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Wimbledon, the Grande Dame of tennis championships, serves up a volley of joy every summer, this year commencing on the 3rd of July. However, tennis isn't the only summer sport that galvanises interest and engagement amongst armchair enthusiasts and active participants alike. We also look to some of the other popular sports and pastimes of the summer months, through the lens of vintage books.
Published as part of Foulsham's Sport Library, this charming vintage edition from the 1930s professes to make the keen amateur tennis player as familiar with the strokes as with the rules of the game. Photographs and illustrations help explain the theory, making this book the perfect go-to companion during this year's Wimbledon. Even if it is just to marvel at the difference in the size of the rackets.
The first of our vintage 'Know The Game' books to feature in this list, and this one is a smasher. With origins lost in the mists of time, the game known as 'Badminton' developed from a game played by Englishmen stationed in India in the 19th century, before becoming refined by the Duke of Beaufort at Badminton House, Gloucestershire. Today there are tournaments throughout the year, organised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), including the US Open which takes place in July. This vintage guide will help you get the most out of the game, whether playing indoors or outdoors.
Summer is a great time for golf fans, notably for the British Open in July and the Women's British Open in August. This little gem of a book, published in 1919, declares itself as 'being a very little about a good deal; together with some new saws for old wood - and knots in the golfer's line which may help a good memory for forgetting'.
The quadrennial Netball World Cup takes place this summer in Cape Town, South Africa, with many countries vying to finally knock Australia and New Zealand off the top spot! It's probably too late to get selected for your national team now, but this delightful 'Know The Game' book should certainly help you prep for the 2027 Cup! This edition was put together by the then President of the All Netball Association, who was also a member of the International Rules Board and the International Federation of Netball Associations, Rena Stratford
♪♫ I don't like cricket...I LOVE it! ♫♪
So sang 10CC back in 1978, and despite the bashing UK cricket has been taking recently there are many many fans around the world who still feel the same way! This KTG edition came out the same year, and was published in collaboration with the MCC to instil more respect and awareness of the rules of the Noble Game and lead to a general improvement in the standard of umpiring, particularly at schools,
As temperatures escalate the swimming pool's cool blue represents an essential respite. The neat Ladybird book aims to give a child or non-swimming adult the right approach to swimming and diving, and show him or her the basic actions. Practice will do the rest for those intending to swim and dive for pleasure or sport - essential reading for any would-be Tom Daley.
More no-nonsense 'Know The Game' sporting excellence, courtesy of this 1976 guide to Women's Hockey. This edition was published with the full approval of the All England Women’s Hockey Association, and deals with all aspects of rules and umpiring, aimed at all who play, teach and umpire the game. Perfect for those wanting to play hockey, or those looking to settle down to watch the sixteenth edition of the Women's EuroHockey Championship, the biennial international women's field hockey championship of Europe, that takes place in August.
August 2023 sees the World Athletics Championships take place in Budapest, an event which will no doubt inspire many to once more don trainers, shorts & vests and leap about athletically, or at least only slightly awkwardly. Comprising almost 50 events, it would perhaps be optimistic to expect this slim KTG book to cover all the bases, but it does a darn good job never the less.
If land-locked activities aren't your bag, perhaps competitive yachting would float your boat? The whizz of sheets through cleats, the flap of canvas as one 'heaves to' into more favourable winds, the camaraderie born from pitting oneself against the elements and opponents... This guide is great for newcomers to yacht racing, written by one of the leading experts of the time and aimed at the beginner of modest means.
The canoe is the oldest form of true boat, having been used from time immemorial in all parts of the world for transport, hunting and travel. The modern sport and recreation of canoeing began when explorer John MacGregor had a kayak built of oak and cedar, named it the ‘Rob Roy’ and in it traveled widely on the rivers, lakes and seas of Europe and Near East. Today, canoes come in sorts of shapes and sizes, but this key KTG guide focuses on kayak canoeing.
Step into a bygone era with vintage books on summertime sports. From tennis on grass courts to cricket battles on the heath, these books provide a window on the modern evolution of many of the sports and activities we still enjoy to this day. Hopefully you will find inspiration, either to actively engage or to chill with a glass of Pimm's or similar to watch your favourite summertime sport.
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