Rowing can be traced back to as early as 1430 BC, with oarsmanship mentioned in Egyptian funeral inscriptions and Virgil, including rowing as a funeral game in the Aeneid. Rowing as a sport can be traced back to the early eighteenth century where teams competed against each other on the River Thames. The famous Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, begun in 1829, has been held annually ever since. Author R. C. Lehmann was an English writer and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1906 to 1910. Perhaps better placed to coach and write about rowing than compete in it, Lehmann finished last in every heat he entered in the Henley Royal Regatta from 1877 to 1888. He later found success in coaching both Oxford and Cambridge rowing teams. The Classic Guide to Rowing gives a glimpse into the world of rowing in the twentieth century, showing how techniques, still used today, first originated.
