• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Cricket Books

stumpski

stumpski

International Captain
I recently took delivery of a 1947 Wisden - just two more needed for a post-war set :) - and noticed several adverts for books in the early pages. Three of them were works by Sir Pelham 'Plum' Warner, of which the one that interested me most was 'Lord's 1787-1945.'

Now I haven't read anything by Warner, and I might be doing him a disservice, but I imagine he wasn't the most scintillating of writers, and said book might anyway have been superceded by Tony Lewis's offering of 1987. Has anyone read anything by him, and is his stuff worth tracking down?
 
fredfertang

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Your instinct is quite correct David - some of his early tour books (those written in his playing days) are worth a few quid but his writing is just what you would expect of the "bodyline appeaser" - not a hint of controversy anywhere and he's no literary giant either - writing with nothing other than a good solid forward defensive I am afraid
 
SJS

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
stumpski said:
I recently took delivery of a 1947 Wisden - just two more needed for a post-war set :) - and noticed several adverts for books in the early pages. Three of them were works by Sir Pelham 'Plum' Warner, of which the one that interested me most was 'Lord's 1787-1945.'

Now I haven't read anything by Warner, and I might be doing him a disservice, but I imagine he wasn't the most scintillating of writers, and said book might anyway have been superceded by Tony Lewis's offering of 1987. Has anyone read anything by him, and is his stuff worth tracking down?
Click to expand...
I have the following books by Warner.
  1. My Cricketing Life
  2. Lord's - 1787-1945
  3. How We Recovered the Ashes (MCC in Australia 1903-04)
  4. FIGHT FOR THE ASHES IN 1930, THE
  5. ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA 1912
  6. Cricket Reminiscences
  7. Cricket Between Two Wars
  8. Cricket
  9. Book of Cricket, The

He is not a great writer but he brings a great historical perspective. He often claimed to have watched more first class matches and more Test matches than any man alive and no one disputed it in his time. I give great preference to reading the accounts of those who write from personal experience than those who write from research done many decades later and perhaps from accounts like those of Warner.
 
stumpski

stumpski

International Captain
fredfertang said:
:-O surely you found his account of being a cathedral chorister absolutely compelling?
Click to expand...

He looks as if he could still be one, doesn't he ... no, I haven't invested in it I'm afraid - just going on a recent review which panned it as being bland and 'shamefully premature.' How old is he, 23?


SJS, you probably own as many of Warner's books as anyone - I didn't even know he'd written as many as nine - I'll have a look for them in the Oval library next season (they have a loan facility there).
 
SJS

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
stumpski said:
He looks as if he could still be one, doesn't he ... no, I haven't invested in it I'm afraid - just going on a recent review which panned it as being bland and 'shamefully premature.' How old is he, 23?


SJS, you probably own as many of Warner's books as anyone - I didn't even know he'd written as many as nine - I'll have a look for them in the Oval library next season (they have a loan facility there).
Click to expand...
Do not expect a great piece of writing.

To me reading books written by people who played the game over a century ago is to be transported into a different time. One of my greatest pleasures was to read Jessop's autobiography, A Cricketer's log. It was , to me at least, as if Jessop was sitting across from me talking to me directly. For me that is a priceless experience which just can not be got through reading his biography, however well researched, by a latter day writer who never saw him play.

By the way, there is a sequel to Warner's Lords 1787-1945, Diana Rait Kerr's Lord's 1946-1970. If you buy Warner's book, I would strongly suggest buying Rait Kerr's book too.
 
fredfertang

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
stumpski said:
He looks as if he could still be one, doesn't he ... no, I haven't invested in it I'm afraid - just going on a recent review which panned it as being bland and 'shamefully premature.' How old is he, 23?
Click to expand...
Doh!! You forced it out of me that I bought it - what a cross-examiner - have you considered a career in the law David?

My only defence is I am a collector so I had to have it :ph34r:
 
archie mac

archie mac

International Coach
stumpski said:
I recently took delivery of a 1947 Wisden - just two more needed for a post-war set :) - and noticed several adverts for books in the early pages. Three of them were works by Sir Pelham 'Plum' Warner, of which the one that interested me most was 'Lord's 1787-1945.'

