An old sport, figure skating in modern terms began in Restoration England in the 1660s. Though it is one of the most popular events of the Olympic Winter Games, this is the first reference work to bring together the history, terminology, and stars of the sport. A chronology of the sport and an introduction are followed by A “Z entries for persons, organizations, terminology, and countries where figure skating is popular. Jumps such as the axel and the salchow are explained.Popular stars, such as Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamel, and Scott Hamilton, are covered. The Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding rivalry is explored, as are the Battle of the Brians, between Brian Boitano and Brian Orser, and the Battle of the Carmens, between Katarina Witt and Debi Thomas, who performed to the same music at the Calgary Olympic Winter Games in 1988. Eleven appendixes, among them lists of International Skating Union members and officeholders, World Figure Skating Hall of Fame members, and World Figure Skating Championship medalists, appear before an 18-page bibliography. This encyclopedia is comprehensive and informative, with tidbits such as the importance of artificial ice and Zambonis to figure skating.

Providing a good balance of biography and history, it is a worthwhile purchase for academic and public libraries serving serious students of the sport as well as fans.