click here for the full menu of previous newsletters

WEB SITE; RAFTER & TAUZIAT TITLES; NOVELS; WOODIES

INTERNET: If you have not yet sent me your e-mail address, please do so. Newsletter 41 is the first I am posting on the Internet in conjunction with a mail-shot to those of you without e-mail. Those of you with e-mail will receive a short message alerting you to the posting of the latest Newsletter for you to read and/or download. I am also content to mail to you if you want to receive a hard copy. If you do not have e-mail, or if you don't intend to get e-mail, don't worry, the newsletters will continue to be mailed as in the past. Whether you are on line or not, enjoy tennis books! You should be able to do so, as this newsletter has what even I describe as a stunning selection!

QUEEN'S CLUB and EASTBOURNE were two excellent weeks, especially for the weather, which was scorching. It was the first Stella Artois week for 22 years without rain, and the Direct Line was hardly any wetter. Trade was very brisk, and the welcome return of Martina had the predicted beneficial effect on sales. Once again I send my thanks to the huge number of clients, old and new, who came to visit the shop and buy tennis books.

WIMBLEDON 2000 was a good though not quite a classic Championships. Sampras won his 7th title, which to me was a surprise, as I thought that the winner of the Agassi/Rafter semi (the Men's match of the Fortnight) would be the champion. The Williams/Hingis quarter was the women's match of the Fortnight. Sampras and Williams are undoubtedly great champions, but Rafter impressed greatly. You can order your 2000 Annual now.....See 022.

CHAMPIONS' PARADE: The Middle Saturday of Wimbledon featured the wonderful sight of over 50 of the greatest living names in tennis being individually feted on a packed Centre Court. Sidney Wood and Bunny Austin were the only two pre-1940 players present, and as far as I can recall the only two still alive. (Am I wrong?) So many tennis greats were there that it is invidious to select any others for special mention. As I predicted in Newsletter 40, this occasion did become a marvellous opportunity for autograph hunters, as so many of these famous faces from tennis history mingled happily with the crowds over several days.

DAVIS CUP GB vs ECUADOR: I took the Saturday off and went with my daughter as spectators, expecting to find GB 2-0 ahead on our favourite surface. In fact we were 1-1 and in just two hours we were 1-2 after a pretty uninspiring doubles display. OK, so Henman and Parmar were not an established doubles pair, but neither were the Lapentti's over experienced on grass. I was much impressed with the Ecuadorian brothers. I was somewhat embarrassed at the ungracious display from parts of the British crowd at the end of the 5th match, when little recognition was given to the marvellous come-back by the 17 year old Giovanni Lapentti. It was a shame that the crowd lacked the ability to accord due praise.

FUTURE EXHIBITIONS:
The next tennis book exhibitions in my diary are as follows:
20/26 Nov: Samsung Men's Singles/Doubles; Brighton Centre.
06/10 Dec: Delta Air Lines Senior Men's Tour; Royal Albert Hall. I understand that the London Arena men's event is 29th January to 4th February 2001.

RECENT TENNIS AUCTIONS: June brought sales at Kempton Park by Mullock Madeley and at South Kensington by Christie's. Routine books and rackets were offered and mostly sold, and some nice pieces of Scottish tennis silver were knocked down for big prices. But I wonder if there is enough good material coming out to justify an annual sale? We shall see.

TENNIS (Real, Royal, Court) and RACKETS TITLES: Here are some more titles.

002: "Ball, Bat and Bishop: The Origin of Ball Games" by Robert W. Henderson; 1947; 220 pp; no d/w. This classic book examines the derivation and history of Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Football, Racquets, Golf, Cricket and Baseball; lots of unusual illustrations. £80

003: "A Chase Down Under: a history of royal tennis in Australia" by Mike Garnett; 1999; 502 pp in pictorial boards. Only c350 standard editions of this substantial title were printed. This is Garnett's major work on the history and development of Royal Tennis in Australia. This landmark book on Tennis is well illustrated and brilliantly researched. £45

004: "First Steps to Rackets" by E.B. Noel & The Hon. C.N. Bruce; 1926; 136 pp; no d/w. This is I believe the only coaching book of the 20th century solely devoted to the fast moving game of Rackets. Written jointly by the famous secretary of The Queen's Club and the father of the current Lord Aberdare, this copy is dedicated and signed by C.N. Bruce. £150

005: "Pierre's Book: The Game of Court Tennis" by Pierre Etchebaster; 1st edition 1971; 78 pp in d/w. The undisputed world champion from 1928 to 1954 writes his famous coaching manual, summarised at the end of each chapter in his quaint pigeon English; excellent court diagrams. There are also short tributes from some of his contemporaries. £95

