Literature

R.C. Bell, Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations, Dover Publications; Revised edition (1979)

There are many authoritative books on card games and chess, but only a handful on the dozens of other games known to mankind. This excellent handbook by R. C. Bell is a basic reference to board and table games from around the world, and one of the two or three finest books ever written on the subject. Originally published in two volumes in the 1960's, it is now available for the first time in a corrected, one-volume edition.
Mr. Bell's encyclopedic work provides the rules and methods of play for 182 different games: Ma-jong, Hazard, Wei-ch'I (Go), backgammon, Wari, Continental draughts, Pachisi, Japanese chess, Bidou, Domino Loo, Cribbage, and many others. Volume one is divided into chapters devoted to race games, war games, games of position, Mancala games, dice games, and domino games; volume two follows the same arrangement and then proceeds to games with numbers, card games requiring boards, and games requiring manual dexterity. Additional information is furnished on making boards and pieces, and on gaming-counters.
Game players, toymakers, and historians of culture will welcome this guided tour of games from Egypt, Meso-America, the Orient, India, Persia, Rome, Africa, Victorian England, and many other societies. Over 300 illustrations, both photographs and line drawings, add an illuminating counterpoint to the text.

Niko Besnier, Susan Brownell, Thomas F. Carter, The Antropology of Sport, Bodies, Borders, Biopolitics, Oakland: University of California Press, 2018

This book tells the story of Indian polo from the earliest incarnation of the modern game in Manipur right up to the present day. From the British tea planters and army officers in India who first witnessed the game in the early 1800s to the Indian Army, which made an enormous contribution to keeping polo alive after Independence, this fast-paced and exciting sport has attracted a legion of loyal fans. Traditionally a royal sport, the Indian princely states of Patiala, Jodhpur and Jaipur did much to advance the popularity of polo in the early twentieth century, producing some truly iconic players. In the 1980s the sport was revived by another princely state Udaipur.

Robert Potter Elmer (Author), Nabih Amin Faris (Translator), Arab Archery: An Arabic Manuscript of About A.D. 1500, Martino Fine Books, 2016

2016 Reprint of the 1945 edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. When it was first published, this was the first work on the subject from the medieval Arab world that had been made available in English. The original manuscript which formed the basis for this translation is contemporary with Ascham's "Toxophilus", which is considered the only source of detailed knowledge of English archery. The Arabic manuscript is thorough and authoritative, evidently the work of an expert bowman. It can still serve as a textbook on archery to this day.

Jürgen Wasim Frembgen, Paul Rollier, Wrestlers, Pigeon Fanciers and Kite Flyers: Traditional Sports and Pastimes in Lahore, Oxford University Press, 2014

In today's Pakistan the dominant conservative mindset tends to marginalize leisure activities. However, traditional sports and pastimes, games and play, entertainment and amusement are an expression of happiness and joy and an integral part of popular culture. They represent a cultural system and preserve cultural values.

The dimension of playfulness inherent in traditional sports and pastimes is clearly articulated in the culture of the Punjab in general and of Lahore in particular, especially in the Walled City. The popular pastimes selected for this study, namely wrestling, flying pigeons and kite fighting, are almost emblematic of the Walled City, an urban space where wrestlers, pigeon fanciers and kite flyers appear to be the veritable custodians of Lahori culture.

This is the first book that details these traditional sports and pastimes, which, the authors argue, form an integral part of social life in Pakistan and create important bonds between various communities.

This ambitious and fascinating history considers why, in the space of sixty years between 1850 and 1910, football grew from a marginal and unorganised activity to become the dominant winter entertainment for millions of people around the world.
The book explores how the world’s football codes - soccer, rugby league, rugby union, American, Australian, Canadian and Gaelic - developed as part of the commercialised leisure industry in the nineteenth century. Football, however and wherever it was played, was a product of the second industrial revolution, the rise of the mass media, and the spirit of the age of the masses.

Table of Contents
1.The Failure of the Football Association 2. Before the Beginning: Folk Football 3. The Gentleman’s Game 4. Sheffield: Football Beyond the Metropolis 5. The End of the Universal Game 6. From the Classes to the Masses 7. Glasgow: Football Capital of the 19th Century 8. The Coming of Professionalism 9. Women and Football: Kicking against the Pricks 10. Rugby Football: A House Divided 11. Melbourne: A City and Its Football 12. Australian Rules and the Invention of Football Traditions 13. Ireland: Creating Gaelic Football 14. Football and Nationalism in Ireland and Beyond 15. American Football: The Old Game in the New World 16. Canadian Football: Between Scrum and Snapback 17. Rugby League Football: From People’s Game to Proletarian Sport 18. The 1905-06 Football Crisis: North America 19. The 1905-06 Football Crisis: Rugby 20. Soccer: The Modern Game for the Modern World 21. The Global Game

