The world has, I suspect, had to wait far too long for the authoritative work on the under-recognised and under-popularised sport or Eton Fives and it can only be with unalloyed pleasure that I am able to review John Reynold's comprehensive account of the practice and conduct of a game which has seldom had to resort to umpires and which has produced, and still produces, ball players of immense talent, whether their skills are to be witnessed on other arenas or not.

It is one of the book's great merits that it communicates to players and coaches of all ranges of experience, technique and ability, the essential skills and thrills of a game which, in my view, has an unique blend of dexterity, chance and physical adeptness. Whoever reads it, whether they have been champions or coaches of champions, or more ordinary mortals, will benefit from the insights into the game - and especially its technigues - that John Reynolds has to offer.

The book is copiously illustrated both photographically and by means of diagrams and shows very well why its author came to the record-breaking eminence he achieved in the game with his erstwhile partner, Brian Matthews. It is, perhaps, sadly ironic that neither of them any longer has 'home' courts to play on.

John Reynolds is to be congratulated on embarking on an undertaking which few, if any, would ever have considered, and making it into such a worthy tribute to a sport which deserves to be much more widely known - the Editor of this Journal has been doing his best!

P.K.D.

Extract from Conference and Common Room
Created 4th June 2003
efa@etonfives.co.uk