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Excerpt from Wrestliana: An Historical Account of Ancient and Modern Wrestling It is a common and received proverb, that A man is known by his works, and a tree by its fruits. Here, then, is an amusement peculiarly chosen not only by one better, and greater than any man but as if to give strength and firmness, combined with quickness and elasticity, to the limbs discrimination and vigour to the body; coolness to the head, and perception to the mind: the whole forming an ener getic combination of the whole power given to man. No exercise could have been selected, tending more to exalt his character, and from which such typical illustrations could have been deduced for his spiritual advantage. Here, then, we take our stand. Advo cates for anv other diversion, be it whatever it may. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

First published in 1823, William Litt's "Wrestliana" is a detailed historical account of wrestling from its ancient origins to its contemporary form. One of the oldest types of combat, wrestling dates back 15,000 years and can be seen in ancient cave drawings. Most of the holds known today were around in the times of ancient Babylon and Egypt, and references in literature include the Old Testament and Indian Vedas. This fascinating volume explores the long and interesting history of wrestling and is not to be missed by those with an interest in the subject.

Toby Litt's father wanted him to find about their ancestor: William Litt, a champion Cumberland Wrestler.William was one of the greatest ever 'kings of the green' - a man who reigned undefeated in one of the nineteenth century's most popular sports, taking home over 200 prize belts. William had other talents, as well. He was almost certainly a smuggler - and definitely published poet and novelist.But Toby knew that coming to terms with him would be hard. A huge and fascinating man, William was also troubling. He ended his life in poverty and exile. And as well as having to measure himself up against this apparent paragon of masculinity, Toby would have to uncover uncomfortable memories and hard truths.Would Toby like what he found out about himself along the way? As a novelist, as a son, and as a father in turn? Would he have to get in the wrestling ring? ... Would he even want to?Using the nineteenth century as a guide, Wrestliana asks vital questions about modern-day masculinity, competition, and success. It is a beautiful portrait of two men and their different worlds, full of surprises and sympathy, and a wonderful evocation of a lost place and time.