Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures - (Sports and Games Through History) by Sally Wilkins (Paperback)

About the Book

From the beginning of time, humans have created and passed on to their children sports and games that teach skills, promote leisure, and encourage friendly competition. By studying these sports and games, we learn much about the culture and traditions of our ancestors. Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures focuses on those sports, games, and play rituals from across the globe that were invented and played during the time of the Middle Ages. Teachers, students, and sports enthusiasts will enjoy discovering the early origins of their favorite sports and games, and how they have evolved into the familiar versions of today. They will also learn about many games otherwise lost to history, and find instructions on how to adapt them for modern play.

As one of four books in the series Sports and Games Through History, it is divided into seven regions of the world including: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, The Middle East, North America, and Oceania. Each section describes sports, games, and play rituals for that region, and students can compare and contrast similar sports and games from different regions. Descriptions of equipment, with instructions on making or adapting the game pieces, are given for those students who would like to recreate the games for either multicultural assignments or for fun. This unique book belongs in every library's sports history and multicultural collections.

Book Synopsis

From the beginning of time, humans have created and passed on to their children sports and games that teach skills, promote leisure, and encourage friendly competition. By studying these sports and games, we learn much about the culture and traditions of our ancestors. Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures focuses on those sports, games, and play rituals from across the globe that were invented and played during the time of the Middle Ages. Teachers, students, and sports enthusiasts will enjoy discovering the early origins of their favorite sports and games, and how they have evolved into the familiar versions of today. They will also learn about many games otherwise lost to history, and find instructions on how to adapt them for modern play.

As one of four books in the series Sports and Games Through History, it is divided into seven regions of the world including: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, The Middle East, North America, and Oceania. Each section describes sports, games, and play rituals for that region, and students can compare and contrast similar sports and games from different regions. Descriptions of equipment, with instructions on making or adapting the game pieces, are given for those students who would like to recreate the games for either multicultural assignments or for fun. This unique book belongs in every library's sports history and multicultural collections.

Review Quotes

"Useful for general readers and basic collections of international sports history." --Choice

"[A] unique survey of the history of sports and games. The series is highy recommended for school, public and academic libraries." --Lawrence Looks at Books

"...a good purchase for larger libraries, especially as part of the complete Greenwood series. It's also an important purchase for many academic libraries, especially those catering to a student population studying sports history or recreation." --Reference & User Services Quartlery

"...a lifesaver for students writing reports on medieval cultures across the world...particularly helpful in understanding how sports like archery were played in the medieval world compared to the modern version. This volume is recommended for junior high and high schools. If medieval study is in the elementary school curriculum, you might ask your teachers if this would be a helpful reference for them to use in their planning." --Gale-Reference for Students

"...this readable volume could be useful in several kinds of collections: sports, the Middle Ages, and multicultural studies." --Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

"This reference book will only be useful occasionally, but then it will be a lifesaver for students writing reports on medieval cultures across the world...This volume is recommended for junior high and high schools. If medieval study is in the elementary school curriculum, you might ask your teachers if this would be a helpful reference for them to use in their planning." --Gale-Reference Reviews

About the Author