Editing David Parlett

{{short description|English historian of board and card games}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name = David Parlett
| image = David Parlett in 2017.jpg
| caption =Parlett in 2017
| pseudonym =
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1939|5|18|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[London]], England
| death_date = 
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| occupation = Games scholar, historian
| spouse = 
| nationality = British
| period =
| genre = 
| subject = [[Card game]]s, [[board game]]s
| movement =
| notableworks = ''The Oxford Dictionary of Card Games'', ''The Penguin Book of Card Games''
| children = 
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}}
'''David Parlett''' (born 18 May 1939 in London)<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/David-Parlett/e/B001HCYYAW ''David Parlett''] on amazon.com</ref> is a games scholar, historian,<ref>Flanagan, Mary. [https://www.salon.com/2017/08/20/in-defense-of-solitaire-the-perfect-game-mindfulness-video-games-and-the-importance-of-downtime/ In defense of solitaire, the "perfect game"]. ''Salon.com''.  Retrieved 17 October 2020.</ref> and translator from South London, who has studied both [[card game]]s<ref>McAlpine, Fraser. [https://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2015/02/5-british-card-games-learn 5 British Card Games You Should Learn]. ''BBC America''.  Retrieved 17 October 2020.</ref> and [[board game]]s.<ref>[http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/166/david-parlett David Parlett], Boardgame designer page on ''BoardGameGeek'', Retrieved 5 October 2011.</ref><ref>Koenig, Ravenna. [https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/06/03/remove-your-rings-and-get-out-your-card-blanket-a-table-side-view-of-one-of-utqiagviks-most-animated-card-games/ Remove your rings and get out your card blanket]. ''Alaska Public Media''. Retrieved 17 October 2020.</ref> He is the president of the [[British Skat Association]].

== Life ==
David Sidney Parlett was born in London on 18 May 1939 to Sidney Thomas Parlett and Eleanor May Parlett, née Nunan. He is one of three brothers. During the [[World War II|Second World War]], Parlett lived in [[Barry, Vale of Glamorgan|Barry, Glamorgan]]. He was educated at [[Battersea Grammar School]] and the [[Aberystwyth University|University College of Wales]] in [[Aberystwyth]]. He has a BA in Modern Languages. Parlett was a technical writer with PR companies and later a freelance writer for ''Games & Puzzles'' magazine. He is married to Barbara and they have a son and a daughter.<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Parlett/e/B001HCYYAW%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share ''About David Parlett''] at amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2023.</ref>

== Works ==
His published works include many popular books on games such as ''Penguin Book of Card Games'',<ref>Chabris, Christopher. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-new-deal-in-card-games-1500648851 A New Deal in Card Games].  ''Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved 17 October 2020.</ref> as well as the more academic volumes ''The Oxford Guide to Card Games'' and ''The Oxford History of Board Games'',<ref>Solly, Meilan.  [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/best-board-games-ancient-world-180974094 The Best Board Games of the Ancient World]. ''Smithsonian Magazine''.  Retrieved 17 October 2020.</ref> both now out of print. Parlett has also invented many card games and board games.  The most successful of these is ''[[Hare and Tortoise]]'' (1974). Its German edition was awarded [[Spiel des Jahres]] (Game of the Year) in 1979.

Parlett is a [[Quakers|Quaker]].<ref>{{cite web |website=[[The Friend (Quaker magazine)|The Friend]] |title=22 and 29 December 2017 |url=http://www.thefriend.org/publications/issue-22-and-29-12-2017}}</ref>

==Books==

===Games and gaming===
* ''All the Best Card Games''
* ''Anarquía y Otros Juegos Sociales de Cartas''
* ''Botticelli and Beyond''
* ''Card Games for Everyone''
* ''Family Card Games''
* ''Know the Game: Patience''
* ''Original Card Games''
* ''Solitaire: Aces Up and 399 other Card Games''
* ''Teach Yourself Card Games''
* ''Teach Yourself Card Games for Four''
* ''Teach Yourself Card Games for One''
* ''Teach Yourself Card Games for Three''
* ''Teach Yourself Card Games for Two''
* ''Teach Yourself Poker and Brag''
* ''The Guinness Book of Word Games''
* ''The Oxford Dictionary of Card Games''
* ''The Oxford Guide to Card Games / A History of Card Games''
* ''The Oxford History of Board Games'' reprinted as ''History of Board Games'' 
* ''The Penguin Book of Card Games''
* ''The Penguin Book of Patience''
* ''The Penguin Book of Word Games''
* ''The Penguin Encyclopedia of Card Games''
* ''The Popular Dictionary of Card Games''

===Other subjects===
* ''A Short Dictionary of Languages''
* ''Dalcroze Today'' (translation of [[Marie-Laure Bachmann]]'s work)
* ''Learning a Language Alone''
* ''Selections from the [[Carmina Burana]]'' (translations)

==Games invented==

===Board games===
Since 1974, David Parlett has published numerous games, including the following:<ref>Parlett, David. [https://www.parlettgames.uk/gamepie Game Pie for Gourmets: A survey of my published games]. Retrieved 17 October 2020.</ref>
* Around the World in 80 Days (2016)
* Asterix: Das Kartenspiel (1990)
* Chicken Out! (2017)
* Die Wilden Kerle (The Wild Kids) (2017)
* ''[[Hare and Tortoise]]'' (1973)
* Katarenga (Colorado) (2017)
* LifeCards
* Metal Mickey's All Around the House Game (1982)
* [[Ninety-nine (trick-taking card game)|Ninety-Nine]] (1974) / Four Seasons (2016)
* Pot Black: Snooker Dice (1980)
* Rainbow Junior Scrabble (1989)
* Roman Poker (2015)
* Shoulder to Shoulder (1975)
* Star Wars: Duell der Mächte (2015)
* Sushi Spiel (Chinese Take-Away)
* The Gnümies Party Game (2001)
* The Puzzle of Oz (2012)
* Zoo Party / 7Safari (2000) / Alles für die Katz

===Card games===
Parlett has invented more than 70 original card games that can be played with a standard deck of playing cards.<ref>Parlett, David. [https://www.parlettgames.uk/oricards/ Original Card Games: New way with old cards]. Retrieved 17 October 2020.</ref>

===Solitaire games===
* [[Archway (card game)|Archway]]
* [[Black Hole (card game)|Black Hole]]
* [[Gay Gordons (card game)|Gay Gordons]]
* [[Penguin (solitaire)|Penguin]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.parlettgames.uk/ David Parlett's official website]
{{Playing cards}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parlett, David}}
[[Category:Board game designers]]
[[Category:Tabletop game writers]]
[[Category:Card game historians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:English Quakers]]
[[Category:Card game book writers]]
[[Category:British game designers]]
[[Category:Alumni of Aberystwyth University]]