"The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England" is a fascinating book showcasing the universality and necessity to busy ourselves with humor and recreation. Yet, Strutt's book covers strange and outlandish forms of 'fun' from the Dark Ages, medieval age, and the Restoration period, which now would be considered either bizarre or cruel. This includes bear and horse baiting, boat tilting, hawking, and various forms of jesters dressed in motley. The text is accompanied by 140 black and white illustrations sourced from "ancient paintings." This is the new edition issued in 1839; the first edition was published in 1800. It includes an impressive index by William Hone.