Brian J Sorrells, Beginner's Guide to Traditional Archery, Stackpole Books, 2004

Easy-to-understand instruction for traditional archery Covers both target shooting and bowhunting Includes the author's exclusive tiered training program for instinctive shooting with in-depth advice on selecting bows, arrows, and accessories.The popularity of traditional archery has exploded in recent years, and this handy, readable guide serves as the perfect introduction for anyone looking to break into the sport.
From selecting arrow shafts to refining your form to entering your first tournament, it explains in straightforward, no-nonsense prose how to get started.
Whether you've never shot an arrow or are making the move from compound bows, you're certain to benefit from the author's time-tested training program for instinctive shooting, which develops a foundation of shooting skill through repetition.

Miguel Pic,Pere Lavega-Burgués, Jaume March-Llanes, Motor behaviour through traditional games, Educational Studies, Volume 45, 2019 - Issue 6

This work studied if decision-making differences between girls and boys existed in different versions of the traditional game called la pelota sentada according to their roles, sub-roles (decisions), valence (cooperation or opposition) and level of adjustment (effectiveness) of motor behaviours. One hundred and twelve compulsory secondary education and further education pupils took part in the study. The age range was 12 to 17 years (M = 14.2; SD = 2.2). The observational design was nomothetic, one-time and multidimensional. A mixed system of registration “ad hoc” was designed. Univariate analyses were performed using contingency tables, and for multivariate analysis the CHAID classification tree statistical technique was used. The study enabled us to assess the effectiveness of the players’ motor behaviour types and to expose a system of asymmetrical motor relationships underlying the superficial view of a motor game. The study verified decisions, asymmetric motor relations and different effectiveness in the behaviour of girls and boys.

L. Gougaud, La soûle en Bretagne et les jeux similaires du Cornwall et du Pays de Galles, Annales de Bretagne et des pays de l'Ouest Année 1911 27-4 pp. 571-604 (https://www.persee.fr/doc/abpo_0003-391x_1911_num_27_4_1374)

Steve Craig, Sports and games of the ancients, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002
Sports enthusiasts will find this volume a valuable resource for discovering the earliest beginnings of our modern-day sports.
Divided according to seven geopolitical regions of the world, Sports and Games of the Ancients describes the sports, games, and play of our earliest ancestors. Their need for survival in often hostile conditions enable them to develop skills such as long distance running or archery, and these skills were then practiced in friendly competitions that evolved into our modern-day marathons and Olympic events. Covering such games as Africa's mancala and senet, the martial arts of Asia, the log run and Tejo of Latin America, and the boomerang and surfing of Oceania, this volume provides a solid picture of the sports and games of our ancient ancestors.

Juegos y Deportes Autóctonos y Tradicionales de México
Autor: Federación Mexicana de Juegos y DD.AA.TT.
Editorial: Trillas.
Año: 2009.
Idioma: Español.
Historia y recopilación de los juegos y deportes autóctonos mexicanos.

Action, recreation and development of physical and mental skills are common factors of games and sports. In this book, the only one of its kind in Latin American history, the group of recreational activities inherited by the pre-Hispanic cultures from Mexico is presented, many of which are still practiced in different communities of our country. The description of each of these games and sports is an invitation to recover free, recreational and enjoyable activity in which not only children and youth. If not adults can also have fun through physical exercise and the development of intellectual skills. Compilers refer to the origin of each activity, refer to the place where it is practiced and clearly explain how it is executed. The work is aimed at physical education teachers from preschool to high school who can implement these games and sports at school, as complementary activities in order to balance and train students. Its content is also of interest to parents looking for healthy and dynamic entertainment for their children.

Nardo, Don Arts, leisure, and sport in ancient Egypt. Lucent Books, San Diego, Calif, 2005
The many arts and crafts at which the Egyptians excelled and the numerous leisure pastimes they pursued are examined in detail in this enlightening book. Among the crafts covered are pottery- and glass-making, spinning and weaving, painting, sculpture and jewelry-making. Other chapters are devoted to Egyptian writing systems and literature, as well as activities such as music, dancing, wrestling, archery and hunting.

J.W. (Bill) Fitsell, How hockey happened, Pictorial History of the Origins of Canada's National Winter Game, Quarry Press, 2008

A book by hockey historian J.W. (Bill) Fitsell, who puts to rest the longstanding debate over hockey's origin. How Hockey Happened tells the real story of the game's roots in a number of 19th century stick-ball games -- Native American gugahawat and European hurling, shinty, bandy, and field hockey, as well as North American shinny, ricket, and ice polo.

