After seeing “RISE” I was still curious about the athletes lost in the plane crash. Fortunately, I received “Indelible Tracings,” a new book by Patricia Shelley Bushman, two weeks later. The hefty 500-page hardcover edition is the definitive collection of research on the subject. In fact, Bushman went well beyond the 34 members of the U.S. delegation that perished and painted a complete picture of U.S. Figure Skating in the 1950s and ’60s.
The information is densely packed, with every sentence pointing to another piece of research. As a result, the language and style suffer, but this trade-off seems necessary in order to cover the topic completely. The years that Bushman spent conducting countless interviews and combing through thousands of newspapers, magazines and letters are a testament to her lifelong dedication to the sport.
“Indelible Tracings” is available through the author on Amazon.com and on www.indelibletracings.com. A companion book, “Indelible Images,” which features 260 photographs, many of which are not widely circulated, is also available.
This is not an easy read, but I recommend you pick it up if the subject piques your curiosity.
Originally published in June 2011
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