Roller Babes: 1950's Women of Roller Derby

by Tim Patten

It was the 1950s, a time of gray uniformity and the company man. Young women were supposed to get married, take care of the cleaning and cooking, and raise children. But Lottie Zimmerman wanted more. The awkward tomboy had dreamed of becoming a force in Roller Derby, an increasingly popular televised sport where hair-pulling, raucous brawls, and chaotic spills often took center stage over lightning-fast runs and breath-taking maneuvers around a sharply banked track. Together with her gal pals, Elsie and Rebecca, enter a rarified world of big-time legends, battles in motion, and competitive grudges, overcoming obstacles that had left many women of the era feeling envious and frustrated. As they worked their way up through the professional ranks, they rode the roller-coaster of impact and mayhem – both on and off the track. Eventually, they learned what it took to reach the highest, and were soon reveling in the cheers of countless fans. And yet, while the action on wheels attracted audiences in the millions, much of this post-war adventure remained hidden from view. Part high-speed action, bruising contact and modern-day showmanship, and part female comradery, innovation, and survival, Roller Babes is the story of an era that now seems fresher than ever.

399 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2018

Reviews

[Shanell Meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, amazing characters!

Roller Babes:1950’s Women of Roller Derby by Tim Patten is a really interesting look into the history of roller derby. I’ve always been intrigued by the roller derby and the tough women in it. I really appreciated Pattens first hand experience and giving us a look inside. The characters may be fictitious but I bet after years of working in the roller derby that more than one roller derby personality made it into the book. I love seeing how the characters grew through their involvement with the roller derby. Patten did an amazing job of writing his characters and making me feel like I was right there getting to know them all personally. The book has fed my need for knowledge about roller derby and makes me excited to check out a couple modern derbies to see how they compare to what Patten described as the 1950’s version of roller derby.