Royal Melbourne Tennis Club

Compiègne and Tennis - La Paume, Courte et Longue - by Richard Travers

The city of Compiègne has a long association with tennis in both its traditional forms - courte paume (real tennis) and longue paume (outdoor tennis). The first Château (Palais) de Compiègne had a real tennis court and so did the second, which replaced it in the 18th century. The court was in active use until the French Revolution, after which it served other purposes before being converted into a theatre in 1832.

Reproduced here for the first time are the wonderful drawings of the court by JAF Léré, with his annotations and history of tennis, together with details of the last two professionals at the court, Nicolas Cohain and Henry Delahaye.

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 82 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 8

Real Tennis and North Africa - Cayley, Wentworth and Sear - By Richard Travers

This book is published to coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the North African Handicap Doubles Tournament at the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club.

In addition to telling that story, two important but hard-to-find contributions to the history of real tennis are reproduced here. First, George John Cayley's anonymous article in The Edinburgh Review in 1875 and his letters to The Field in the same. year form an important source of information on real tennis, African tennis, and the infant lawn tennis. Second, Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth, writing in The Field in 1927 under the pseudonym of Antiquarius, championed an Egyptian origin of real tennis. Real Tennis and North Africa also includes biographical studies and copious illustrations.

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 108 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 7

ORLEANS: Real Tennis and Pila Palmaria - By Richard Travers & Ian Renard

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 82 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 6

Real Tennis In Geneva - From Faguillon To Pictet - By Richard Travers

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 93 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 5

Chase The Line - The Art of Michael Lindell - Edited by Richard Travers

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 90 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 4

Tennis At Whitehall - Two Hundred and Sixty Glorious Years - By David Best

This book, reflects David Best’s long interest in a site that was the centre of tennis in England in the sixteenth century. Indeed, it has remained centre-stage, given that traces of some of the six courts built there abut Number 10 Downing Street. David draws extensively on the archaeological finds of the 1960s that give information not available to earlier tennis historians.

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 72 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 3

Pau - Real Tennis And Henri De Vaufreland - By Richard Travers

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 88 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 2

Wayne Davies on Real Tennis - Edited by Richard Travers

Sold Out - Included for reference only

Softcover. 260mm x 200mm, 50 pages

Royal Melbourne Tennis Club Monograph Series · Number 1

From Pillar to Post - Chapters on the History of Real Tennis - Edited by Geoffrey Hiller

From Pillar to Post brings to life some of the all-time greats of the early twentieth-century, including Pierre Etchebaster, Jay Gould, Eustace Miles, and Fred Covey. The book sheds a fascing light on the careers and other interests of these prominent player, as well as those extraordinary talented but eccentric tennis-playing families the Lyttons and Blunts.

Hardcover. 240mm x 160mm, 161 pages.

Better Than The Last - By Jonathan Howell

Twenty-three years on from Jonathan's first memoir, 'Better Than the Last' is an exploration of the endlessly fascinating character of Real Tennis and those who either play it, mark it at the highest level, or are merely captivated by its intricate rules and rich history.

There can be no more intimate perspective, too, of the mental geography of the sport's most renowned marker Andrew Lyons or the 2016 world champion, Camden Riviere.

Hardcover. 240 x 162mm, 175 pages.

Njinga - Breaking the Cycle in Africa - By Kate Leeming

When Kate Leeming is not being a Tennis Professional at RMTC, she is travelling the world on her bicycle.

Njinga, Breaking the Cycle, is the story of her astonishing 22,000 kilometre trek by bicycle across Africa. Over and over again it reveals the truth of Africa and its diverse people and cultures, a perspective gained by an intrepid explorer who has cycled the equivalent of twice around the world.

Softcover. 260mm x 187mm, 360 pages.

Out There and Back - By Kate Leeming

Out There and Back is Kate’s personal chronicle of the 25 000-km Great Australian Cycle Expedition. The purpose of the expedition was to promote the importance of, and contribute towards, education for sustainable development. This detailed, often graphic, account of an amazing journey into the heart of Australia is told with style, humour and insight and is also illustrated by 300 full-colour photographs so you can totally immerse yourself in Kate’s journey

Softcover. 260mm x 187mm, 348 pages.

A silk tie for RMTC members only; comes from Jermyn Street, London.

A silk club tie to be worn for any occasion and would make an excellent gift. Made in Italy.