The First Beautiful Game: Stories of Obsession in Real Tennis

by Roman Krznaric

The First Beautiful Game tells the personal stories behind real tennis; its obsessives and eccentrics, why they play this extraordinary sport and the unexpected lessons they have learned about ambition, passion, respect and love.

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to create change. His latest book is the international bestseller The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World. His previous books, including Empathy, The Wonderbox, How to Find Fulfilling Work and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 25 languages. He is Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum. His new book, History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity, is published in July 2024.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's love for the game is intense, though he is not afraid to point out the flaws in real tennis' oversight and criticize those who are unwilling to bring the game into the 21st century. The book is mostly comprised of a series of pieced together vignettes about its history. There are also more cohesive sections in which he profiles the modern influential figures of the game such as Wayne Davies and Chris Ronaldson. I could have done without the fictionalized trial in which he imagines famous figures from real tennis past questioning his dedication to the game.

[Alvar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice way to get a feel for Real Tennis in the UK, and of the people who play it.