Cricket Books

[SJS]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Have you read Cricket Wallah? Cricinfo said it was a good book, I'm wondering if I should buy it.

by Scyld Berry ? Yes its good.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Have you read Cricket Wallah? Cricinfo said it was a good book, I'm wondering if I should buy it.

Originally Posted by SJS

by Scyld Berry ? Yes its good.

I have not read that one, but it is supposed to be good, and as SJS thinks so, I would certainly give it a go

[SJS]

Originally Posted by archie mac

I have not read that one, but it is supposed to be good, and as SJS thinks so, I would certainly give it a go

If it is the one I think it is

[stumpski]

I've started 'Cricket 1700-1835' and will let you know what I think of it in due course. A bit lacking in colour so far, hopefully it'll pick up.

[fredfertang]

Scyld Berry wrote a very good book on the 87/88 England tour (Gatt's notorious spat with Shakoor Rana) as well - he reappeared in print again in 2006 with that book on the 1882/83 tour just to remind us what a good writer he is - can't really understand why nothing in between - can only assume writing books is not his preference which is a shame.

[neville cardus]

Originally Posted by fredfertang

he reappeared in print again in 2006 with that book on the 1882/83 tour just to remind us what a good writer he is

I am given to understand that, probably owing to Berry's necessary habituation to Nineteenth-Century sources, the prose of Cricket's Burning Passion is somewhat lacking in vim. You disagree?

[fredfertang]

Oh I enjoyed the book – its all very well wading through contemporary accounts of these Victorian tours but it’s also good sometimes to let someone else do the work and reconstruct it for you. The book deals fully with the controversies, especially the ill feeling generated by Spofforth and others in ripping up the wicket with their spikes and the “new” material is interesting if not sensational. The romantic bit of the story might be seen by some to be a tad pretentious and as a whole the account is rather more in the style of Alan Ross than Jack Fingleton so while whoever said it “lacks vim” has a point I don’t think that detracts from the enjoyment the book gives – Wisden summed it up rather nicely in just one word – engaging.

And I see Archie enjoyed it too

[neville cardus]

Originally Posted by fredfertang

Oh I enjoyed the book – its all very well wading through contemporary accounts of these Victorian tours

You do that, too? If you want, I could email you a few of the gems that I have picked up over the past couple of months.

but it’s also good sometimes to let someone else do the work and reconstruct it for you. The book deals fully with the controversies, especially the ill feeling generated by Spofforth and others in ripping up the wicket with their spikes

As Spofforth pointed out (rather forcibly in the case of Dick Barlow), he was not wearing spikes. But his heels were decidedly high.

and the “new” material is interesting if not sensational. The romantic bit of the story might be seen by some to be a tad pretentious and as a whole the account is rather more in the style of Alan Ross than Jack Fingleton so while whoever said it “lacks vim” has a point I don’t think that detracts from the enjoyment the book gives – Wisden summed it up rather nicely in just one word – engaging.
And I see Archie enjoyed it too

Several points in its favour right there. I am yet to find poor a tome recommended me by Ranji's estimable secretary.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by neville cardus

Several points in its favour right there. I am yet to find poor a tome recommended me by Ranji's estimable secretary.

Clever mate, the name and the avatar

[fredfertang]

You do that, too? If you want, I could email you a few of the gems that I have picked up over the past couple of months.

A kind offer - my username at hotmail dot com should see it arrive

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by fredfertang

A kind offer - my username at hotmail dot com should see it arrive

And while we are on sending things, mate can you send me a photo of yourself please

Lets hope Voltman does not read this

I can see the puns now

[fredfertang]

Lets hope Voltman does not read this

In case he does could you explain?

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by fredfertang

In case he does could you explain?

Fredfertang is going to start contributing book reviews for the site; as we have short 'pen portraits' of all our reviewers up on the site, we need a picture of FF

[fredfertang]

But who/what is Voltman guys? - you are giving me the impression he is some sort of marauding cyberbully

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by fredfertang

But who/what is Voltman guys? - you are giving me the impression he is some sort of marauding cyberbully

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/members/smudge.html, he can be quite amusing tbh, but this is his fav. smiley