The Books

Please see below for our list of current titles.

They can be purchased online using our PayPal secure transaction system. Alternatively, send a cheque for the appropriate amount payable to 'Ronaldson Publications' to:
Ronaldson Publications, 34c Blandford Avenue, Oxford OX2 8DY, United Kingdom.

For bulk orders and press enquiries please contact Kathryn McNicoll on info@ronaldsonpublications.co.uk / (01865) 318183.

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Picture Title Author Blurb

The Royal Game Editors: Butler & Wordie A fascinating collection of essays published to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Falkland Palace.

Last few copies.		 Please choose a postage option to see P&P and to make purchases. £8.00
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Tennis - A Cut Above the Rest (DVD) Chris Ronaldson Following the success of the book of this name, Chris made a video, with the help of John Wear. This 25 minute instructional video - now made available on DVD - complements the book, illustrating the flow of strokes, and stresses the importance of correct positioning, preparation to return shots, and footwork. Several professional players demonstrate their skills, including world champions Penny Lumley and Rob Fahey.

Produced 2007		 Please choose a postage option to see P&P and to make purchases. £12.00
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The First Beautiful Game: Stories of Obsession in Real Tennis Roman Krznaric Bent rackets, painted crowns, penthouses and giraffes. Hand-stitched balls that ricochet around a court shaped like a medieval cloister. Fanatical players dedicated to a sport that has hardly changed in four centuries. Welcome to real tennis.

The First Beautiful Game tells the personal stories behind real tennis, the ancient forerunner of lawn tennis. Its obsessives and eccentrics reveal why they play this extraordinary sport, what it means to them, and the unexpected lessons they have learned about ambition, passion, respect and love.

Roman Krznaric is a former journalist and academic who now researches and writes on the art of living. He is one of the top ten amateur real tennis players in the world. Visit his website at www.romankrznaric.com.

'This book is the first to capture the real spirit of the game and its players. It's unique.' - Rob Fahey, Real Tennis World Champion

'This is much more than an enchanting guide to the game of kings. Whatever your favourite sports may be, Roman Krznaric shows you how to expand the enjoyment you derive from them. A warm and imaginative book, full of surprises.' - Theodore Zeldin, author of An Intimate History of Humanity

Published 2006		 Please choose a postage option to see P&P and to make purchases. £10.95
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The First Beautiful Game: Stories of Obsession in Real Tennis

Library edition		 Roman Krznaric Limited edition hardback.
Leather-bound & signed by the author.
Strictly limited to 70 copies.		 Please choose a postage option to see P&P and to make purchases. £75.00
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Real Tennis Kathryn McNicoll

Produced by Shire Publications and authored by our own Kathryn McNicoll, this book is an ideal starting guide to Real Tennis.

Whether you're a newcomer to the game, bewildered by the huge Tennis subculture, or a die-hard fan with a handicap of 20 and a fervent desire to find out more about the variations played around the world, this book is for you!

A Great Christmas present for any of your friends who do not yet play Real Tennis.

Published 2006

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Tennis - A Cut Above the Rest Chris Ronaldson Chris Ronaldson was World Champion of Real Tennis (Royal Tennis in Australia, Court Tennis in the USA) from 1981 to 1987. There was no up-to-date coaching manual on the game so, in 1984, Chris decided to write a book from his own experience as a club professional. It was published in 1985 and has sold over 2000 copies. It is divided into three parts: an explanation of the game, the court, and the equipment, a coaching manual, and an autobiographical section.

This is still considered the best book for someone coming fresh to the game. An unexpected result of the publication was that other authors, unable to interest commercial firms to produce books on a minority sport, approached "RonPubs" to publish their books.
4th Edition - £19.50

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Tennis - The Development of the European Ball Game Roger Morgan

The modern game of Lawn Tennis is not much more than a hundred years old and evolved from Real (Royal or Court) Tennis. In 1555 Antonio Scaino, an Italian theologian, wrote an account of the game as it existed in the 16th century. Dr. Roger Morgan has researched the subject for many years and this book records his findings on the development of the game. For many years it was believed that tennis was first played in monastery cloisters, but Dr. Morgan produced strong evidence that the game started in the streets, among the shops and houses, not just a sport of kings and noblemen but a "people's game". A wide variety of games has sprung from the earliest forms of hand-ball, shown on a freize dated 510 BC on a Grecian tomb. These games range from the pilota played in Spain to the jeu carre of Falkland Palace; from Kaatsen in Holland to Parkspel in Sweden; from Longue Paume in France to Palla in Tuscany, and many others. The laying of chases is not just a perculiarity of Real Tennis, but a feature of many other european ball games. The origins of scoring love - 15 - 30 - 40 - deuce - advantage - game and other terms familiar at Wimbledon are explained in detail. The book is lavishly illustrated, with over 140 paintings, many of them in colour, drawings, woodcuts, and engravings from galleries and libraries across Europe. Published 1984.

Library edition also available. Price: £90. Please email us for details.

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Tudor Tennis - A Miscellany Roger Morgan Lord Abedare writes in his Introduction: "Roger Morgan has already written two books concerning the history of Real Tennis ... together with this book they form a massive trilogy." The author points out that among a few facts, a certain number of red herrings, some pitfalls, and a large amount of circumstantial evidence, it is important that any theory be should based upon facts. He wanders through the streets of London, throwing new light upon some of the older courts which have vanished or are no longer used for play. The book contains many illustrations and colour paintings.

Dr. Morgan died in 2003, but his definitive work on the history and development of Real Tennis will continue to be studied by players and historians alike.

Published 2000

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The Royal Tennis Court David Best The tennis court at Hampton Court Palace is probably the most famous in the world, and certainly has the most colourful history. It is stikingly associated with King Henry VIII, who wagered much there and lost, with Charles I who rebuilt it, with Charles II and William III who altered it, and with George I who converted it to a drawing room. David Best chronicles the history, dealing with the most important matches that have been played thereincluding the World Championships. He also recounts the exploits of the many diverse and, occasionally, eccentric personages who have been associated with the court over the centuries.

The author's research has taken him all over London, uncovering a wealth of material that is new to the tennis fraternity. The result is a fascinating book, covering nearly 500 years from the era when Hampton Court Palace was Cardinal Wolsey's private palace up to the present day.

Published 2003

Two copies of the limited edition are available at £144 per copy. Please email us for details. 		Please choose a postage option to see P&P and to make purchases. £20.00
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