Best book by John Arlott

[TheGreatest]

Over the years I had the pleasure of reading articles by John Arlott in the old issues of Wisden Cricket Monthly purchased from ebay, but till now I have yet to read any one of his books.

Will appreciate if anyone can recommend the best book by Arlott, which should be a must in any cricket fanatic's collection.

 

[a massive zebra]

His biographies of Fred Trueman and Jack Hobbs are both beautifully written. They both do an excellent job of bringing to light the personality and motivations of their subject, but are perhaps a little light on match details and an analysis of how their careers developed over time.

 

[tony p]

I've got about a dozen Arlott books, they are nearly all very well written.

A couple of recommendations,
John Arlott's book of cricketers. 1979 A book of essays on 25 of his favourite cricketers that he enjoyed. Around 5-6 pages on each. Some were great cricketers, like Sobers, Trueman, V Richards, K Miller, but many players from his favourite county Hampshire, like Mead, Shackleton, Leo Harrison, Roy Marshall, Sainsbury, etc.

John Arlott's "Cricket Journal" , 2, 3 & 4 . Four seperate books on the Domestic season & Test tours of, 1958, 59,60 &61. He covers extensively the county championship in each year with his writing on matches he saw, a lot of Hampshire content obviously, but all sides get a look in, handy to read about lesser players, although the 1961 book does feature Hampshire a lot (they did win the CC for the first time), and all four books feature the test matches of those year with his work as a commentator on the tests. (all the books are around 240-260pp)

The official titles of all 4 books for easy reference is,
John Arlott's Cricket journal (1958)
John Arlott's Cricket Journal 2 (1959)
Cricket on Trial : John Arlott's Cricket Journal 3 (1960)
The Australian Challenge : John Arlott's Cricket Journal 4 (1961)

Well worth digging out if you can find them.

 

[TheGreatest]

I've got about a dozen Arlott books, they are nearly all very well written.

A couple of recommendations,
John Arlott's book of cricketers. 1979 A book of essays on 25 of his favourite cricketers that he enjoyed. Around 5-6 pages on each. Some were great cricketers, like Sobers, Trueman, V Richards, K Miller, but many players from his favourite county Hampshire, like Mead, Shackleton, Leo Harrison, Roy Marshall, Sainsbury, etc.

John Arlott's "Cricket Journal" , 2, 3 & 4 . Four seperate books on the Domestic season & Test tours of, 1958, 59,60 &61. He covers extensively the county championship in each year with his writing on matches he saw, a lot of Hampshire content obviously, but all sides get a look in, handy to read about lesser players, although the 1961 book does feature Hampshire a lot (they did win the CC for the first time), and all four books feature the test matches of those year with his work as a commentator on the tests. (all the books are around 240-260pp)

The official titles of all 4 books for easy reference is,
John Arlott's Cricket journal (1958)
John Arlott's Cricket Journal 2 (1959)
Cricket on Trial : John Arlott's Cricket Journal 3 (1960)
The Australian Challenge : John Arlott's Cricket Journal 4 (1961)

Well worth digging out if you can find them.

Thanks a lot!
Will see if I can get hold of some at Ebay. If I remember there was one book titled "Arlott on Cricket". Does it has another title?

 

[tony p]

Thanks a lot!
Will see if I can get hold of some at Ebay. If I remember there was one book titled "Arlott on Cricket". Does it has another title?

I don't actually have it. LOL , but the books title is "Arlott on Cricket" his writings on the game edited by David Rayvern Allen (1984), which is mainly a collection of his writings out of the "Guardian" newspaper.
Reckon it's pretty good, might have to look for it myself.