Cricket Books

[Woodster]

Forgive me if this has been mentioned previously, but has anyone had chance to read Bob Woolmer's book 'The Art of Science and Cricket' which he finished just before his tragic death ? Have read a few pages and it looks exceptionally insightful and will supposedly become the definitve cricket coaching manual.

 

[archie mac]

And how old is old enough for that ?

Anything from 2000s is new, anything else is older

Forgive me if this has been mentioned previously, but has anyone had chance to read Bob Woolmer's book 'The Art of Science and Cricket' which he finished just before his tragic death ? Have read a few pages and it looks exceptionally insightful and will supposedly become the definitve cricket coaching manual.

I spotted it at the book store, it is a big volume, and sorry to say I am well passed those sort of books helping my game

 

[wisden18]

Amazon have the Woolmer at 1/2 price.

I had a brief look at it the other day at a local book shop. First thing that surprised was quite how big a book it was! It certainly looks an interesting read.

 

[SJS]

Amazon have the Woolmer at 1/2 price.

I had a brief look at it the other day at a local book shop. First thing that surprised was quite how big a book it was! It certainly looks an interesting read.

Oh. In that case 90 % of my library is old books . If I reviewed all of them we would increase your total number of books reviewed to more than four times what it is today.

 

[stumpski]

Don't think you'd find Archie complaining about that though.

Odd isn't it, just a few days ago we discussed Australia '55 by Alan Ross, and whaddayouknow, a review turns up on Cricinfo. It's been suggested before that they (as well as some of the commentators) read this forum, and it would appear so.

 

[neville cardus]

Don't think you'd find Archie complaining about that though.
Odd isn't it, just a few days ago we discussed Australia '55 by Alan Ross, and whaddayouknow, a review turns up on Cricinfo. It's been suggested before that they (as well as some of the commentators) read this forum, and it would appear so.

'Twould be nice to know that Haigh takes an interest in our blether.

 

[fredfertang]

I did know it was coming but it is still perplexing to walk into a bookshop and see an autobiography from Alistair Cook on the shelves just two years after his test debut. This follows Monty, Strauss and KP doing much the same through major publishers in the last two years. KP's might possibly be justified but the others have hardly courted controversy in their careers and their views on their contemporaries and the establishment, all of which we know will be positive or even obsequious are hardly going to get us excited yet presumably these things must sell.

Yet of Ramps (other than a diary) we have nothing nor from John Crawley whose story intrigues me - I mean Chris Schofield's autobiography would be more interesting than Cook's!

I probably shouldn't buy them but as a collector I feel obliged but I shall hang out on Cooks for as long as I can - I can see that one getting remaindered

 

[SJS]

I did know it was coming but it is still perplexing to walk into a bookshop and see an autobiography from Alistair Cook on the shelves just two years after his test debut. This follows Monty, Strauss and KP doing much the same through major publishers in the last two years. KP's might possibly be justified but the others have hardly courted controversy in their careers and their views on their contemporaries and the establishment, all of which we know will be positive or even obsequious are hardly going to get us excited yet presumably these things must sell.

Yet of Ramps (other than a diary) we have nothing nor from John Crawley whose story intrigues me - I mean Chris Schofield's autobiography would be more interesting than Cook's!

I probably shouldn't buy them but as a collector I feel obliged but I shall hang out on Cooks for as long as I can - I can see that one getting remaindered

I will never EVER buy a biography or an autobiography of an active cricketer.

I do have 2-3 such books, all gifted by friends.

These guys just want to make some quick bucks and want to capitalise on the fact that they are known ! Its amazing that people will buy books of young active cricketers but not of old ones who have retired.

This is what I was saying the other day about buying the right books. People just go ahead and buy without thinking why they are buying it and what they are going to get from it.

 

[SJS]

I have 142 biographical/autobiographical cricket books. Only four of them are of cricketers who made their debut after 1980.

 

[fredfertang]

I have rather more than that but then I am a particularly sad case with no hope of redemption

 

[SJS]

I have rather more than that but then I am a particularly sad case with no hope of redemption

I am also amazed that we have this wave of books on the lives of cricketers who played a hundred years ago. Biographies which are really research projects (I could write some myself like Bradman, Grace and Ranji considering the number of books on their lives I have) and yet we do not have a really great book on the cricketers of the recent past. No book on Azharuddin, No book on Abdul Qadir, none on Bedi, Chandra and a poor attempt by Prasanna which is not available. Nothing but shoddy books on Kapil Dev. Modest quality books on Gavaskar. I havent seen anything on Zaheer. I hope someone will write a great book on the fabulous W's of Pakistan now that both Wasim and Waqar have retired.

