Polo in Britain: A History (edition 2012)

Even though I didn't know much about polo, I thought this book taught me a great deal. Written in a text book manner it really told the history of English Polo and everything you could ever possibly want to know about polo. I think it is a really good read if you want to learn about polo. The author does get a little bit dry in the history part but it is enjoyable and easy to digest. ( )

This book describes the history of Polo in Great Britain starting from its origins when it was brought over from India by British soldiers to today. It does go into detail about the different Polo clubs and how they were started plus going into how the game of polo did go abroad. The different competitions are explained in the book and how they did originate. The handicapping system in Polo is explained a little bit and even how there are different competitions for the different skill levels in Polo. It also talked about the royal family's involvement in the game of polo even today. There are times though that the book does read such as a dry history book even though I did learn something about the game of polo. ( )

"Polo in Britain" is a very informative and comprehensible history of the great sport of Polo. The book, though in textbook format, was a very easy read. Many text books present their information in a cut-and-dry format, meant to force the facts and dates down the reader's throat. This book, however, makes the information enjoyable to read, and easy to digest. Overall, a wonderful read and a great compilation of the sport's history.

"Polo in Britain" is part of the author’s larger series of polo, including texts on the development of polo in general and in other locations. This sweeping series covers, in much detail, the entire history of polo. "Polo in Britain" reviews players and games from the 1860s through 2011. There are special chapters on polo in art, current issues facing polo, women in polo, and appendixes listing winners of all major games. An eight-page color insert is included as well as a thorough index and bibliography.

That being said, this 364-page tome is more of a textbook than one made for light (or even in-depth) reading. Being an American, I had to keep a map of the UK handy at all times. Several of the paragraphs required rereading for comprehension. There are SO many names, titles, and locations that it seems like the book could have been a big list instead; it was a bit dry at times. Aside from the depth of the material, there is little to fault with this book – perhaps more photographs would be appreciated. The conversational language used by the author helps immensely, and he has wrangled together material from several sources and made it into one coherent account. Kudos, Mr Laffaye. ( )

Polo in Britain is an indepth history of the sport of polo in Britain, from the time it was first introduced to the present. The stars, both man and horse, are discussed, along with many other interesting bits of polo history. While the writing is fine and entertaining in spots, I did find the long lists, such as the founding of various small polo clubs (many which don't exist today) to be tedious. However, for someone researching either polo or a community history, this book would be extremely helpful. ( )