The Beach, Lena Lencek
The Beach, Lena Lencek
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The Beach
The History of Paradise on Earth

Author: Lena Lenček, Gideon Bosker

Narrator: Nadia May

Unabridged: 13 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/02/2009


Synopsis

Here for the first time is the full story of the seashore: its natural and social history, spectacles, and scandals. The turquoise surf and sugary sand of the beach make it a favorite retreat today, but this wasn’t always so. The oceans of antiquity engendered contradictory feelings. Greek and Roman myths filled it with bellicose monsters and alluring sirens. Medieval Europeans feared immersion in water. But the rediscovery of its medicinal attractions in the seventeenth century soon glorified the beach as an avenue for social pursuits.In this elegant and illuminating account, Lencek and Bosker chart the evolution of the seaside from the margins of civilization, when “exotic” meant remote and terrifying, to its present role as the center of recreation and escape. Sexuality, health, fashion, sport, beach architecture, and beachwear all have their place in the progression toward the beach resorts that represent nirvana for the twentieth-century pleasure seeker.

About Lena Lenček

Lena Lenček and Gideon Bosker specialize in popular culture and have co-written more than ten books, including The Beach: A History of Paradise on Earth (a New York Times Notable Book for 1998) and Beaches, a photographic survey of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Lenček is a professor of Russian and the humanities at Reed College, and Bosker, a physician, is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. They live in Portland, Oregon. 

About Gideon Bosker

Gideon Bosker specializes in popular culture and has cowritten more than nine books, including Patio Daddy-O and Making Waves. He is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine.

About Nadia May

Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.


Reviews

Goodreads review by K

For a topic as pleasurable as the beach and one that the authors clearly lose, this is a pretty tedious book. The co-authors are professors, and the writing feels like it. I was waiting for a quiz at the end: When was the first seaside hotel built in Southampton? What were canopies over bathing hous......more

Goodreads review by Emma

An engaging study on beaches and the evolving ways in which humans have interacted with them. A good chunk of this book has to do with the history of swimwear, and while I was hoping the book would be more focused on geology I did get sucked in to the fascinating fashion eras. I enjoyed it even thou......more


Quotes

“Scholarly and briskly good-humored.” New York Times Book Review

“A light and agreeable chronicle of the seashore.” Boston Globe

“This book should appeal to many readers because it is packed with good tidbits to ponder between naps on the beach.” Amazon.com, editorial review

“A valuable addition to the literature on the cultural politics of leisure-time activities.” Library Journal

“Lenček and Bosker are serious about the beach’s role in history and its appeal to the human imagination.” Kirkus Reviews