The Game of CRICKET: Illustrated By a Series of Pictures in the Museum of The Marylebone Cricket Club Principally from the Collection of the Late Sir Jeremiah Colman.

UK,Qrto HB+dw/dj,1st edn.VG++/VG-.[This dw/dj issued as a replacement for the original full-colour dw/dj,supplies of which are now exhausted (then 1955).] No owner inscrptn,and no price-clip (25/-) to dw/dj.A nondescript, glassine,pale green+white typographically designed dw/dj. Basically a pale green background with white lower-case lettering of 'batsfordbooks' continously repeated in horizontal lines from left to right;and from top to bottom of dw/dj. Negligible shelf-wear to lower edges with some minimal chipping with reciprocal loss to foot of dw/dj's spine/backstrip.Top edges have borne the majority of the creasing, with several tiny closed tears and snicks - with no significant loss - if any at all incurred.Upper panel of dw/dj has a small tear with crease/fold - but no loss - towards the front,right edge,with bright, clean front inner flap with publisher's blurb.Spine/backstrip of dw/dj slightly darkened - as usual/normal.Rear panel of dw/dj slightly grubbed and a clean,blank,rear inner flap.Publisher's bright and generally clean,sharp-cornered,original green cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked cricketing motif (crossed cricket bats behind cricket stumps with a cricket ball in front of,and at foot of stumps) centrally of upper third of front board; slightly oxidised lettering to spine/backstrip with some of the edges minimally sunned; some minimal mottling (damp?) effect to rear board's lower edge and a small water(?) stain/mark to foot of spine/backstrip too. Both front+rear pastedowns near pristine and unmarked. Top edges coloured green with some light fading,fore-edges lightly aged and very lightly,sporadically foxed/ spotted; contents generally bright and clean,tight and solidly bound with some noticeable but minimal,foxing/ spotting to pages of both the first and last signatures (16pp in each) of the book; book's other signatures appear virtually unspotted and foxing free.UK,slim Qrto HB+ dw/dj,1st edn,7-144pp [paginated] includes minimally foxed/spotted contents list/table,similar foxing to the following:- author's acknowledgements,illus list/table and separator page of author's introductory essay (comprising of 6 chapters),a mixture of 35 cricketing-related plates/ illustrations - 17 in colour,Diana Rait Kerr's notes on the b/w+colour illustrations,and an index (with aforementioned spotting/foxing to pages of same).Plus,[unpaginated] spotted/foxed front+rear free endpapers, foxed title page,foxed colour frntis (a painting of W. G. Grace at stumps,by Archibald Stuart-Wortley,1890) and lightly spotted/foxed title page.Described hard but fairly and honestly - is far better than it reads or sounds - particularly considering that the (uncommon) presence of the dw/dj has protected the book possibly,from far more serious,multiple faults/damage!
The Game of Cricket has as long a lineage,and has been as widely celebrated both by writers and by artists,as any the world has known.
For cricket,with its traditions,its ritual and its subtlety,is outstandingly a connoisseur's game.To foreigners it is incomprehensible,but to its devotees,whether Indian, Australian,South African,West Indian or English,it inspires an affection which continues long after active playing days are over.
Sir Norman Birkett is known as one of cricket's most discriminating enthusiasts.In this book he has written an account of the game which is compounded equally of his own experience as a player and as a spectator,and of his knowledge of cricketing history.To Sir Norman Birkett's essay has been added as fine a collection of historic cricket pictures as have ever illustrated a book on the game.In date,these illustrations range from the 18thC pictures of Paul Sandby and Francis Hayman to a contemporary painting of Lord's by Charles Cundall.Some 17 are reproduced in colour and among them are the cream of the collection of the late Sir Jeremiah Colman.Miss Diana Rait Kerr,Librarian to the M.C.C.,has been actively engaged both in the selection of these illustrations and in writing the notes on them which are printed in this book.
Here,it will be generally agreed,is an addition of permanent value to the long and illustrious literature of the Game of Cricket.
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