David Parlett (born 18 May 1939 in London) is a games scholar, historian, and translator from South London, who has studied both card games and board games. 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 Second World War, Parlett lived in Barry, Glamorgan. Parlett was educated at Battersea Grammar School and the 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.

Works

His published works include many popular books on games such as Penguin Book of Card Games, as well as the more academic volumes The Oxford Guide to Card Games and The Oxford History of Board Games, 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 Quaker.

Books

Games and gaming

Other subjects

Games invented

Board games

Since 1974, David Parlett has published numerous games, including the following:

Card games

Parlett has invented more than 70 original card games that can be played with a standard deck of playing cards.

Solitaire games