Excerpt from The Encyclopaedia of Sport, Vol. 1: A-LeoLovers of Sport cannot complain that in recent years their interests have been neglected by English publishers, but, although books devoted to the consideration of Sport continue to multiply apace, no serious effort has been made to produce a national Encyclopedia of Sport.Many editions of Blaine's Encyclopedia of Rural Sports, which first appeared in 1840, were published down to 1870. Blaine announced that he proposed to describe "the progress of each sport to its present state of perfection, " and he acquitted himself creditably. The book was very useful in its day, but its day is past.Football was so slightly regarded when Blaine's work appeared that he actually makes no mention of a game which is now among the most popular of our recreations. Some sports, Cricket for example, have been completely revolutionised during the last fifty years, and others. Badger-baiting and the like, described by Blaine, have disappeared from the catalogue of national amusements, and are here relegated to the article on Obsolete Sport.Blaine's predecessor, Strutt, published in 1801 The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, which was frequently reprinted. This valuable and entertaining book, a mine of antiquarian lore, has no pretension to the name of Encyclopedia, though Strutt pursues his investigations even to the chronicling of "the obsolete sports of the young, " as deduced from old engravings. Among these obsolete sports one is surprised to find games resembling "Blind Man's Buff" and "Leapfrog", though, as the latter is apparently being played by monks and nuns, the monks giving the back. Leapfrog in that particular form may fairly be reckoned among obsolete sports.Strutt, and to a large extent Blaine, worked single-handed, but it is obvious that if an attempt is to be made to cover the whole range of sport, scores of experts must collaborate. The Editor is glad to say that, in answer to his appeal, the leading authorities on every branch of sport have placed their services at his disposal. In not a few cases, indeed, men who have never before published any portion of their complete and carefully acquired knowledge have been prevailed on to break through their habit of silence in favour of this work. Even the less important and unsigned articles have been submitted, to insure all possible accuracy of detail, to the careful revision and scrutiny of experts.The scope of the present work is very wide, and includes many articles on subjects which, though not in themselves sport, are certainly its corollaries. Such are, for instance, "First Aid, " "Taxidermy, " and "Veterinary Work."Of the first-named some knowledge should be in possession of all who take part in sport of any kind, for what sport worthy of the name is free from danger? It is not too much to say that very slight surgical skill on the part of a servant would have prevented a fatal termination to one of the most deplorable of recent accidents on the hill.Of Taxidermy every big-game hunter, be his object science or sport, should have at least such elementary knowledge as shall insure the preservation of specimen or trophy in presentable condition. And of the perpetual use of Veterinary work there can be no need to remind sportsmen.Nor has natural history been neglected, though made subservient to sport throughout.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com