Darts in England, 1900-39: A Social History is a unique study of darts and society. By drawing on an eclectic range of primary and secondary sources Patrick Chaplin examines the development of darts in the context of English society in the early twentieth century, concentrating principally upon key developments between 1918 and 1939. From its base in the working-class, male-dominated bar of the English public house, Chaplin 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 degree) among the middle and upper classes. This book assesses the social, economic and cultural forces behind this transformation. Chaplin's research reveals that the alcohol industry (in the form of brewers and licensees) used darts as part of its strategy to improve pubs and combat threats to the drinks trade, that the National Darts Association standardised and codified the game and that the mass media, especially the Sunday newspapers, supported darts through reportage and the sponsoring of major competitions. 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. Book jacket.