Cricket Books

[SJS]

Can anyone tell me which is the best book on Victor Trumper?
.

The finest writing on Trumper by anyone of his contemporaries (and for me those are the ones that really count) is the two fabulous chapters titled Victor Trumper and Trumper's Genius by Monty Noble in his book, The Game is the Thing. Spread over all of 26 pages, Its by far the most comprehensive piece of writing on Trumper by anyone who played with or against him, or saw him play.

I strongly urge any one wanting to know of Trumper's bating to get hold of Noble's book and, if you can, get the 33 (yes thrity-three !) action pictures of Trumper from Beldam and Fry's Great Batsmen - their Methods at a Glance.

The latter book is frightfully expensive so I can understand if people are not able to get it. I am going to try and scan the pictures and post them here one of these days.

[Days of Grace]

I think I could have picked another ten, and still been happy with my selections

OK Fred your turn


Summer Game by Gideon Haigh

An English Hero by Iain Wilton

Wally Hammond by David Foot

Great Characters from Crickets Golden Age by Jeremy Mailes

Days in The Sun by Neville Cardus

Captain of The Crowd by Tony Laughton

P.G.H. Fender by Richard Streeton

Talks with Old English Cricketers by 'Old Ebor'

Basil D'Olivera by Peter Oborne

Silence of The Heart by David Frith

Cheers, Archie

[archie mac]

The finest writing on Trumper by anyone of his contemporaries (and for me those are the ones that really count) is the two fabulous chapters titled Victor Trumper and Trumper's Genius by Monty Noble in his book, The Game is the Thing. Spread over all of 26 pages, Its by far the most comprehensive piece of writing on Trumper by anyone who played with or against him, or saw him play.

I strongly urge any one wanting to know of Trumper's bating to get hold of Noble's book and, if you can, get the 33 (yes thrity-three !) action pictures of Trumper from Beldam and Fry's Great Batsmen - their Methods at a Glance.

The latter book is frightfully expensive so I can understand if people are not able to get it. I am going to try and scan the pictures and post them here one of these days.

Yes a fine read, a pity that he combined some bio with mostly instructive stuff, but still a good read.

Cheers, Archie

No worries, maybe SJS and yourself can give us a top 10

[fredfertang]

OK Fred your turn

Best 10 Cricket Books?

The phrase that immediately springs to mind is “the agony of choice”

…. but if I had to, and on the assumption 145 editions of Wisden don’t count as one choice, then I’d go for David Foot’s book on Hammond and “Days in the Sun” as well plus, in no particular order:-

The Larwood Story by Harold Larwood (well Kevin Perkins really)

Grovel by David Tossell

No Coward Soul by Stephen Chalke/Derek Hodgson

Archie by Michael Down

Ten Great Innings by Ralph Barker

Archie Jackson by David Frith

Sir Donald Bradman by Irving Rosenwater

W G Grace – A Life by Simon Rae

………… but then again perhaps………….. ad nauseam

[archie mac]

Best 10 Cricket Books?

The phrase that immediately springs to mind is “the agony of choice”

…. but if I had to, and on the assumption 145 editions of Wisden don’t count as one choice, then I’d go for David Foot’s book on Hammond and “Days in the Sun” as well plus, in no particular order:-

The Larwood Story by Harold Larwood (well Kevin Perkins really)

Grovel by David Tossell

No Coward Soul by Stephen Chalke/Derek Hodgson

Archie by Michael Down

Ten Great Innings by Ralph Barker

Archie Jackson by David Frith

Sir Donald Bradman by Irving Rosenwater

W G Grace – A Life by Simon Rae

………… but then again perhaps………….. ad nauseam

Lots of bios mate, and I thought you would be a James fan?

