There is something melancholic reading about a world that no longer exists but that was real to you. To think that when this was written everybody played games all the time. It’s what we all did for fun. If this were written now nobody would read it and I guess the fact that such a big seller in its day has all of 88 ratings on goodreads just goes to show the likely truth of that. My copy is inscribed ‘To Davis, in anticipation of another keen contest on the tennis court. Kathryn’.

What might Davis have learned in advance of that contest? Perhaps he took note of the pages on

rest here:


http://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/the-theory-and-practice-of... ( )

There is something melancholic reading about a world that no longer exists but that was real to you. To think that when this was written everybody played games all the time. It’s what we all did for fun. If this were written now nobody would read it and I guess the fact that such a big seller in its day has all of 88 ratings on goodreads just goes to show the likely truth of that. My copy is inscribed ‘To Davis, in anticipation of another keen contest on the tennis court. Kathryn’.

What might Davis have learned in advance of that contest? Perhaps he took note of the pages on

rest here:


http://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/the-theory-and-practice-of... ( )

För den som vill lära sig vinna i idrott – huvudsakligen gentlemannaidrott, som golf, cricket eller tennis – utan att vare sig öva alltför mycket, fuska eller ens vara direkt osportslig finns ett osvikligt hjälpmedel i Stephen Potters The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: or, the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating. Speciellt det där med sportslighet är viktigt i sammanhanget: det här är inte en samling av simpla, fula trick som att hosta när motståndaren koncentrerar sig, utan helt andra sätt att bringa honom ur balans: genom att i konversation få honom att bli medveten om sitt spel, genom att innan matchen »glömma« saker och tvinga honom stressa upp sig, genom att vid den gemensamma middagen få honom att betala allt och honom att påminna sig detta först på banan: helt enkelt genom attacker på hans psyke via fronter där han har en ärlig chans att försvara sig, inte genom fult utnyttjande av olappbara brister.

Naturligtvis skall detta inte tas alltför allvarligt; det är tveksamt hur värdefulla tipsen egentligen är. Däremot är de för de mesta väldigt roliga, speciellt exemplen och de hejdlösa illustrationerna (läsare av mer studentikosa tidskrifter känner igen humorn). I ett av exemplen, vilket behandlar nyttjandet av föresvävade handikapp, lyckas vinnaren stjäla sympatierna genom att låtsas vara hjärtsjuk när motståndaren hela tiden haltat lite.

Man får dock inte bara lära sig vinna, utan även hur man i längden skall få ett övertag, eller få en förlust att se ut som en vinst. Man får specialtips för tennis, bridge, schack, golf och biljard (däremot inte cricket, som sägs bara bestå av spelmannaskap).

Potter har även skrivit böcker om andra typer av mannaskap, men dessa tycks ej finnas i tryck för närvarande. Synd, för av denna bok att döma vore de nog så intressanta. ( )

Picked this up cheap at a book sale, not really knowing what it was. I was a third of the way through before I began to suspect it was intentionally humourous. Nothing actually confirms that in my edition, but for the inside back cover. It's so well written, in such a true-to-type style, I was completely hoodwinked. If I hadn't clued in sooner, the section on Chess would have given it away; I love the Potter Opening and other recommended approaches for garnering a sparkling reputation over the board while having no real talent whatsoever. Even not being a particular enthusiast of most of the sports mentioned, I could well imagine the author's advice being applied to my own games of choice. Don't miss the appendices, which divulge some particularly good examples of gamesmanship in action. ( )

The first, and by far the best, in Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship series, this is one of the funniest books I have ever read.
It was published just after the war, in 1947, and is a reflection of the British humour of that time - on a par with Lawrence Durrell's Chancery stories and the incomparable Michael Green with his Coarse series.
What makes Gamesmanship so funny is that it makes perfect sense and is merely a formalised account of the niggling little ways we try and put down our oppoenents and boost our own esteem - sub-conscious psychological warfare.
Once it has been pointed out however, it takes a brave - or conscienseless - sportsman to deliberatly bring the gambits and wheezes into play! ( )