006: "Pierre's Book: The Game of Court Tennis"; 1991 paperback reprinted edition. £25

007: "Rackets, Squash Rackets, Tennis, Fives & Badminton"; the Lonsdale Library; 1st edition 1933; 328 pp no d/w. A comprehensive study of the "minor racket sports" with expert advice from leading exponents of the period. The rules of play, history, tactics and technique are covered. This copy is dedicated and signed by the great Edgar Baerlein. £110

008: "Rackets, Squash Rackets, Tennis, Fives & Badminton"; the Lonsdale Library; reprint of 1951. As above (not signed) and presented in a very good dustwrapper. £65

009: "Racquet & Tennis Club"; handbooks for 1917, 1924 and 1973 for the New York Racquet Club in Park Avenue. These blue and red books contain lists of committees, members, rules, and the champions of the sports played there. each at £30

010: "Tennis: The Development of the European Ball Game" by Roger Morgan; 1st standard edition 1995; 259 pp in d/w large format. This is a deep examination of the first days of Tennis from the earliest reports of the game. The book is beautifully illustrated with many medieval engravings. It is a fascinating read which taught me a lot I did not know. £50

BOOKS ON TENNIS COLLECTABLES: The last few years have seen an explosion in the number of collectors of tennis collectables including books, programmes, rackets, ball cans, prints, silver, jewellery, china pieces, tobacco cards, etc. To advise this growing army of collectors, there is a small number of essential titles. Here are some which I find invaluable.

011: "Art of Tennis 1874-1940 (The)" edited by Gary Schwartz; 1990; p/b large format; 171 pp. Prints, magazine covers, postcards, advertisements, photographs etc. £30

012: "Book of Tennis Rackets" by Siegfried Kuebler; 2000; 635 pp. Now in English, this is a massive description of the 1000's of rackets in the Kuebler Racket Museum. £45

013: "Guide to the Literature of Tennis (A)" by Angela Lumpkin; 1st USA edition 1985; 235 pp in d/w. Comprehensive but not exhaustive study of tennis books. £45

014: "Kenneth Ritchie Wimbledon Library Catalogue" compiled by Alan Little; 7th edition 1998; 154 pp in p/b. This book lists in A-Z country order every title in the Wimbledon Library. Within each country of publication, the books are listed in year of publication order. As it is updated about every 3 years or so, I expect Alan is working on the 8th edition! £10

015: "Tennis Antiques & Collectibles" by Jeanne Cherry; USA edition 1995; 200 pp. This is a fine photographic record of her own magnificent tennis antiques collection. £30

016: "Tennis Origins and Mysteries" by Malcolm Whitman; USA edition 1932; 258 pp; only 450 copies. This rare title on the terms used in tennis contains the most exhaustive bibliography, with 49 pages on Court/Real Tennis and 27 pages on Lawn Tennis. £795

017: WOODIES SIGNATURES: I can offer a copy of the rare 1997 edition of the Wimbledon Annual (see 020) signed internally (at Queen's Club) by Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge. You will recall that 1997 was their fifth consecutive year as Wimbledon doubles champions. These two marvellous Australian players have announced their retirement from competitive doubles, so this may be the last opportunity to acquire such a souvenir. £150

WIMBLEDON TITLES: Here is my current list of Annuals and other Wimbledon titles.
018: The Complete set, 1983 to 2000 (18 annuals at a total of £1000) discounted to £875
019: 1983: the first year and most elusive of the 18 editions. This is a beautiful copy. £250
020: Hard to find editions: 1984, 1991, 1994, 1997 each at £90; 1990 at £40
021: Easy to find editions: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999. each £18
022: Wimbledon Annual 2000: you can order now for delivery in mid-September at £20
023: Wimbledon Compendium 2000: the millennium edition (400 pp) is available at £10
024: Wimbledon Championships 2000 poster: this is a splendid overview of the ground. £10
025: Results Guides Top 150 men, all Jan/Jun head-to-head results 1996, 1997, 2000. £15

WIMBLEDON PROGRAMMES: Note that the 2000 Final edition (031) is now available.
026: Saturday 25th June 1938; 1930's editions are rare. This has an attractive cover. £40
027: 1947: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th days. 1948: 1st, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th days. each at £15
028: 1949: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th days. 1950: 1st, 7th, 10th days. each at £12
029: 11th day: 1983, 1994, 1995. 12th day: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1994. each at £10
030: Last Day: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1983, 1984. each at £12
031: Final Editions: 1966, 1967 each at £20. 1991 at £10. 1998, 2000 each at £5