Now I haven't read anything by Warner, and I might be doing him a disservice, but I imagine he wasn't the most scintillating of writers, and said book might anyway have been superceded by Tony Lewis's offering of 1987. Has anyone read anything by him, and is his stuff worth tracking down?
Click to expand...
I have read it also, but many years ago and I can remember it was nothing special. I also read his account of the 1903/04 Ashes tour, and I really enjoyed it:)
 
fredfertang

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Warner did write the only ever account of the 4-1 victory by South Africa over his side in 1905/06 which first brought out their quartet of googly bowlers - a fascinating and sadly neglected byway of cricket history. As I say Warner was no Percy Fender with his pen but his book is all there is and therefore important.
 
SJS

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
stumpski said:
SJS, you probably own as many of Warner's books as anyone - I didn't even know he'd written as many as nine - I'll have a look for them in the Oval library next season (they have a loan facility there).
Click to expand...
Correction I have 13 (not nine) books by Warner.

  1. My Cricketing Life
  2. FIGHT FOR THE ASHES IN 1930, THE
  3. ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA 1912
  4. Cricket Memories By a Country Vicar
  5. M.C.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA, The (1905-06)
  6. Cricket
  7. Fight for the Ashes 1930, The
  8. How We Recovered the Ashes (1903-04)
  9. Cricket Reminiscences
  10. Book of Cricket, The
  11. Cricket Between Two Wars
  12. Lord's - 1787-1945
  13. Oxford & Cambridge at the wicket

The last one is written jointly with FS Ashley Cooper.
 
chasingthedon

chasingthedon

International Regular
stumpski said:
I recently took delivery of a 1947 Wisden - just two more needed for a post-war set :) - and noticed several adverts for books in the early pages. Three of them were works by Sir Pelham 'Plum' Warner, of which the one that interested me most was 'Lord's 1787-1945.'

Now I haven't read anything by Warner, and I might be doing him a disservice, but I imagine he wasn't the most scintillating of writers, and said book might anyway have been superceded by Tony Lewis's offering of 1987. Has anyone read anything by him, and is his stuff worth tracking down?
Click to expand...
Which two years are you missing?
 
stumpski

stumpski

International Captain
Just one now, I got the 1948 yesterday. :) I may not bother with the '46 for a while though as it's usually quite pricey and doesn't actually report on any cricket except for the three 'Victory' Tests.

I doubt if I'll venture back before 1940 as they're already taking up four shelves, it's hard enough finding room for the new one every year. :dry:

Fredfertang is the man to talk to on all matters Wisden.
 
Last edited:
Indipper

Indipper

State Regular
SJS said:
Correction I have 13 (not nine) books by Warner.

  1. My Cricketing Life
  2. FIGHT FOR THE ASHES IN 1930, THE
  3. ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA 1912
  4. Cricket Memories By a Country Vicar
  5. M.C.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA, The (1905-06)
  6. Cricket
  7. Fight for the Ashes 1930, The
  8. How We Recovered the Ashes (1903-04)
  9. Cricket Reminiscences
  10. Book of Cricket, The
  11. Cricket Between Two Wars
  12. Lord's - 1787-1945
  13. Oxford & Cambridge at the wicket

The last one is written jointly with FS Ashley Cooper.
Click to expand...
No. 2 and No. 7 appear to be the same book.
 
SJS

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
Indipper said:
No. 2 and No. 7 appear to be the same book.
Click to expand...
You are right. I just cut and pasted them from my excel spread sheet that catalogues my books. Since I have two copies of that book, it shows up twice.

Well spotted though :)

PS : Is anyone interested in that book. I have some other books that I may want to sell.
 
archie mac

archie mac

International Coach
SJS said:
You are right. I just cut and pasted them from my excel spread sheet that catalogues my books. Since I have two copies of that book, it shows up twice.

Well spotted though :)

PS : Is anyone interested in that book. I have some other books that I may want to sell.
Click to expand...
Put up a list:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top