An Almanac of Twelve Sports

An Almanac of Twelve Sports is a spirited celebration of the games, pastimes, and obsessions that shaped the sporting imagination of the late nineteenth century. With William Nicholson's sharp, stylish sensibility and Rudyard Kipling's lively, witty verse, the book moves through the year in a series of vivid monthly portraits, each one devoted to a different sport and its particular character, ritual, and delight. From hunting and racing to cricket, golf, boxing, and skating, these pages capture the humor, elegance, and occasional absurdity of competition. The tone is affectionate but never sentimental, admiring the energy of sport while gently teasing its pretensions. What emerges is not just a gallery of athletic pursuits, but a portrait of a culture in motion—one that finds beauty in speed, courage in skill, and meaning in the changing seasons. Playful, polished, and unmistakably of its era, An Almanac of Twelve Sports is a charming blend of art, poetry, and sporting wit. It will delight readers who love classic verse, British sporting tradition, and books that turn everyday pursuits into something vivid, memorable, and full of life. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.