An old Etonian? A recent Wykehamist? Remember the good old days at Edinburgh Academy?
If you have fond memories of boarding school or are a sports historian then you will find this book fascinating.
Malcolm Tozer has collated the pre-rugby early codes of football from an array of public schools in the 19th century, including Edinburgh Academy where an annual fixture of a shinty-like game called Hailes (once also played at the Royal High School) is still played.
If you’re a soccer fan or didn’t attend a boarding school you may be gritting your teeth. (I’d recommend you watch The English Game on Netflix instead)
However, this microscope into the lives of the 19th-century teenage gentry is an excellent collection of historical anecdotes and factoids which will undoubtedly be of interest to the right reader. If that’s you, then prepare for a hit of nostalgia and a history lesson rolled into one.
Puddings, Bullies & Squashes, by Malcolm Tozer, published by Sunnyrest Books, £19.
[review rating=”4″ align = “left”]
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