Lets Go to the Beach
A History of Sun and Fun by the Sea

Did you know that women once wore corsets under their bathing suits? Or that semi-drowningthe strip and plunge practicewas thought to be good for ones health? Or that Pudgy Stockton, the body-building queen of Muscle Beach, California, opened the countrys first gym for women? From the bathhouses of the ancient Greeks to Venice Beach and Coney Island, Lets Go to the Beach takes a multifaceted and well-researched look at beaches and their attendant customs. The text explores such historical transformations as the evolution of the waterways from places of commerce to venues of health and recreation, as well as the bathing suit's revealing journey from full-body cover-up to string bikini. Information about environmental concerns (including beach safety and preservation), along with quirky facts and trivia, round out this intriguing volume.