Real Tennis (Shire Library) [Paperback]

Kathryn McNicoll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2008 | Series: Shire Library

In the two decades after the Second World War real tennis was a little-known, little-played sport, considered the private domain of a privileged few and probably a relic of a game played by monks in their spare time. However, the last thirty years of the twentieth century saw a change in the fortunes of the game. Numbers of players worldwide began to grow and with this growth came a greater interest in the history of the game. Now the sport is flourishing in many parts of the world, along with an interest in the interrelated history of many ball games, especially those which were being played and, in some cases, are still being played in Europe. This book gives an overview of the game, looking particularly at its history, other related ball games, equipment and rules, heroes, villains and victims of real tennis and the game in Europe, Australia and the United States.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kathryn McNicoll comes from a sporting family. Her father played cricket, captaining the East African and Tanganyikan teams. Both her brothers and three of her nephews are real tennis professsionals: her older brother was real tennis world champion and his wife a former British Ladies Champion, founded the Ladies' Real Tennis Association. Kathryn is a teacher of English as a foreign language and plays tennis as a hobby.

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Shire (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747806101
• ISBN-13: 978-0747806103
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #758,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The best introduction to Real Tennis (and the most affordable!), December 30, 2006

By 

Frederika Adam (Oxford, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Real Tennis (Shire Library) (Paperback)

'Real' Tennis, 'Court' Tennis, 'Jeu de Paume' or 'Pallacorda' - Real Tennis is the original racquet sport developed in the 15th century in Europe and has been played by monarchs (Henry VIII and Francis I), gambled on by artists (Caravaggio) and referred to in works by famous writers (Shakespeare and Marlowe). Today, it is a thriving cult sport played by 10,000 people in the UK, (Ireland), France, (Holland), USA and Australia. Real Tennis players caught trying to explain what this fantastic yet complex sport is to their friends and colleagues are extremely grateful to Kathryn McNicoll, an enthusiastic player herself and sister of a World Champion, for writing a concise, informative and entertaining introduction on Real Tennis. With lots of photos and packed with useful facts including a list of all the current acitve courts, this short book is a perfect gift for every racquet/ball player to learn more about Real Tennis (and hopefully inspire them to build a court too!) In addition, there is an interesting chapter on other European Ball games and a fun chapter on notable characters and great players past and present. Highly recommended and especially at such a great price.