THE SECRET LIFE OF TWICKENHAM: THE STORY OF RUGBY UNION'S ICONIC FORTRESS,THE PLAYERS,STAFF AND FANS.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.[Complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 (2014 2016 2018 2017 2015).] FINE+/FINE+.As new, wrapped+ protected from day of issue/purchase,so no owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp, clean,matt,b/w photograph superimposed to colour photographic background illustrated front panel of dw/dj, with red+white lettering,rear panel with b/w photograph; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips,unread - apart from my own collation.Publisher's bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered original plain white cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked fluorescent red gilt letters to spine/backstrip and immaculate plain black endpapers. UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,vii-xvpp+1-256pp [paginated] includes foreword by Lawrence Dallaglio,OBE.,an introduction,15 chapters,8pp contemporary b/w +colour (the majority) photographs in 1 block, between pp128/9, sources,acknowledgements and an index; plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages and a contents list/ table.
Twickenham Stadium is rightly venerated as the home of Rugby Football Union (RFU).While it may bask in this fame, the stadium's beginnings were very humble.The land it was built upon was purchased in 1907 and would subsequently become the home to the Harlequins who would play the first ever match against Richmond.The first England test match didn't take place until 1910 and a home win ensured things got off on the right footing but cows,sheep and horses would be grazing on the pitch just four years later as the stadium became a farm during the First World War.The first Varsity match was played in December 1921, by which time the popularity of Twickenham had soared. Extra accomodation was created in the North Stand,built in 1925 by the legendary football stadium architect,Archibald Leitch.By 1931,the famous 'Twickenham Look' had come about.When the Second World War arrived,the ground became a Civil Defence depot,and the closest it got to being hit by enemy action was in July 1944 when a V1 flying bomb fell in the front garden of a house opposite the West Gate, injuring sixteen people.The car park was dug up and - appropriately given its original use - turned into allotments to generate much needed fresh food for the locals.The stadium today is at the heart of a multi-million pound business that the RFU controls,but how does it generate so much money from this one plot of land? With such a colourful and celebrated history 'The Secret Life of Twickenham' will dig deeper into it's history to reveal the many men and women,cutting across all social backgrounds, jobs,and positions within the RFU who have helped to build this iconic stadium into a globally recognised brand.It will reveal to all fans of rugby union the true history of the most iconic sports stadium in the British Isles with a compendium of facts,dates, figures and revealing anecdotes of England's sporting fortress. Please contact seller @ rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk ,because of the weight/value of this item for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. **N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence, then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **