Polo : The Emperor of Games

Rating:
Summary: Milburn's Emperor's Account
Review: Milburn does a marvelous job of discussing the history surrounding the game of Polo. While failing to examine the play of the game itself, Milburn does present an astute assesment of polo's past, present and future. Most noteworthy, is Milburn's astute representation of the origins of the sport. From the "noble" birth of the game to the dangers presented by its initiation into the world of modern professional sports, Milburn presents the reader with a brilliant and relatively objective view of the game. He avoids further facilitation of the aristocratic aura surrounding the sport and notes that increasingly, it is becoming a sport for all classes. He also, rather bravely, notes the inherent dangers of the sport, thus also dispelling any dellusions one might have as to the nobility of a game played solely by kings and princes. In doing so, he is able to instill a sense of reality into a sport that may seem larger than life. Finally, Milburn emphasizes that the sport is about the play itself and not about an image. By retaining this ideal, the game of polo can continue indefinately as a gentleman's sport.