Non Fiction
Category: History, Non Fiction, Sport
Number of pages: 320
ISBN: 9781781722862
Publication date: November 11, 2015
Price: £17.99
The Great War marked a profound change in attitudes to war and the conduct of it. Six million men from the British Isles served in it, 720,000 (12%) were killed. Junior offices had a 20% survival rate; up to 80% of a battalion could be lost. Battle had changed from engagement by professionals to wholesale, mechanized slaughter. The effect on servicemen and those at home was profound, perhaps never more so than in the case of sportsmen, who fought ‘battles’ on the pitch or in the ring according to rules devised for fair play.
Men Who Played the Game explores the development and importance of sport in Britain and the Empire leading up to the outbreak of the First World War, and the part played by sportsmen in the conflict. The book opens with revealing chapters of how various sports – the fans, the governing bodies and the sportsmen themselves – reacted to the outbreak of war.
The bulk of the book tells the stories of individuals and groups of sportsmen, combining accounts of their pre-war sporting success and their military experience. It covers several sports – rugby, football, cricket, athletics, tennis, boxing; social hierarchy – ‘gentlemen’ and ‘players’; several nationalities – English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Australian, New Zealanders; and several theatres of war – Western Front, Gallipoli, Africa, the Middle East. Here are stories about the famous Hearts football team, soccer stars Leigh Roose, Jimmy Speirs and the first mixed race footballer Walter Tull. Rugby Union is represented by All Black captain Dave Gallaher, British Lion David Bedell-Sivright and a swathe of England captains; cricket by the fate of the Kent County side and Booth, Jeeves and Burns: three all-rounders killed on the Somme.
Historian Mike Rees has written an invaluable guide to the relationship of sport and war, to the state of sporting Britain, and a moving testimony to the fate of so many sportsmen.
Mike Rees
Mike Rees was educated at Newbridge Grammar School and, following a period studying law at Leeds Polytechnic, graduated from UCW Aberystwyth where he was awarded both B.A. and M.A. degrees in History. Following a period of two years working as a Health Service administrator in London, Mike decided on a change of career. He successfully completed a PGCE at Goldsmiths College, University of London and for the next thirty years he worked as a teacher in South Wales. After a career in which he was variously Head of History, Head of Humanities and Assistant Head, Mike retired as Deputy Head of West Monmouth School, Pontypool in 2012. During this time Mike has developed a particular interest in The Great War and for the past twenty years has been actively involved in the Western Front Association. He is treasurer of the Gwent Branch of the Association and regularly gives talks to local history societies on aspects of The Great War. When he is not reading his many history, sports or music books, strumming his guitar or following, from the comfort of the armchair, all the major sporting events, especially those involving Welsh rugby, English Cricket and Manchester United, Mike works part time in educational administration. He lives in Newport and is married with two children. Men Who Played the Game is his first book.
