it sounds. Meanwhile, \u003cb\u003eSki Ballet\u003c\/b\u003e may not have been so risky, but Suzy 'Chapstick' Chaffee's signature move - the Suzy Split (a complete forward split while balanced on the tips of her skis) - was probably not one to try at home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn intriguing, entertaining and occasionally shocking insight into the vivid imaginations of humanity across the years, \u003ci\u003eFox Tossing, Octopus Wrestling and Other Forgotten Sports\u003c\/i\u003e is an unforgettable read and a perfect gift.\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57311157485950,"sku":"NW9781471148996","price":10.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9781471148996.jpg?v=1778702316","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/en-eu\/products\/fox-tossing-octopus-wrestling-other","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}