An examination of the three books on the ideology of athleticism at work in Britain and the British Empire during the Victorian and Edwardian eras that were wholly written by Professor J A Mangan suggests that the components of his model of athleticism can be grouped under three headings: motives, machinery and myopia. The validity of these components is tested by applying them to British public schools across the heyday of athleticism, 1853-1914. The model proves to be an original and effective tool for the identification of the various components in almost all public schools - but Uppingham School during Edward Thring's headmastership (1853-1887) does not fully conform to the model. The reasons why Thring's school was different are explained.