Original Rules of Tennis

Barrett John

While Jeu de paume has been played in France for hundreds of years and was associated with the French and English medieval and renaissance courts, the modern game of tennis dates from 1874, when the rules were defined by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield. Published in association with the All England Lawn Tennis Club (Wimbledon), this book examines the history of the rules of tennis from their first codification to the present day. It also looks at the circumstances of the composition of the first rules, their scope, and afterlife, as they moved from manuscript to publication.

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.

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