Cricket Books

[SJS]

Any idea where it is available?

 

[aussie]

I want that DVD aussie. Can you mail me a copy?

Ha, nah sorry its my ol mans stuff. I think he either bought it of cricinfo or cricketvideos.com though.

 

[aussie]

No I haven't really. That should be really interesting. Must look for it.

Well seeing it, i now see why you rate Vishwanath so highly. His technique really was textbook.

Also it has clips of Amar Singh bowling (no Nissar unfortunately), he looked like a poor man's Alec Bedser. Based on that i don't think i could have him in all-time IND XI over Srinath or Zaheer over the past couple years, as back-up quicks to Dev.

 

[GIMH]

Just started on Duncan Fletcher's autobiography. Am up to the point where he has taken the England job and he's talking about Boycott dissing him in the press.

Interesting read so far anyway, the man has quite the ego though, even more than I realised.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Any idea where it is available?

It can be purchased from the UK Sporting Gifts site. I can vouch for them as far as ordering in the UK is concerned.

Indian Cricket DVD - Sporting Gifts

 

[fredfertang]

Just started on Duncan Fletcher's autobiography. Am up to the point where he has taken the England job and he's talking about Boycott dissing him in the press.

Interesting read so far anyway, the man has quite the ego though, even more than I realised.

IIRC Boycott is unique amongst those who pissed Fletcher off but did not apologise to him – what sticks in the memory about that book is the catalogue of folk who crossed him but, to their credit (his invariable comment), apologised when they realised he was right and they were wrong – to name a few of the contrite

Barry Dudleston
Matthew Maynard
Phil Tufnell
Michael Parkinson
Nasser Hussain
C M-J
David Graveney
Rod Marsh

When you’ve finished let me know how many I’ve forgotten

I found it a decent read but it leaves the impression that Fletcher is a really sour and miserable bastard

…… and wasn’t there a bit where he was still griping about not being cricket captain at school or something similar?

 

[GIMH]

Um I think it was more he was saying how surprised he was to be made school captain wasn't he?

Gotta say though, I liked his point about Australia being crap in the 80s and that this caused England problems through the 90s because we overrated ourselves by winning the Ashes. Bet Richard loved that bit (if he's read it)

Guy talks fascinatingly on cricket and knows the game well, but he really does rate himself highly. I knew that from the Ashes regained book anyway, but so far the whole thing is like one big pat on the back. Still interesting, but it might get a bit nauseating when I get to the bit when we win six series in a row.

 

[fredfertang]

- that just goes to show how much all the subsequent whinging coloured my view of the whole thing!

 

[BoyBrumby]

Um I think it was more he was saying how surprised he was to be made school captain wasn't he?

Gotta say though, I liked his point about Australia being crap in the 80s and that this caused England problems through the 90s because we overrated ourselves by winning the Ashes. Bet Richard loved that bit (if he's read it)

Guy talks fascinatingly on cricket and knows the game well, but he really does rate himself highly. I knew that from the Ashes regained book anyway, but so far the whole thing is like one big pat on the back. Still interesting, but it might get a bit nauseating when I get to the bit when we win six series in a row.

He strikes one a the kind of bloke to keep a list of perceived greivances. In his Guardian column (which is good value on cricket, if short on laughs) he's forever returning to his pet theories like spinners needing to be able to bat.

Anyway, have just procured Shane Warne: Portrait of a Flawed Genius by Simon Wilde, mainly 'cos it was cheap.

 

[fredfertang]

Anyway, have just procured Shane Warne: Portrait of a Flawed Genius by Simon Wilde, mainly 'cos it was cheap.

Considering the bloke (Wilde that is - not Warne), to my knowledge, has never played the game to a high standard, the first chapter is certainly an impressive, as well as unique, way to begin a biography of a cricketer

 

[stumpski]

Wally Hammond: The Reasons Why by David Foot. This was included in the biographies feature a little while back, but Archie and I agreed that it merited a full review.

We may have mentioned him before, but has anyone read much by Alan Gibson? I've been enjoying some articles he wrote for the Times, in a collection of the paper's cricket writing entitled Double Century; I note that there is a book of his on eBay at the moment about the Tests of 1905. Any recommendations?

 

[Pratters]

I have the Wally Hammond book thanks to archie who recommended it to me. Will read it some time. Will be reading Lord of the Rings and then Beyond a Boundary finally.

 

[fredfertang]

http://www.cricketweb.net/cricketbooks/5862.php

We may have mentioned him before, but has anyone read much by Alan Gibson? I've been enjoying some articles he wrote for the Times, in a collection of the paper's cricket writing entitled Double Century; I note that there is a book of his on eBay at the moment about the Tests of 1905. Any recommendations?

I'm aware of "Jackson's Year" which, as you say, is a (in fact the only) full account of the 1905 series, "The Cricket Captains of England", that is about ..... well it's self-explanatory, "Growing up with Cricket" which is autobiographical and "Dennis Silk", "Sam Cook" and "JJ" (about Jack Davey) which are biogrphical essays published by Richard Walsh Books in the 90's - he's an excellent writer - fairly gentle stuff - a comparison with AA Thomson would not be out of place - I'm sure you'll enjoy his work.

 

[stumpski]

Thanks - I've seen the other books you mentioned on Abebooks and I'll probably get them all at some point. As I said, I enjoyed his Times pieces very much - particularly a miserable account of an evening at one of the early floodlit games (when they were played at football grounds).

This was a very good piece I thought. It appears to have been written by David Foot and, although it comes from Cricinfo's Wisden section, never actually appeared in the Almanack as far as I can tell - certainly not in the 1997, as Gibson was still alive when it was published.

 

[Matt79]

Finally got my hands on a copy of "Mystery Spinner" by Gideon Haigh, without spending $60+ on Ebay. Has been my white whale in second hand book shops for three years now.

 

[zaremba]

It's a really good book, Matt, you'll enjoy it. GH really goes to town - even to the level of a bit of research into the name "Iverson".

I'd have loved to have seen him bowl.

 

[Pothas]

Reading And God created cricket by Simon Hughes. Obviously the fact that the whole history of cricket is covered in about 300 pages means there is not much detail but it is really good fun to read (especially the section cricket before the 20th century (once I got to Bradman and bodyline I have not read much new). Woud certainly recomend it to someone who has not read much on cricket history before.

 

[stumpski]

Finally got hold of some Gibson recently; just started Jackson's Year. At the same time bought Beyond Bat and Ball by David Foot which I enjoyed and will review at some stage. Finding my current assignment rather heavy going though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just picked up a bio of Lord Hawke (imaginatively titled "Lord Hawke") by James P Coldham for a song. Don't know the author at all. Anyone read it or any of his stuff?

 

[SJS]

Just picked up a bio of Lord Hawke (imaginatively titled "Lord Hawke") by James P Coldham for a song. Don't know the author at all. Anyone read it or any of his stuff?

Thats the only book I have read of him. Its not a great book I am afraid.