N Sathiya Moorthy, Jallikattu: New Symbol of Tamil Angst, Vitasta Publishing Pvt. Ltd, 2018

In mid-January 2017, the Tamil Nadu witnessed mass protests throughout the State, demanding the restoration of the martial bull-taming sport of Jallikattu, a cultural tradition, banned for several years by the Supreme Court of India. For the first time since the anti-Hindi agitation of the Nineteen Sixties, southern Tamil Nadu witnessed a similar kind of public frenzy of peaceful consolidation as never before.
But with a singular difference...
Unlike the anti-Hindi agitation in the State or any other popular protest elsewhere in the country post-Independence, there was no readily identifiable organiser or leaders for the ‘Restore Jallikattu’ protests. It was not just about the sport alone, but more about what the Tamil people felt was an ‘increasing and deliberate’ alienation of their interests–-by the Centre, the neighbouring States, their own Tamil Nadu government and polity--with adequate judicial attestation.
This book analyses the issues and causes of such alienation, starting with how an inadequate understanding of the cultural significance and contemporary relevance of Jallikattu led to a Constitutional impasse. But it goes beyond it, too, defining the 'Tamil angst' in black and white.

Mapping of traditional sports and games (TSG) in Europe - Final report - Study
Published: 2016-07-18
Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (European Commission)

a This mapping of Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) aims at gaining a better understanding of the landscape of organisations active in the field of TSG, at identifying and analysing a number of key actions and interesting initiatives across the European Union (EU). It also seeks to inform decision-makers on possibilities to support TSG at EU level by providing recommendations on potential actions and initiatives.
The publication is available: https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e920adf5-9a9b-11e6-9bca-01aa75ed71a1

In these links you can obtain the free book:
https://portal.edu.gva.es/cefireae/wp-content/uploads/sites/217/2020/04/Els-jocs-en-la-hist%C3%B2ria-Definitiu-Llibre-Actes-congr%C3%A9s.pdf

G. Whitney Azoy, Buzkashi: Game and Power in Afghanistan, Waveland Pr Inc; 3 edition, 2011
Much has happened since Buzkashi: Game and Power in Afghanistan first appeared; the past three decades have devastated Afghanistan. Replete with significant updates, including a new chapter profiling Afghanistan's past and recent struggles, this richly illustrated Third Edition remains the first and only full-scale anthropological examination of a single sport, buzkashi, as well as a beautifully written longitudinal case study about the game s social significance.
Azoy first describes how the game of buzkashi is played and introduces readers to its rich history, its roots in tradition, and the implicit and explicit meanings attached to it. Next, readers learn about the author's fieldwork and his ex-pat diplomatic experiences, including his personal journey toward understanding the complexities of this ancient game with its "wild-card quality." Azoy's captivating descriptions and his incisive analysis of buzkashi as a metaphor for political control and chaos, provide a window into the volatile nature of Afghanistan's political autonomy.

Antonio Mendez Muñiz, Pelota vasca en Cuba 1930-1960. Volumen primero: Cesta punta Tapa blanda, 1995

“The Story of Catch” (2019) by Ruslan C Pashayev, a pro-wrestling history enthusiast from Delaware, Ohio, USA.

This book presents a pivotal study in restoring the history of Lancashire Catch Wrestling. Seven years of research in libraries, local studies, archives, museums, memoirs of individuals, historical books, documents, newspapers, magazines, and even in registration/record offices have all played a part in unearthing the truth about the origin and evolution of Lancashire Catch Wrestling.

This story has many heroes who affected Catch in its early stages and remained in history as true symbols of Lancashire Wrestling. But the whole story is dedicated to the memory of Adam Ridings of Bury, Lancs (1819-1894), who was also known under the nickname of “Dockum of Bury” a pioneer of Catch Wrestling, and the most prominent and popular wrestler of Lancashire in the 1840’s-1850’s.

“The Story of Catch” covers the earliest and most forgotten stages of Lancashire's Catch Wrestling history. Many of the most important subjects within that are covered in this work.

Various folk wrestling styles which were historically practiced in different parts of England.

Catch-as-catch-can. The history of the term and different kinds of Catch Wrestling in England.

Introduction of old Catch Wrestling by the immigrants from Continental Europe in East Lancashire and West Yorkshire in 14-17 centuries

Professional Up and Down Fighting and its major centers in East Lancashire, Pre-1800s.

Introduction of Modern Catch Wrestling in East Lancashire, 1820s.

Professionalism and Rules of the Game.

The first pro wrestling superstars, 1840s-50s.

The Golden Era of Catch Wrestling. The Earliest Championship Titles.
The Great Champions of the 1860s.

The Era of Claimants, Post-1860s.

The Lancashire Superstars in America, 1870s-1900s.
The Wrestling Boom in Great Britain, 1899-Pre WW1.

