Ons Toetsprestasies by Danie Craven
Ons Toetsprestasies (Collectible Antiquarian Afrikaans First Edition)
’n Unieke en Kosbare Kontemporêre Kroniek van die Springbokke se Goue Era deur die Onverganklike “Dok” Danie Craven
’n Unieke en Kosbare Kontemporêre Kroniek van die Springbokke se Goue Era deur die Onverganklike “Dok” Danie Craven
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Ons Toetsprestasies
- Author: Dr. Danie Craven
- Publisher: Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel, Johannesburg
- Publication Date: 1955
- ISBN-13: Not Applicable (Pre-ISBN Era)
- Edition Details: First Edition, Standard Hardcover Release.
- Binding: Original publisher's light green cloth boards, boldly lettered in black on the spine and upper cover, accompanied by the scarce original pictorial dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), pp. [vi] + 166. Richly enhanced with classic black-and-white photographic plates archiving historic test matches and legendary line-ups.
- Language: Afrikaans
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Good (G)
- Exterior / Boards: The original light green cloth boards are structurally sound, square, and firm, with the black lettering on the spine and front face remaining clearly legible. Shows standard age-toning and light shelf friction along the edges.
- Interior: The text block is soundly bound and complete. Internal pages and photographic plates show occasional light, vintage foxing, completely characteristic for South African paper stock of the 1950s. Displays historic tape transfer marks on the front and rear pastedowns from a previous protective covering. Completely free of modern ink underlining, highlighting, or missing pages.
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The Dust Jacket: Good (G)
- Condition Description: The scarce original pictorial jacket is present. It shows signs of vintage wear, including general age-tanning, edge-wear, and minor paper loss at the head and tail of the spine panel. It has been neatly preserved with archival tape reinforcing to the reverse side to prevent further splitting. A highly acceptable and honest copy of an incredibly fragile jacket.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1955, Ons Toetsprestasies is an invaluable piece of antiquarian Springbok rugby literature, penned during the absolute peak of South Africa's post-war rugby dominance. Written by the national coach himself, Dr. Danie Craven, this book offers a tactical, firsthand analysis of the Springboks' historic test match achievements and rugby philosophies. Compiled mid-way through Craven's legendary 1949–1956 coaching tenure—a golden era where the national team achieved an astonishing 74% win rate—this contemporary account captures the spirit, amateur grit, and national pride that cemented South Africa as a global rugby superpower. For serious sports historians and antiquarian book collectors, finding a 1950s Craven first edition that retains its original pictorial dust jacket is a rare and highly collectible opportunity.
Author Profile: Dr. Danie Craven
Dr. Daniël Hartman Craven (11 October 1910 – 4 January 1993), universally revered as "Doc" or "Mr. Rugby," remains the most influential and formidable figure in the history of rugby union. His career was polymathic: an elite Springbok player (1931–1938) who mastered the dive-pass across multiple positions (scrum-half, fly-half, centre, No.8, and full-back), a legendary national coach, and the longest-serving President of the South African Rugby Board (1956–1993). Academically brilliant, Craven held three doctorates (Ethnology, Psychology, and Physical Education) and served as the first Professor of Physical Education at Stellenbosch University. Though an incredibly controversial administrator due to his complex relationship with sports boycotts during the apartheid era, his unmatched structural impact on the global game cements his biographical and written works as paramount archival treasures.
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