Cricket Books

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by archie mac

Some say it would have been twice the book if it was half the size. Others rate it one of the three best books ever written on the game

Was Manly once the PM of one of the WI Islands?

Jamaica, I believe. Think he fell out with the US big style because of his socialist beliefs.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Jamaica, I believe. Think he fell out with the US big style because of his socialist beliefs.

Okay, well that puts him up in my esteem

[Craig]

And famously told Sobers that he wasn't welcome in Jamaica because he went and played in a Double Wicket Competition in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and made the perhpas infamous comments that Ian Douglas wasn't a bad as a person, unless he apologised.

A lot of the cricket playing countries in the Caribbean also jumped onto the bandwagon (except his own).

[TheEpic]

I'm thinking about buying a couple of cricket books, autobiographies or whatever, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend me the absolute essentials.

Thanks a lot.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by TheEpic

I'm thinking about buying a couple of cricket books, autobiographies or whatever, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend me the absolute essentials.

Thanks a lot.

Not to sure if you want modern players or oldies?

Modern (recent)

Atherton Opening Up
Slater Slats

Not to far back

Boycott = Boycs by Leo McKinstry
D'Oliveira= by Peter O'Borne

Oldies (not the book, just the subject)

Wallh Hammond= The Reasons Why by David Foot
CB Fry= An English Hero by Ian Wilton

[archie mac]

I will be putting up a few cricket classics (nice way to say old) in the next couple of weeks, the first is by one of the great cricket authors AA Thomson Cricket My Pleasure

Please remember we would love to hear from anyone who would like to submit a cricket book review. We are going to try and keep them down to 500 words

[Matt79]

Its been mentioned and quoted in large slabs in other threads but Kerry O'Keeffe's "According to Skull" is a good, and surprising read. Plenty of humour, but also introspection, self-evaluation and insights. It's also interesting how he conveys his lack of affection for the Chappells without ever really resorting to outright sledging.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by Matt79

Its been mentioned and quoted in large slabs in other threads but Kerry O'Keeffe's "According to Skull" is a good, and surprising read. Plenty of humour, but also introspection, self-evaluation and insights. It's also interesting how he conveys his lack of affection for the Chappells without ever really resorting to outright sledging.

Yes a good book we have a review up of "According to Skull" here on CW, I loved his radio conversation with Harsha it is quoted in the review so check it out, it is very funny.

[archie mac]

This bi-weekly book review is a classic of its kind Talks With Old Yorkshire Cricketers Not a cheap book though it was published for 6d back in 1898

[archie mac]

Maybe the best Aussie Rules player ever and also played Test cricket The Great Laurie Nash

[archie mac]

This is the latest book by Gideon Haigh Ashes 2005

Remember if you would like to review a book, just contact us, we would be very happy to hear from you

[Pedro Delgado]

Originally Posted by archie mac

This is the latest book by Gideon Haigh Ashes 2005

Remember if you would like to review a book, just contact us, we would be very happy to hear from you

I've just started that, pretty good so far, I like his style.

[Top_Cat]

Put me down as another fan of Gideon Haigh. His book 'Mystery Spinner' about the somewhat tragic Jack Iverson was a fantastic read because it wasn't just an autobiography. It also has quite an amazing photo on the front-cover of Jack Iverson's grip.



As for the most entertaining book I've read, well Timmie Zoehrer's 'The Gloves Are Off' was the biggest laugh I've had in years. Imagine a cricketing autobiography written by a 9/11 conspiracist and you get an idea of how paranoid, how bitter and how inane the whole thing is. I mean, his treatment by the infamous WACA heirarchy was poor but geez........

I just HAVE to provide a sample;

"The instigators of the plot to remove me from behind the wickets for WA had achieved their objective."

And;

"But now I know the reasons behind the conspiracy to remove me from the Western Warriors and it is blatantly clear that Foster and his co-selectors were only puppets in the whole affair."

A ghost writer may have been a good idea.........

The one I feel most sorry for is Alec Stewart; he wrote the foreword and I don't think he'd be looking back at that decision with a great deal of satisfaction these days.

[archie mac]

I read that book by Tim, in it he says he may not be allowed to collect his super (I think) payments of 25K , because he criticised the WACA cricket authorities. Does anyone know if he was paid the money in the end?

[Matt79]

Haigh's Ashes 2005 was a great read - the day by day dissections of each test less so than the summations of the matches and the tangential articles (after reading the excellent summation of each test, reading five separate articles giving the blow by blow each day was a bit redundant, although I know that was in fact the premise of the book.

Archie, if you're Canberra based, and you haven't already done so, do yourself a favour and check out Canty's Second Hand books in fyshwick - they've got the biggest selection of cricket books I've seen in one place, and not just the recent releases. A surprising amount of people decided they wanted to trade in Mike Whitney's books though! No Max Walker tho...