{"title":"Gwyn Prescott","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"arthur-gould-book-gwyn-prescott-9781904609124","title":"Arthur Gould","description":"Arthur Gould is the definitive biography of the record-breaking Welsh international player who is widely acknowledged as the first superstar of rugby. Such was his fame and renown, that upon his tragic, early death in 1919, aged just 54, Gould's funeral in Newport was reported as the biggest Wales had ever seen. Nicknamed 'Monkey' due to his childhood fondness for climbing trees, Gould played the majority of his club rugby for Newport RFC and won a then-record 27 Welsh caps; 25 of which were at centre (a record only bettered by Steve Fenwick in 1980); and captained his country 18 times (a record only beaten in 1994 by Ieuan Evans). A true sporting sensation, when he retired in 1899 Gould had played more first-class matches and scored more tries and drop goals than any other player. Gould's superstar status was illustrated late in his career when a testimonial appeal received widespread public support and resulted in the Scottish and Irish unions cancelling their fixtures with Wales in protest at the apparent breach of the game's strict amateur ethos. The controversy deepened when the Welsh Football Union (now the WRU) stood firmly behind their iconic player and withdrew from the International Rugby Board. Fearing that lucrative fixtures with Welsh clubs might be lost and that Wales might join forces with the newly established Northern Union of professional rugby, England's Rugby Football Union brokered a 'one-off' dispensation which enabled Gould to benefit from the testimonial while retaining his amateur status, and ensured that international fixtures were resumed. Comprehensively researched and written by acclaimed rugby historian, Gwyn Prescott, with the full support and encouragement of the Gould family, Arthur Gould - Rugby's First Superstar includes over 100 illustrations and will be enjoyed by all who love rugby and treasure its sporting and cultural heritage.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49543408812305,"sku":"GOR013625012","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49745351409937,"sku":"NGR9781904609124","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51223694082321,"sku":"NIN9781904609124","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52335511732497,"sku":"NLS9781904609124","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1904609120.jpg?v=1751028718"},{"product_id":"birth-of-rugby-in-cardiff-and-wales-book-gwyn-prescott-9781902719436","title":"The Birth of Rugby in Cardiff and Wales","description":"Wales fell in love with rugby over 100 years ago, and this national affair with the game remains as intense and intoxicating today as it was in the late 1800s, when tens of thousands of passionate and expectant supporters would make their way to the Arms Park to see Wales play the best teams in the world and to enjoy the famous match-day atmosphere in Cardiff's bustling town centre. The Welsh obsession for rugby was already evident in 1899 when supporters 'packed' Cardiff's Westgate Street 'from wall to wall' for a Triple Crown decider against Ireland, and an advocate of soccer in Cardiff commented in 1901: 'to carry one of those funny round balls through the streets meant running the gauntlet of curious onlookers'.  Rugby was undoubtedly the sporting heartbeat of Cardiff with over 230 clubs in 1895; but how did this obsession with rugby grip Cardiff and the industrial towns of south Wales, and why did the Welsh quickly become 'this rugby spellbound  people'?  In this new, expanded and heavily illustrated paperback edition, Gwyn Prescott draws on previously unused sources to provide a fresh and fascinating insight into the origins and early years of the game in Cardiff. He outlines how its citizens of all backgrounds, its many distinct districts, and its commercial and religious interests took rugby to their hearts through the growth of clubs, competitions and the establishment of the famous Arms Park as the focal point of rugby in Wales. The Birth of Rugby in Cardiff and Wales is the essential guide to the importance of rugby in Cardiff and to the significance of Cardiff to the development of Welsh rugby in the nineteenth century.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49548602802449,"sku":"GOR009468541","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52486740246801,"sku":"NLS9781902719436","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53373671342353,"sku":"GOR011739681","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1902719433.jpg?v=1751347468"},{"product_id":"call-them-to-remembrance-book-gwyn-prescott-9781902719825","title":"'Call Them to Remembrance'","description":"It is estimated that the First World War claimed the lives of 40,000 Welshmen, all of them heroes whose sacrifice is honoured by a grateful nation. 'Call them to remembrance', which includes 120 illustrations and maps, tells the stories of 13 Welsh heroes who shared the common bond of having worn the famous red jersey of the Welsh international rugby team.  Gwyn Prescott's sensitive and fascinating book, the product of over ten year's research and study, recovers the memory of these thirteen multi-talented and courageous Welshmen who gave their lives in the Great War of 1914-18,   detailing their playing and military careers. Amongst their stories are the leading amateur golfer in Wales who represented Newport at five sports; the Cambridge choral scholar who gave up his job in India to volunteer for the Army; the flying Cardiff winger who impressed Lloyd George; and the \"lion-hearted\" hero of the famous Welsh victory over New Zealand in 1905.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49737638609169,"sku":"NGR9781902719825","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51083084759313,"sku":"NIN9781902719825","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51342843740433,"sku":"GOR012666625","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52613287411985,"sku":"NLS9781902719825","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1902719824.jpg?v=1751436234"},{"product_id":"this-rugby-spellbound-people-book-gwyn-prescott-9781904609186","title":"'this rugby spellbound people'","description":"In this new and updated edition, Gwyn Prescott provides a fascinating insight into the origins and early years of the game in Cardiff. He outlines how its citizens of all backgrounds, its many distinct districts, and its commercial and religious interests took rugby to their hearts through the growth of clubs, competitions and the establishment of the famous Arms Park as the focal point of rugby in Wales.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49751912284433,"sku":"NGR9781904609186","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50682928103697,"sku":"GOR014034121","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51226976551185,"sku":"NIN9781904609186","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52603251753233,"sku":"NLS9781904609186","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/190460918X.jpg?v=1751437897"},{"product_id":"call-them-to-remembrance-book-gwyn-prescott-9781902719375","title":"Call Them to Remembrance","description":"Gwyn Prescott's sensitive and fascinating book recovers the memory of these thirteen multi-talented and courageous Welshmen who gave their lives in the Great War of 1914-18, detailing their playing and military careers.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50645082865937,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50645083160849,"sku":"GOR007713227","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1902719379.jpg?v=1751419963"},{"product_id":"rugby-football-in-nineteenth-century-cardiff-and-south-wales-book-gwyn-prescott-9781860571176","title":"Rugby Football in Nineteenth-century Cardiff and South Wales","description":"In this, the first detailed and original historical study of rugby union  at a local level in Wales, Gwyn Prescott draws on previously unused sources to provide fresh insights into the origins and early years of the game in Wales.  It also throws new light both on the significance of Cardiff to Welsh rugby in the nineteenth century and on the importance of rugby in Cardiff. At the grass roots, the game was dominated by neighbourhood clubs, largely involving working-class and lower middle-class players and administrators, rather than by institutional teams organised by social improvers. At the highest level of competition, an emphasis on civic pride meant that success on the field was more important than social exclusivity. The game was played and supported, therefore, by representatives of all classes within the town which led to rugby becoming the dominant sporting force in what was to become the capital city of Wales.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53382373638417,"sku":"GOR014890455","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53385206202641,"sku":"GOR005820994","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781860571176.jpg?v=1775549405"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/de-de\/collections\/autor-buecher-von-gwyn-prescott.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}