Squash : A History of the Game

Additional Squash : A History of the Game Information

The first comprehensive history of squash in the United States, Squash incorporates every aspect of this increasingly popular sport: men's and women's play, juniors and intercollegiates, singles and doubles, hardball and softball, amateurs and professionals.

Invented by English schoolboys in the 1850s, squash first came to the United States in 1884 when St. Paul's School in New Hampshire built four open-air courts. The game took hold in Philadelphia, where players founded the U.S. Squash Racquets Association in 1904, and became one of the primary pastimes of the nation's elite. Squash launched a U.S. Open in 1954, but its present boom started in the 1970s when commercial squash clubs took the sport public. In the 1980s a pro tour sprung up to offer tournaments on portable glass courts in dramatic locales such as the Winter Garden at the World Trade Center.

James Zug, with access to private archives and interviews with hundreds of players, describes the riveting moments and sweeping historical trends that have shaped the game. He focuses on the biographies of legendary squash personalities: Eleo Sears, the Boston Brahmin who swam in the cold Atlantic before matches; Hashim Khan, the impish founder of the Khan dynasty; Victor Niederhoffer, the son of a Brooklyn cop; and Mark Talbott, a Grateful Dead groupie who traveled the pro circuit sleeping in the back of his pickup. A gripping cultural history, Squash is the book for which all aficionados of this fast-paced, exciting game have been waiting.

What Customers Say About Squash : A History of the Game:

Thoroughly enjoyed reading the background on the creation and evolution of the best sport in the world. Escapes me why it hasn't made it into the Olympics at this point (editorial comment on the state of sport in the world).

I dug those historical tidbits (did you know the Titanic had a squash court). When I asked the squash pro at my club if he'd read Zug's book, he turned up his nose. and the tales of some of the sport's more eccentric players. He found much of the material self-indulgent. As for me - a person who took up the sport at a time when many others my age have retired their rackets - I admired the quality of Zug's writing and the way he unraveled the story of the game's evolution. Yeah, sure, there were some parts of SQUASH which "hit the nick and died" for me, but no big deal. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has been bitten by the SQUASH bug.

Altogether I think this book is definitly a great read, and definitly very useful as a reference if you are writing an essay on the history of squash. This is just my opinion however, so if you don't play squash I still suggest you try reading this book.

Although dense at points, this book really gives a great history of how squash came to be. James Zug takes us through the transformation from a game named fives, first played against a kitchen chimeny wall, to raquets made from bamboo sticks, to the regulation size courts and oversized hyper titanium raquets we know today.

"Squash: A History of the Game" was a very interesting read, and I especially recommend it for all players of Squash. Like I said before, I belive this book is more enjoyable for squash players.

It even explained why "Squash" is called squash, the mysterious question that nobody on my team seems to know the answer to. Im not going to tell you however, you'll have to read it on your own.

Well anyway thats my 2 cents. Four star material.-Jalper

The title of the book is misleading - it is purely about North American squash history.I was expecting write ups on recognized international greats and found nothing.

Except for the very early history of squash in England, do not expect to find much outside the U.S. This book, as the forward by the late George Plimpton indicates, is the first comprehensive history of American squash, and it is a hard act to follow. As such it is pretty much assured "instant classic" status.Problems with the book: 1) The title does not indicate that it is a history of squash in America. and Canada. 2) It is written for the squash player, and will be difficult to read for outsiders--except perhaps as a reference.Good things about the book: Everything else.