CLUB HISTORIES: These club histories were generally written by a leading club member and published in small numbers for circulation amongst the members. (one copy only)

032: "First Service: One Hundred Years of Tennis in British Colombia" by Alan Stevenson; p/b edition 1987; 78 pp. Lawn Tennis and its growth on the western coast of Canada. £20

033: "Fitzwilliam Story 1877-1977 (The)" by Ulick O'Connor; 92 pp; large format. The story of the Dublin Lawn Tennis Club, the oldest such club in Ireland and the scene of the Lawn Tennis Championships of Ireland, one of the first tennis events in the world. £65

034: "Fox Meadow Tennis Club 1883 to 1983: The First Hundred Years" by Diana Reische; 104 pp no d/w. The story of a friendly little club in Scarsdale, New York. £35

035: "History of Roehampton Club 1901 to 1986 (A)" by Elizabeth Hennessy; 1986; 64 pp in d/w. Famous west London club where golf and tennis are the main sports. £20

036: "International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain (The)" edited by David Waite; 1990; 165 pp in pictorial boards. Founded by the great Arthur Wallis Myers in 1924 to promote goodwill between tennis playing countries, this is a history of the IC of GB. £15

037: "Love of Tennis (A): A History of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club" by Bridget & Michel Jory; 1981; 144 pp in d/w large format. From small beginnings, this Canadian club has grown into a major complex, large enough to hold the Canadian Championships. £35

038: "One Hundred Sporting Summers: A Celebration of Bilston Lawn Tennis Club's Centenary and the Town's Sporting Heritage" by Robert T. Everitt; 1995; 186 pp in d/w. Bilston is a town in the West Midlands of England. The author is a keen collector of tennis memorabilia, and has written a very detailed history of sport in his club and town. £20

039: "Our Club: A History of the Cottesloe Tennis Club" by Pat Adamson; 1992; 421 pp in p/b. This club in Western Australia, founded in 1903, whilst not being one of the larger clubs makes up for it with enthusiasm and frenetic activity on and off its courts. £25

040: "Martina" Navratilova signed colour pic; 12x17 cm; Eastbourne ?1995; full length. £50

041: "Jimmy Connors" inscribed and signed card; an excellent example of his autograph. £65

NEW TITLES: Since Newsletter 40, I have come across the following titles, most of which are new, but the others came out many months ago and somehow they escaped me! It is a pleasure to be able to offer several new tennis titles worthy of recommendation.

042: "Australian Open 2000"; text by S. Myers of Tennis Australia; 106 pp (landscape) loose bound in large orange box. An edition limited to 2000 numbered copies, this is the first Oz Open Annual, written on a day-by-day basis, profusely illustrated; very collectable. £75

043: "Championship Tennis: The Official Tour Guide 2000-2001"; 192 pp in large format magazine. This is the guide for the ATP Senior Tour of Champions, reviewing the progress of the tour, its constituent events and profiles of the famous men champions who play. £8

044 "Cup!" by Eugene L. Scott; 128 pp in d/w. Following on from "Fame!", (see 047), Gene's photographic and biographic study of every man who has represented the USA in Davis Cup matches from 1900 onwards is a great record of USA tennis excellence. £15

045: "Dessous du Tennis Feminin (Les)" by Nathalie Tauziat; 1st French (only) p/b edition; 212 pp. Here is the book about which there has been all the fuss. She is a nice girl who tells it as she sees it, which is that far too much of the publicity (and reward) for the women's game is centred on Kournikova who has achieved little of note. The Tour has other players who are not so pretty or sexy, who are ranked higher but less well recognised. £15

046: "Dessous du Tennis Feminin (Les)" by Nathalie Tauziat; signed by Nathalie. £25

047: "Fame!" by Eugene L. Scott. Hall of Fame inductees with the new 2000 additions. £15

048: "Italian Open Record Book 1930-1999" compiled by Ubaldo Scanagatta; 64 pp in p/b. Ubaldo has put together the ultimate record book of the Campionati Internazionali d'Italia. Every possible playing statistic is here. As he says: "Tutti I Numeri Del Torneo." £10

049: "Moods of Tennis: a photographic essay of the game of tennis in all its moods"; 160 pp in huge folio sized book. Quite the largest tennis title of recent years, this privately printed book, not for general retail sale, contains 100's of photos of tennis moments around the world, taken by amateur and professional photographers. It is a superb tennis gift. £65

050: "Relaxed Intensity: Transforming the Competitive Experience" by Happy Bhalla: 1998 USA p/d edition; 102 pp. I am not sure how I got this strange coaching manual! £5

