Wimbledon: The Official History

For two glorious weeks every summer, Wimbledon sparkles at the centre of the sporting universe. This is the complete history, over more than 150 years, of The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club and the world's most prestigious tennis Championships. The story goes that in 1877 the All England Croquet Club needed funds to repair a broken pony roller at their ground in Wimbledon so it decided to hold a tournament dedicated to the increasingly popular new pastime of lawn tennis. This beautifully-presented and fully revised and updated edition of popular former BBC commentator John Barrett's seminal history of The Championships tells the story of how a small croquet club in rural Surrey has grown to become the world's most famous tennis club and home to one of the great international sporting events. With additional text bringing the text right up to date and over more than 500 lavishly illustrated pages packed with archive photography and memorabilia from the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, the rich history of Wimbledon and its unique atmosphere - where the highest level of international sport meets an afternoon in an English garden - is magnificently captured in this essential volume.