Classic Guide to …

While the modern game of golf originated in fifteenth-century Scotland, the game's ancient origins are unclear and much debated. The first written record of golf is King James II's banning of the game in 1457, as an unwelcome distraction from learning archery. The world's oldest golf tournament still in existence, and golf's first major, is the Open Championship, which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland. Horace Gordon Hutchinson won the British Amateur twice, in 1886 and 1887, and he has been described by many as the Father of Golf Instruction, writing several books on the subject. In The Classic Guide to Golf, he shares his insight into the game, and instructs the casual player or beginner in how to become truly great.

Often described as the greatest cricketer of all time, W. G. Grace started his long career in 1865, and is said to have revolutionised the sport. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the 'Golden Age of Cricket', and the period produced some great players and memorable matches, especially as organized competition at county and Test level developed. In The Classic Guide to Cricket, W. G. Grace relates his personal experience of the sport and its history, and instructs the budding cricketer in the Spirit of the Game.

In 1872, the world's first tennis club was founded in Leamington Spa. The world's oldest tennis tournament, the Wimbledon Championships, was first played in London in 1877. These first Championships culminated in a debate on how to standardise the rules of the sport as it evolved. John Moyer Heathcote was one of those who devised the original rules of lawn tennis, and he is also credited with inventing the cloth covering for the tennis ball. An amateur tennis champion until 1882, he wrote one of the very first manuals of the sport. The Classic Guide to Tennis instructs the budding tennis player in how to become a master of the game.

The beautiful game as we know it today was founded at the end of the nineteenth century. The history of football as a sport in England can be traced back to at least the eighth century, but the laws of the modern game were first standardised between 1848 and 1886. Charles William Alcock has been described as one of the fathers of the modern game. In 1871, as Secretary of the Football Association, he founded the world's oldest footballing competition, the FA Cup. He set down much of the history and knowledge he had accumulated over his long career in this, one of the very first 'manuals' of the sport, in 1906.

Throughout history sailing has been instrumental in the development of civilization, affording humanity greater mobility than travel over land, whether for trade, transport or warfare, and the capacity for fishing. Sailing has contributed to many great explorations in the world. In 1889, Knight sailed to the island of Trindade off the coast of Brazil in a 64-foot cutter named the Alerte. He was in search of treasure. In The Classic Guide to Sailing, E. F. Knight, the soldier, journalist and war correspondent, relates some of his experiences and lays down the basic principles of sailing and boatcraft for the budding sailor.