There is such a big market in the sub continent and yet the top cricket writers of the world are not using the sub-continental heroes as their subjects.

 

[fredfertang]

I am also amazed that we have this wave of books on the lives of cricketers who played a hundred years ago. Biographies which are really research projects (I could write some myself like Bradman, Grace and Ranji considering the number of books on their lives I have) and yet we do not have a really great book on the cricketers of the recent past. No book on Azharuddin, No book on Abdul Qadir, none on Bedi, Chandra and a poor attempt by Prasanna which is not available. Nothing but shoddy books on Kapil Dev. Modest quality books on Gavaskar. I havent seen anything on Zaheer. I hope someone will write a great book on the fabulous W's of Pakistan now that both Wasim and Waqar have retired.

There is such a big market in the sub continent and yet the top cricket writers of the world are not using the sub-continental heroes as their subjects.

Harsha Bhogle has done a biography of Azhar (ran to a second edition too) and Rajan Bala has written one of Chandra (neither of which I can track down copies of which irritates me greatly) - I do have two books about Zaheer one by David Foot and one by Naseem Asmi and a biography of Waqar and Wasim as well as an autobiography of Wasim

I know of nothing on Bedi or Qadir (other than a benefit brochure) other than various pieces in collections

As for Kapil I have several but must admit to having read none of them and I have a couple of books Gavaskar put his name too plus a couple of biographical books (one of which by Clifford Narasingh was published in the caribbean of all places if I remember rightly)

It does amaze me that Indian publishers generally seem unable to see much beyond Tendulkar - I long since gave up contemplating buying everything written on him!

 

[SJS]

Harsha Bhogle has done a biography of Azhar (ran to a second edition too) and Rajan Bala has written one of Chandra (neither of which I can track down copies of which irritates me greatly) - I do have two books about Zaheer one by David Foot and one by Naseem Asmi and a biography of Waqar and Wasim as well as an autobiography of Wasim

I know of nothing on Bedi or Qadir (other than a benefit brochure) other than various pieces in collections

As for Kapil I have several but must admit to having read none of them and I have a couple of books Gavaskar put his name too plus a couple of biographical books (one of which by Clifford Narasingh was published in the caribbean of all places if I remember rightly)

It does amaze me that Indian publishers generally seem unable to see much beyond Tendulkar - I long since gave up contemplating buying everything written on him!

I am sorry I wasn't clear. I meant the top writers of England or Australia writing on the sub continental stars.

Most of what is written in the sub continent is poor quality of writing and too much sycophancy.

 

[fredfertang]

Well they dont come better than David Foot, although I dont suppose his collaboration with Zed would be too close to the top of his CV

 

[Dave Gregory]

Interesting review of the new Invincibles book Arch. I don't think I'll be chasing it down in a hurry

Its funny to see Perry doing the same thing that Jack Pollard did. Pollard wrote his history of Australian Cricket, and then kept producing further books that were merely cut and paste jobs from this first work. It seems that Perry is doing much the same thing. It still surprises me that there is such a market for his stuff, and so little a market for anything truly innovative or new. Sigh.

 

[archie mac]

Interesting review of the new Invincibles book Arch. I don't think I'll be chasing it down in a hurry

Its funny to see Perry doing the same thing that Jack Pollard did. Pollard wrote his history of Australian Cricket, and then kept producing further books that were merely cut and paste jobs from this first work. It seems that Perry is doing much the same thing. It still surprises me that there is such a market for his stuff, and so little a market for anything truly innovative or new. Sigh.

I did try and be nice

But maybe Mr. Perry should forget the Bradman connection, his bio of Miller was quite good

 

[nightprowler10]

Which Keith Miller biography would you recommend Archie?

 

[archie mac]

Which Keith Miller biography would you recommend Archie?

The Perry one is the best, he has access to the Miller family, although I quite enjoyed the RS Whitington offering as well

Miller's own Cricket Crossfire is not too bad, although a little short, we have a review of the Perry and the Cricket Crossfire on the site

 

[pasag]

Was given 200 Seasons of Australian Cricket today, looks brilliant.

 

[archie mac]

Was given 200 Seasons of Australian Cricket today, looks brilliant.

The first edition has so many mistakes it was sad, I hope they did a better job the second time around