Playing the Game

2007 saw the centenary of scouting and the 150th anniversary of the birth of its founder Robert Baden-Powell. Playing the Game examines the long-lasting legacy of the movement and its forefather. Drawing on Baden-Powells extensive archive it is a rich and evocative selection of his writings on peace?a major theme throughout his career on his own life?drawing from his wonderful idiosyncratic anecdotal autobiography and including a healthy sprinkling of some of Baden-Powells more memorable aphorisms such as "I dont mind confessing I have a weakness for hippos " and "The man who holds the average boys attention for more than seven minutes is a genius " not to mention "Knowledge without character is mere pie-crust." Imbued with a strong sense of the splendor and the old-school Empire feel of Baden-Powells work Playing the Game offers a dazzling window into a world thats gone but whose legacy remains alive not least in the 28 million members of the Scouts Association.