[fredfertang]

I did start to read "Beyond a Boundary" when I was a teenager and far too young and ignorant to even begin to fully appreciate it - one day I will pick it up again but at the moment there always seems to be something more tempting waiting to be opened

[The Sean]

Sir Donald Bradman by Irving Rosenwater

Interesting choice there - I like that one a lot myself, but I wasn't expecting anyone to consider it the finest book ever on The Don.

[Goughy]

Interesting seeing a number of people mention Frith. Im not a fan of his writing style at all. It always seems so disjointed.

The man knows how to pick interesting topics though.

[The Sean]

Personally staggered at the lack of props for Bold Warnie or any of the classics by Max Walker...

[fredfertang]

Interesting choice there - I like that one a lot myself, but I wasn't expecting anyone to consider it the finest book ever on The Don.

Although he was, by all accounts, a complete ******, I have a very high regard for Irving Rosenwater's writing and as this was the only full length player biography he ever wrote it has to go on the list - he wrote a large number of short monographs on various, generally little known, individuals and aspects of the game and if you ever get the chance to read them I'd recommend them - his research, unlike at least one of The Don's biographers, is always faultless and thorough and I have never been made aware of any errors in his writings - differences of opinion, sometimes substantial, yes, but errors no

[archie mac]

Personally staggered at the lack of props for Bold Warnie or any of the classics by Max Walker...

Well if we were picking the top ten clever titles Bold Warnie is not too bad an effort

[SJS]

No worries, maybe SJS and yourself can give us a top 10

Impossible to chose really. There are so many.

I dont mind trying to list my favourite books without a number in mind :0 I will take them author-wise.

Neville Cardus

• Good Days
• The Summer Game
• A Cricketer's Book
• Days In The Sun

Having said that, pick up any book by Cardus and you will love it. I do

[Pratters]

Which are good bodyline books apart from Bodyline Autopsy and the Jardine memoir? I am looking at reading more indepth on the topic.

Also, on WG, there is the definitive biography by Simon Rae. How is the book WG has written himself? What other books do I need to go indepth on WG?

[archie mac]

Which are good bodyline books apart from Bodyline Autopsy and the Jardine memoir? I am looking at reading more indepth on the topic.

Also, on WG, there is the definitive biography by Simon Rae. How is the book WG has written himself? What other books do I need to go indepth on WG?

Cricket Crisis by Jack Fingleton (Bodyline)

Cricket and Empire by Ric Sissons (Bodyline)

The books by WG are quite easy to read, but a little boring, and you do not learn a great deal

WG by Robert Low was quite good, written about the same time as the Rae Effort

And I quite enjoyed WGs Birthday Party by Kynaston (spelling)

[fredfertang]

In my opinion you don't really need to read anything else on the Bodyline series itself if you read Frith's book but "The Larwood Story" and Jack Fingleton's "Cricket Crisis" take the story a little further.

There is, however a book being published very soon called "Bodyline Hypocrisy" which claims

"Through conversations with Harold Larwood, the main proponent of leg theory bowling on that tour, and by examining closely the private letters, thoughts and statements of many of the main protagonists of this infamous series, Arnold re-examines widely held beliefs and shatters many preconceptions as to the truth behind that incredible series which almost led to Australia leaving the Commonwealth. In this controversial book Arnold will scotch the belief that fast, leg-pitched bowling was what won the series for England, and puts forward a new and astonishing proposal - that the Aussies bottled it, disguising their failures under the welter of abuse hurled at England captain Jardine"

It is written by Michael Arnold of whom Amazon says "Michael Arnold is a well-known (not sure about that one tbh) English cricket writer, who now lives in Australia. Uniquely (sounds a rash statement) qualified to see the Bodyline series in its historical context, he also writes for Australian newspapers and broadcasts on radio."

Later on this year a full biography of Larwood is due from Duncan Hamilton who recently wrote an acclaimed biography of that favourite adopted son of Nottingham, Brian Clough. I am looking forward to getting both although I have rather higher hopes of Hamilton than Arnold - but you never know - there may be some revelation there - can't see it myself though