Catch Wrestling in XX century (Britain, North America, and Continental Europe).

For anyone with a serious interest in history of pro wrestling “The Story of Catch” is a must.

Bruce R. Bethers, Jose A. Caracena, Gabriel García, Kazuo Ito Goshin Jutsu - Traditional Judo, 2019

In this book you will find the study about the method of personal defense (Goshin Jutsu) of the teacher Kazuo Ito, who was undoubtedly the best student of Kyuzo Mifune.
Both were exceptional Judokas, defenders of tradition, of the highest values of Budo and to protect the legacy of Jigoro Kano.
Kyuzo Mifune and Kazuo Ito followed the teachings and advice of Jigoro Kano and years after his death they continued to teach the world a Judo complete, including in their works and videos various types of techniques that are not used today in sports Judo, as for example dislocations of dolls, knees, ankles, atemi waza and different forms of self-defense

The book about Ranggeln from Günther Heim

Alexandre Bidon, Robert Henri Bautier, Pierre Bony, Jeux, sports et divertissement, au Moyen Âge at à l’ Âge classique, Actes du 116e Congrès National des Sociétés Savantes, Chambéry 1991, Paris, Année de parution : 1993

Le présent volume reproduit dix-neuf communications présentées au 116e Congrès national des Sociétés savantes, à Chambéry en 1991. Un rapport introductif de J.-M. Mehl dresse un état des lieux historiographique et bibliographique. Deux études régionales suivent, qui visent à appréhender globalement, dans le temps et l’espace social, les jeux, fêtes et divertissements dans le Poitou (R. Favreau) et le Centre (R. Germain) du Moyen Âge. La pratique du jeu, de hasard ou d’adresse, fait l’objet d’une deuxième section : pratique individuelle de rois, du Philippe Auguste adulte (R.-H. Bautier) au Louis XIII enfant (Th. Depaulis), sur lesquels la documentation, comptable ou médicale, permet de jeter une vive lumière ; pratique collective d’anonymes dont seules la violence, la criminalité et la répression judiciaire permettent de connaître les gestes et les motivations. Beaucoup plus obscure, la pratique de ce que nous définissons aujourd’hui comme sport, voit converger des disciplines et des sources variées : lexicographie et histoire des idées lorsqu’il faut étudier la doctrine chez un Hugues de Saint-Victor (M. Lemoine) ; iconographie et archéologie lorsque l’historien recherche les traces les plus modestes des activités ludiques liées à l’hiver (D. Alexandre-Bidon) ou à l’eau (C. Gouédo-Thomas) ; étude des textes normatifs réglementant la Compagnie des chevaliers tireurs de Chambéry (P. Chappaz). Les sources se font en général plus riches pour les fêtes et célébrations collectives : des courses de taureau (A.M. Rodrigues) aux réceptions obligées dans les villes (J.-P. Leguay), de l’art progressivement affiné de la basse-danse (C. Ingrassia) au périple du convoi funèbre de René II de Laval en 1533-1534 (P. Bony) ; des fêtes de chevalerie bourguignonnes (J.-P. Jourdan) et angevines (Chr. de Mérindol) aux divertissements publics portugais (M.J. Palla) et savoyards (A. Mansau), se perçoit l’écho, aussi profond que divers, de mises en scène lourdes de sens.

Irving L Finkel, Colin MacKenzie, Asian games: the art of contest. New York: Asia Society 2004

Asian Games: The Art of Contest highlights the paramount importance of Asia as a source of chess, backgammon, pachisi, go, playing cards, polo, and many other games now played worldwide. By exploring the evolution and social functions of games in Asia and their transmission to other regions, this exhibition illuminates significant, yet unfamiliar aspects of Asian cultures and their legacy.
Asian Games is organized into four broad categories: Chance includes the games of dice, pachisi (Parcheesi), and the Indian game that inspired Snakes and Ladders; Strategy explores games in which positions and battlegrounds are paramount, such as chess and weiqi. Memory and Matching looks at playing cards, dominoes, and mahjong; and Power and Dexterity examines physical games like kickball and polo. In each section, examples of games and depictions of their use help all visitors, from the playful to the scholarly, explore how games were adopted into new cultural contexts, how they reflected traditional roles of power, class, and gender, and many other fascinating topics.

Robert Crego, Sports and Games of the 18th and 19th centuries, Greenwood Press. Sports & Recreation, 2003

Many of today's sports and games have their roots in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their history allows you to get to know the life and culture of that world. Great Britain played an important role, which, being a global power, had a particularly strong impact on sport. Using the dominant role, Great Britain promoted many Western sports according to certain rules, limiting traditional sports and games in regions that it colonized, e.g. in Africa. The publication shows the rules of many sports and games of that period.