051: "Rocket to the Top: On the Road with Pat Rafter" by Leo Schlink; 224 pp in p/b. This is a more serious title on his career than I had expected and it is a worthy addition to the tennis bibliography. After his Wimbledon 2000, I expect much more still to come. £18

052: "Through the Roof: Ten Years of the Australian Open."; text by Rosanne Michie; 1998; 141 pp in very large format. This is the recent history of Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open and that court with the amazing sliding roof. It is fascinating to read that tennis is by no means the only sporting or cultural event held there. This book is lavishly illustrated with marvellous action photos of the tennis and other major activities. £45

053: "USTA Tennis Almanac"; published by the USTA; large paperback of 356 pp. It contains "the official rankings, records, and championship results of American tennis since 1881." So thorough is this amazing statistical book that it even lists the top 10 men for every year from 1885, and the top 10 women from 1913; also the roll of honour for all the main USA events from inception, and the Grand Slams. In terms of USA tennis, there seems to be hardly an event which it does not list. This book will appeal to gatherers of tennis facts! £20

054: "Visions of Wimbledon: A Celebration of the World's Finest Wimbledon Photography" by the Allsport Photographic Agency; 143 pp in large format. Following the success of "Visions of Tennis", this book contains 100's of the best Wimbledon photos. £18

055: "Education of a Tennis Player" by Rod Laver & Bud Collins Signed by both. £40

056: "Inside Tennis" by Stan Smith; 1974; Stan's coaching title. Signed by Smith. £35

057: "Portrait in Motion" by Arthur Ashe/F. Deford; 1975; 272 pp. Signed by Ashe. £175

058: "Tennis Myth and Method" by Ellsworth Vines; 1978; 201 pp. Signed by Vines. £75

TENNIS NOVELS: My bibliography (now at 3550 entries) currently shows over 150 tennis novel titles, quite a few of which I have still not seen. There are some great tennis novels, such as Noel Streatfield's charming "Tennis Shoes" (066/7) and Suzanne Lenglen's "Love Game". Equally there are some pretty awful titles, many of them about tennis stars involved in murders and mysteries around Centre Court. Here is a further short selection.

059: "Backhand" by Liza Cody; 1st edition 1991; 279 pp in d/w. Anna Lee, a private eye, takes a case which leads her to a Florida tennis club and mortal danger. £25

060: "Death Serves An Ace" by Helen Wills; 1st USA edition 1939 in rare d/w; 317 pp. Written by the great Wimbledon champion of the 1930's, once more we have murder and mystery on Centre Court, but the great Scotland Yard detective cracks the case. £150

061: "Finalists (The)" by Russell Braddon; 1st USA edition 1977; 224 pp in d/w. This is a typical Centre Court murder/mystery. While the Men's final is being played by the two top seeds, mayhem and murder take place behind the scenes. The right man always wins. £20

062: "Grand Slam" by Derek Lambert; 1st edition 1971; 220 pp in d/w. Forty-one years old Nicky Bracco and his last chance to win that elusive Wimbledon singles title. £20

063: "Meadow-Brook Girls On the Tennis Courts (The)" by Janet Aldridge; 1st USA edition 1914; 256 pp in exceptionally rare and early d/w, almost complete but some distress. Adventures of the school girls in the summer and their on and off court rivalries. £200

064: "Sudden Death" by Rita Mae Brown; 1st USA edition 1983; 241 pp in d/w. The cover says: "Carmen and Harriet are in love." £25. Another copy as above, signed "Rita Mae". £35

065: "Tennis Machine (The)" by Helen Hull Jacobs; 1st USA edition 1972; 219 pp in d/w. Thirteen years old Vicky Clifton from California and her quest to be US champion. £30

066: "Tennis Shoes" by Noel Streatfield; 1st UK edition 1937 no d/w; 227 pp; worn externally. This is a story about a typical 1930's English family and a long hot summer. The tennis club is central to their enjoyment of life. Illustrations by D.L. Mays. £150

067: "Tennis Shoes" by Noel Streatfield; 1st USA edition of 1938 in stunning original dustwrapper and equally stunning pictorial boards. Illustrations by Richard Floethe. £450

068: "Tennis Terror (The) and Other Tennis Stories" by Harold Sherman; 1st edition 1932 in rare, very colourful dustwrapper; 244 pp. Here are six short stories about young lads battling against difficulties and problems on the road to becoming tennis stars. £125

069: "Tennis Terror (The) and Other Tennis Stories" by Harold Sherman; no d/w. £50

