Tennis: A Cultural History [Paperback]

Heiner Gillmeister (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 081473121X | ISBN-13: 978-0814731215 | Publication Date: July 1, 1998 | Edition: 1st Paperback Ed

The first comprehensive history of tennis, Henry Gillmeister's Tennis may also be considered the first truly scholarly history of any individual sport.

Supported by a startling wealth of linguistic and documentary research, Gillmeister charts the global evolution of tennis from its origins in the early Middle Ages to the appearance of the modern game in the twentieth century. Along the way, he debunks several firmly established myths about the history of the game, including those surrounding the invention of the Davis Cup. Rare photographs and never before published medieval and renaissance drawings generously adorn the text, and a treasure trove of bibliographical information provides its coda.

A delight for the sports fan and the scholar alike, Tennis will prove the athorative text on tennis for years to come.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Gillmeister (medieval English, Univ. of Bonn) essentially divides this well-researched history of tennis into three time periods: tennis from the Middle Ages in England and France, the same countries from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, and the latter period in Germany. Employing extensive footnotes and a bibliography, he keeps a light tone even when verifying minute details like the physical layout of Henry V's tennis court. Despite some fascinating tidbits?e.g., the first record of the game was passed down by a monk; it was recommended to German wives of the 1890s as a way to keep their husbands?this is truly a scholarly work replete with many medieval illustrations. Primarily for academic libraries.?J. Sara Paulk, Coastal Plain Regional Lib., Tifton, Ga.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A definitive account of tennis a splayed from the Middle Ages to the present... will sate the curiosity of the most avid tennis enthusiast."

-Publishers Weekly,

"Well Researched... [Gillmeister] keeps a light tone even when vilifying minute details like the physical layout of Henry V's tennis court."

-Library Journal,

"Extraordinary"

-The Economist,

" . . . the book is exemplary, and the scholarship particularly of the first five chapters sets a high standard for the history of any sport."

-American Studies International,

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press; 1st Paperback Ed edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081473121X
• ISBN-13: 978-0814731215
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,948,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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