Cricket Books

[Pratters]

Thanks Sean and Fredfertang.

[stumpski]

Can I have a go at naming my top 10? (in no particular order)

Bodyline Autopsy - David Frith

It's all been said.

Wally Hammond: The Reasons Why - David Foot

The only book by him I own, can anyone recommend another?

Runs in the Memory - Stephen Chalke

A big Chalke fan, and I'm still looking for the follow-up

Fifty Incredible Cricket Matches - Patrick Murphy

I always go on about this one, I don't know anyone else who's even read it though.

Playing With Fire - Nasser Hussain

The best autobiography I've read in the last 10 years. Knocks Stewart, Atherton et al into a cocked hat (whatever that is)

The Joy of Cricket - Various

I'm allowed one compendium aren't I?

The Fast Men/The Slow Men - David Frith

Always consider them as two halves of the same book

Silence of the Heart - David Frith

Looks like I'm another fan doesn't it ...

Fatty Batter - Michael Simkins

The best I've read of its type. First half is better than the second though.

On and off the Field - Ed Smith

A very good 'diary' type book - will get round to reviewing it soon
,

[The Sean]

At lunchtime today I picked up Derek Birley's A Social History of English Cricket, having been intending to do so for several years previously. Not sure how many on here have read it, but would be interested in the thoughts of those who have.

Will post my own review (if I get around to it - which is always debatable with me) when I've finished it.

[stumpski]

A very well known and acclaimed book, but one which - like 'Beyond a Boundary' - I've never got round to reading. I always think that there isn't going to be 'enough cricket' in them, if you know what I mean.

But then I've never read 'the Art of Captaincy' either, so clearly my education is far from complete.

[SJS]

Originally Posted by 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?

One of the better books on WG is The Great Cricketer by A A Thomson

[Pratters]

Where can I find the great cricketer to buy? I want a book which breaks the myth behind the man and tells us why he is so great. We all know he is great but the why is not accounted for fully...

[fredfertang]

AA Thomson had a wonderfully evocative way with words and wrote many fine books about the game but he wasn't one for stripping his subjects down to the bare bones and trying to work out exactly what made them tick - Rae on the other hand did, as best a writer can with no living contemporaries to talk to, dissect the myths so I'd recommend that - it's not rare and I am sure ABE will throw up several copies

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by The Sean

At lunchtime today I picked up Derek Birley's A Social History of English Cricket, having been intending to do so for several years previously. Not sure how many on here have read it, but would be interested in the thoughts of those who have.

Will post my own review (if I get around to it - which is always debatable with me) when I've finished it.

I really enjoyed it, but it can go into too much detail on some subjects, I would think 4 stars

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by The Sean

At lunchtime today I picked up Derek Birley's A Social History of English Cricket, having been intending to do so for several years previously. Not sure how many on here have read it, but would be interested in the thoughts of those who have.

Will post my own review (if I get around to it - which is always debatable with me) when I've finished it.

I've not read it but Birley's The Willow Wand is probably my favourite cricket book of all time.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by stumpski

Can I have a go at naming my top 10? (in no particular order)

Bodyline Autopsy - David Frith

It's all been said.

Wally Hammond: The Reasons Why - David Foot

The only book by him I own, can anyone recommend another?

Runs in the Memory - Stephen Chalke

A big Chalke fan, and I'm still looking for the follow-up

Fifty Incredible Cricket Matches - Patrick Murphy

I always go on about this one, I don't know anyone else who's even read it though.

Playing With Fire - Nasser Hussain

The best autobiography I've read in the last 10 years. Knocks Stewart, Atherton et al into a cocked hat (whatever that is)

The Joy of Cricket - Various

I'm allowed one compendium aren't I?

The Fast Men/The Slow Men - David Frith

Always consider them as two halves of the same book

Silence of the Heart - David Frith

Looks like I'm another fan doesn't it ...

Fatty Batter - Michael Simkins

The best I've read of its type. First half is better than the second though.

On and off the Field - Ed Smith

A very good 'diary' type book - will get round to reviewing it soon
,

On Wally there are two that I know one by Ronald Mason (a little boring tbh) and one by Howat also a little long winded.

The Foot one is by far and away the best of the three imo

[stumpski]

I obviously didn't phrase that very well - I meant other books by Foot, not other Hammond biographies.

I doubt if the other writers would have dealt with his flaws as Foot did so effectively, they would have been hagiographies by comparison.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by stumpski

I obviously didn't phrase that very well - I meant other books by Foot, not other Hammond biographies.

I doubt if the other writers would have dealt with his flaws as Foot did so effectively, they would have been hagiographies by comparison.

I think he has one called the Holy Trinity which has three bios one on Parker, Parkin and the other was a Somerset Amateur (can't think of his name, something Macbrant?), which was the best of the three, although they are all good

[fredfertang]

Foot is very good with flawed characters - he also wrote a splendid biography of Harold Gimblett and a couple of collections of biographical essays, "Fragments of Idolatory" and "Beyond Bat and Ball"

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by fredfertang

Foot is very good with flawed characters - he also wrote a splendid biography of Harold Gimblett and a couple of collections of biographical essays, "Fragments of Idolatory" and "Beyond Bat and Ball"

I enjoyed them all, very good writer

[stumpski]

Originally Posted by archie mac

I think he has one called the Holy Trinity which has three bios one on Parker, Parkin and the other was a Somerset Amateur (can't think of his name, something Macbrant?), which was the best of the three, although they are all good

There was a Somerset player called McBryan who played in one Test in which he didn't bat or bowl - unlikely subject for a book you'd have to say.