The Original Rules of Tennis

Author: Bodleian Library Series: Original Rules

Hardcover

Published in association with the All England Lawn Tennis Club, this is the original rulebook as laid down in 1874. With an introduction by John Barrett, it also examines the history of the game.

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Summary

Published in association with the All England Lawn Tennis Club, this is the original rulebook as laid down in 1874. With an introduction by John Barrett, it also examines the history of the game.

Description

The pristine grass and white uniforms of Wimbledon and the aggressive hard courts of the U.S. Open have inspired tens of thousands of amateur tennis players in North America. Millions of people watch the tournaments each year on television and the stars of recent decades are household names, but relatively few people know the history of the game. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance it was a ""jeu de paume,"" a game played at French and English royal courts with hands rather than rackets. The modern game, however, dates from 1874, when Major Walter Clopton Wingfield developed a variation on the game for the amusement of his house guests in Wales. After he laid out the basic rules, the game spread quickly—the first championship at Wimbledon was held in 1877, followed soon after by the first American tournament in 1880.

Published in association with the All England Lawn Tennis Club—better known as Wimbledon—this attractive, collectible book examines the history of the rules of tennis from their first codification to the present day. Included is a fascinating introduction by John Barrett, the BBC's now retired "voice of tennis" who played in twenty-one consecutive Wimbledon Championships, that looks at the circumstances of the composition of the first rules, their scope, and evolution. "The Original Rules of Tennis "is a must for spectators and players alike.""

About the Author

John Barrett played in twenty-one consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1950 and 1970. As a BBC commentator since 1971, he was known to millions as the 'voice of tennis' until his retirement in 2006. He has edited the annual World of Tennis from 1969 to 2001.