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.