Drawing on an eclectic range of primary and secondary sources Chaplin examines the development of darts in the context of English society in the early twentieth century.He reveals how darts was transformed during the interwar years to become one of the most popular recreations in England, not just amongst working class men and, to a lesser extent, working class women but even (to some extent) among the middle and upper classes. This book assesses the social, economic and cultural forces behind this transformation. This work also considers the growth of the darts manufacturing industry and assesses the overall effect the growing popularity of darts had on interwar society and popular culture, with particular reference to the changing culture and form of the English public house. This original study will be of interest to sports historians, social historians, business historians, sociologists and sports scientists.
Patrick Chaplin is a Research Fellow in History at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge
General editor's forewordIntroduction1 The origin of darts2 The game of darts in England 1900–183 Darts, brewery leagues and the improved public house 1900–394 The organisation and standardisation of darts in the interwar years5 The darts industry from the late nineteenth century to 19396 The darts craze of the 1930sConclusionAppendicesA. Declared aims of the National Darts AssociationB. Official National Darts Association rulesBibliographyIndex