CAVENDISH AND HIS EARLY LAWS BOOKS: Henry Jones (aka Cavendish) was Honorary Secretary of The All England Croquet Club in 1871, and a member of the committee of The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club in 1877 when it held a tennis tournament at Worple Road. He was an expert at card games and wrote booklets on the laws of play. It was therefore natural for him to be the first author (after Wingfield) of the most popular mass produced and universally accepted code of laws for Lawn Tennis. These very attractive booklets appeared in green cloth boards, externally gilt decorated, with gilt page edges and marbled internal boards. There were nine editions, the first being in 1876 and the ninth in 1890. The first five editions also carried the laws of Badminton. Later editions contained not only the laws of the game, but also hints on how to play and tactics. The following editions are in very good condition, slightly rubbed and faded externally; internally complete and slightly loose. Cavendish laws books are now from the century before last, and very rare.

070: "Games of Lawn Tennis and Badminton (The)"; 5th edition 1883; 30 pp. £500

071: "Game of Lawn Tennis (The)"; 9th edition 1890; 77 pp. £300

072: "Prime Time Tennis"; by Vic Seixas; 1983; 239 pp in d/w. Signed by Seixas. £45

073: "Tennis!" by Tom Okker; 1966; 255 pp. Okker's biog in Dutch!. Signed by Okker. £45

074: "Tennis To Win" by Billie Jean King; 1st USA edition 1970. Signed by King. £35

DAVIS CUP YEARBOOKS: I have only just discovered these large format hardback books in d/w. They report on the Davis Cup competition just finished, and are lavishly illustrated. These annuals may well become as desirable as Wimbledon Annuals.

075: "Davis Cup Yearbook 1996"; text by Ron Atkin; 128 pp. £30

076: "Davis Cup by NEC: The Year in Tennis 1998"; text by Chris Clarey; 128 pp. £30

077: "SVENSK TENNIS: Historiskt Samlinsverk" by Ivar Lignel et al; 1938; 431 pp in massive folio sized p/b edition. I recently found my first copy of the beautiful limited edition of this Swedish language book presented in fine blue boards. Now I have found the paperback edition. It has a most detailed survey of tennis courts in Sweden as at 1938. Every club, small and large, is described and photographed, to which is added the address, and the names of committee members. It is a remarkable book. Will it go to Sweden? £400

"FIFTY YEARS OF LAWN TENNIS IN THE UNITED STATES" by various authors; 1931; 256 pp in large format. In an edition of 3000 copies, with lots of b/w photos, this is a magnificent celebration of early USA tennis history. There are chapters by Sears, Davis, Whitman, Clothier, Mallory and Tilden etc., dealing with aspects of the game which interest them. I have discovered a paperback edition of this book, which I did not know existed.

078: edition of 1931 as above; hardback in frayed, rare dustwrapper (small loss). £150

079: edition of 1931 as above; hardback without dustwrapper. £80

080: edition of 1931 as above; paperback. This book is in very good condition. £200

081: "THE KID, A Tennis Lesson" by William T. Tilden; 1st p/b edition 1921; 68 pp +adverts in the Spalding's Athletic Library. It gives me enormous pleasure to find my first copy of this rarest of titles. It formed the basis for his 1922 title "Lawn Tennis For Young Players", a part of his life which eventually brought him down. This copy lacks 10% of the front cover, and has some page edges damaged. It can truly be considered a great find. £250

082: "ATP Tour" and/or "Sanex WTA Player Guides for 2000". A few now available, each at £15

083: "ATP Player Guides" 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999. One of each at £10

084: "Ayres Lawn Tennis Almanacs" 1909 (2nd ed) £150; 1914 (7th ed) £100; 1927 at £75

085: "Boris" by G. Bosch; 1st German large format edtn 1986; 239 pp. Top Becker title. £25

086: "Courting Danger" by Alice Marble; 1st USA ed 1991; 255 pp d/w. Super tennis tale £25

087: "Direct Line Ladies' Championships 2000" at Eastbourne. A nice programme (72 pp; no draws); contains 3 page colour fold-out poster photo of Anna Kournikova (not Tauziat!!!) £4

088: "Martina Navratilova: So bin ich"; 1991; 277 pp. Vecsey's "Martina" in German. £30

089: "Roland Garros Media Guides" 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997. One of each at £15

090: "Roland Garros 2000 Poster"; not one of their greatest efforts but still collectable. £20

091: "World of Tennis Annuals" 1971, 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 89, 91, 93, 95, 98; £15

092: "WTA Player Guides" 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997. each at £10

TO ORDER ANY OF THE ABOVE BOOKS,
PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT FORM

click here for the full menu of previous newsletters