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.

A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year Part fairy tale, part mystery, part coming-of-age novel, this novel tells the story of Isobel Fairfax, a girl growing up in Lythe, a typical 1960s British suburb. But Lythe was once the heart of an Elizabethan feudal estate and home to a young English tutor named William Shakespeare, and as Isobel investigates the strange history of her family, her neighbors, and her village, she occasionally gets caught in Shakespearean time warps. Meanwhile, she gets closer to the shocking truths about her missing mother, her war-hero father, and the hidden lives of her close friends and classmates. A stunning feat of imagination and storytelling from Kate Atkinson, Human Croquet is rich with the disappointments and possibilities every family shares.

The classic lawn game played by royals and celebrities is now desktop-friendly! Kit is packed with two mallets, four balls, nine wickets, two end posts, a playing mat, and a 32-page illustrated book. It's time to put the ball in play!

Creative Historical Thinking offers innovative approaches to thinking and writing about history. Author Michael J. Douma makes the case that history should be recognized as a subject intimately related to individual experience and positions its practice as an inherently creative endeavor. Douma describes the nature of creativity in historical thought, illustrates his points with case studies and examples. He asserts history’s position as a collective and community-building exercise and argues for the importance of metaphor and other creative tools in communicating about history with people who may view the past in fundamentally different ways. A practical guide and an inspiring affirmation of the personal and communal value of history, Creative Historical Thinking has much to offer to both current and aspiring historians.

These widely acclaimed essays from the author of Infinite Jest -- on television, tennis, cruise ships, and more -- established David Foster Wallace as one of the preeminent essayists of his generation. In this exuberantly praised book -- a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner -- David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction, including the bestselling Infinite Jest.

According to Roger Caillois, play is an occasion of pure waste. In spite of this - or because of it - play constitutes an essential element of human social and spiritual development. In this study, the author defines play as a free and voluntary activity that occurs in a pure space, isolated and protected from the rest of life.

The serious leisure aficionado knows that it doesn't take much to transform a ho-hum afternoon into a truly memorable one—just a few balls, some mallets, maybe a horseshoe or two. The transformative nature of lawn sports takes center stage in Balls on the Lawn, an ode to classic outdoor activities, from the common (bocce) to the obscure (Kan-Jam). Including the history and complete rules of 10 iconic games, plus appropriate accompanying cocktails (serious leisure requires serious sustenance), Balls on the Lawn will revolutionize Saturday afternoons through the long-held traditions, robust competition, and abundant camaraderie of lawn sports.