Complete Croquet

Reprint of the original, first published in 1874.

In its early days in Victorian England croquet was a game for the wealthy but competition from other sports - most notably tennis - the onset of two world wars, and a century of social change forced the game to adapt. Modern croquet is an intricate game of strategy, played socially within clubs and competitively at national and international level. The object of the game - to guide two balls round a circuit of loops - has changed little over the years but tactically, croquet has become much more complex, elaborate and fascinating. Complete Croquet is a comprehensive guide for the aspiring and improving croquet player. It deals with the basic skills, and how to avoid and eradicate common problems, as well as providing an in-depth coverage of modern tactics. The author focuses on the building blocks of break play, examining in detail how each element works before bringing it all together. There is advice on how to repair a bad situation when everything has gone wrong, how to exploit a good situation when everything is going well, and how to regain the initiative when the opponent is storming ahead. Whether your interest is in developing an understanding of top-class, championship-level tactics, in improving your play at handicap level, or even in just playing at home and wanting to get a better understanding of the game, Complete Croquet will prove to be invaluable. Superbly illustrated with 195 colour photographs and diagrams.

Including books, pamphlets, periodicals, catalogs, trading cards, newspapers, photographs, postcards, scrapbooks, art prints, and advertisements, this subject bibliography of 679 references to croquet is based on the collection of varied material assembled by the late Dr. Rendell Rhoades, Professor of Biology at Ashland University, OH. The resulting collection encompasses the role croquet has played in literature, in biography, in art and music, in manufacturing and advertising, and in the attendant publicity. With an index of joint authors, pseudonyms, illustrators, and other pertinent information; and a chronological list of books on croquet compiled by Dr. R.W. Bray, Member of the British Croquet Association.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1874.