Newton, A.J. – Boxing with a Section on Single Stick

Description

Newton, A.J. – Boxing with a Section on Single Stick. 1907 123-pages. Published: C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd., Henrietta Street, London. Somewhat grubby covers otherwise in good condition. The inner front hinge is loose and there’s a handwritten name of a former owner in pencil on the frontispiece. Otherwise the book is in good condition internally.

The 1907 edition of Boxing: With a Section on Single-Stick is a classic Edwardian instructional manual written by Andrew J. “A.J.” Newton. Newton was a highly regarded physical culture expert and the British Amateur Lightweight Boxing Champion of 1888 and 1890. Originally published in London in 1904, the 1907 printing served as a popular, practical handbook for young men looking to learn self-defense and athletic conditioning.

A detailed physical and structural breakdown of this collectible volume includes:
📖 Publication & Overview
• Author: A.J. Newton
• Publisher: C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd. (London)
• Format: Small octavo (8vo), featuring 124 pages of primary text, usually accompanied by a few pages of period publisher advertisements at the front or rear.
• Content: The book delivers direct, technical instructions on Edwardian boxing tactics, ring strategy, and physical preparation. It concludes with a dedicated section on single-stick (a form of martial arts using a wooden cane or stick with a basket hilt, used to train for backsword fencing) and the quarterstaff.

🥊 Comprehensive Chapter Index
The manual breaks down the sport into highly specific tactical elements:
• Foundations: The Value of Boxing, Positions in Boxing, Boxing Gloves, and The Boxer’s Wind.
• Offense & Defense: Leading, The Guard, Ducking and Side-Stepping or Slipping, and The Counter Time Hit or Stop.
• Fight Scenarios: The Knock-out Blow, The Clinch, and Fouls.
• Logistics & Rules: Miscellaneous Hints, The Judge and Referee, Training For Boxing, Rules of Boxing, and Boxing Records.

🎨 Cover Design & Aesthetics
• Binding: The book was issued in original pictorial cloth-covered boards. Like many of C. Arthur Pearson’s practical sports handbooks from that decade, it features a stylized, stamped cover illustration depicting boxers in a classic pugilistic stance.
• Illustrations: The text is richly illustrated throughout with black-and-white line drawings and diagrams demonstrating proper footwork, guarding stances, punch delivery, and stick-fighting grips.

🔍 Historical Value & Modern Legacy
This manual captures the transition era of boxing as it firmly moved away from bare-knuckle prize fighting into modern, regulated Queensberry rules. It became such a staple of early 20th-century physical culture that the publisher reprinted it multiple times (including a 1919 edition), and it was later honored with a modern replica edition by Bloomsbury Publishing.