Cricket Authours

[the big bambino]

Recently just home from a book shop sneakily skimming through a few cricket books. I wished I didn't do it but I picked up one of Perry's awful books about Bradman. Opinion reaffirmed I hid it behind a CLR James' classic. Driving home I thought of my favourite cricket writers and with respect to James and Cardus they are Robertson-Glasgow for his humour and revelation of character through his brilliant descriptive passages. Then I'd rate David Frith not least for his ripping and tearing apart of the previously mentioned Perry but mainly for his research. Then former England leg spinner (how incongruous that sounds) Ian Peebles for his beautiful style and ability to tell a story and make it seem to be happening as you are reading it. The one cricket writer who could make me laugh out loud.

I also admire Charles Macartney's journalism. He has a great critical eye and I rely on him above all other journalists if I want to get a real indication of how play went and players performed in the tests and shield matches he reported. Gold standard him.

 

[fredfertang]

Stephen Chalke is right up there with Frith imo, and Simon Wilde not too far behind, though he doesn't always make the best choices for his subjects

 

[the big bambino]

I haven't heard of Chalke. See if I can wiki him. I sometimes wonder how Bradman picked Perry as almost a confidante and I think that rankled with the likes of Frith. Bradman was very intelligent but some of his decns were inexplicable. Favouring Perry over the many good writers was similar to picking Ward over Grimmett. Worse really. Ward could actually bowl.

 

[Pratters]

I absolutely love the writing of Neville Cardus. He talked about the game with so much feeling and logic. People forget the logic bit some how. Most of the things he said had reasonings. While they were great literary pieces, they were great in the cricketing sense as well. For instance, when he talks about a player, he will talk about how he is tall and so does not have to use his feet as much as a shorter guy, about how a particular player hit a ball (in detail) and stuff like this. You can almost see how a player used to play - the style of a player reading him.

Robertson-Glasgow is some one I want to read pretty soon having heard so much about him.

Recently I read Duncan Hamilton's 'A Last English Summer' and he is fine too. He has written a few very well lauded books over the past decade.

 

[Red]

Yes, I read Duncan Hamilton's book on Larwood. Good writer.

 

[the big bambino]

Pratters do yourself that favour and read Roberston - Glasgow. Brilliant wordsmith and makes you feel as if you are meeting the players he describes. I also agree with your's and RH's endorsement of Hamilton and believe his book on Larwood to be the most informative and entertaining one on that man. In fact it gave an insight into the meetings that decided him against touring Australia in 36/37 when his bowling in the preceding county season showed that he wanted to be there.

 

[Burgey]

A A Thomson is terrific too.

 

[fredfertang]

Duncan Hamilton's bio of Brian Clough is well worth a read too

 

[archie mac]

Recently just home from a book shop sneakily skimming through a few cricket books. I wished I didn't do it but I picked up one of Perry's awful books about Bradman. Opinion reaffirmed I hid it behind a CLR James' classic. Driving home I thought of my favourite cricket writers and with respect to James and Cardus they are Robertson-Glasgow for his humour and revelation of character through his brilliant descriptive passages. Then I'd rate David Frith not least for his ripping and tearing apart of the previously mentioned Perry but mainly for his research. Then former England leg spinner (how incongruous that sounds) Ian Peebles for his beautiful style and ability to tell a story and make it seem to be happening as you are reading it. The one cricket writer who could make me laugh out loud.

I also admire Charles Macartney's journalism. He has a great critical eye and I rely on him above all other journalists if I want to get a real indication of how play went and players performed in the tests and shield matches he reported. Gold standard him.

What paper did CM write for? I imagine he would have been ghosted? I read his bio but nothing else from him.

 

[the big bambino]

I've found articles in the Melbourne Argus and the Brisbane Courier Mail. Also SMH (I think). I think the GG's work was all his own from a comment I found about him in Rosenwater's Bradman book. The author commented on Macartney's writing style as pragmatic and sound which indicated he didn't have a ghost.

I find articles by looking up a scorecard about a match I hope to find reports. I then google 4, 5 or 6 participants and see what happens. Quite often I get "Trove" articles. Click on the link and find newspaper articles of the match.

 

[chasingthedon]

Always amazes me that no one ever mentions Alan Ross - I'll be reviewing a book of his collected works soon, Green Fading into Blue.

 

[archie mac]

Always amazes me that no one ever mentions Alan Ross - I'll be reviewing a book of his collected works soon, Green Fading into Blue.

I have reviewed Australia 55 - but it will be lucky to be put up on the front page by the end of the year due to all the new releases we are reviewing atm

 

[archie mac]

I've found articles in the Melbourne Argus and the Brisbane Courier Mail. Also SMH (I think). I think the GG's work was all his own from a comment I found about him in Rosenwater's Bradman book. The author commented on Macartney's writing style as pragmatic and sound which indicated he didn't have a ghost.

I find articles by looking up a scorecard about a match I hope to find reports. I then google 4, 5 or 6 participants and see what happens. Quite often I get "Trove" articles. Click on the link and find newspaper articles of the match.

Oh, ok, I shall keep an eye out for his efforts

 

[Biryani Pillow]

Cardus is, of course, the king of them.

His technical analysis, for a very ordinary player, is actually very good. The quality of his prose and general descriptive powers were some levels above anything that had gone before.

I would certainly agree about Robertson-Glasgow, Peebles, Thompson and to a slightly lesser extent Ross.

I would certainly add Jack Fingleton to the list. His match and player analysis is very strong and some of general descriptive work is outstanding. I would recommend a piece call "A Yorkshire Gesture" as a fine example of his work.

 

[Pratters]

I have Fingleton's 'Batting From Memory'. Should read it.

 

[the big bambino]

I agree Fingleton was a fine writer but his criticisms of Bradman I found to be almost psychopathic.

 

[archie mac]

I have Fingleton's 'Batting From Memory'. Should read it.

Fine read, although very Australian

 

[archie mac]

I agree Fingleton was a fine writer but his criticisms of Bradman I found to be almost psychopathic.

I always thought he justified and criticisms very well

 

[the big bambino]

I read a passage from Gilbert Mant that gave Fingleton 2 barrels in the face over his Bradman obsession. It was deserved considering he was hardly ever confronted over it. I read a section of a Fingleton book where he diverted from the theme just to bash Bradman for failing to accept an invitation on the way home from the 48 tour (I think). Bradman allowed the team to go but stayed behind. Bradman's off field responsibilities as captain and celebrity were arduous. He had borne them for all his career. I could understand why he'd want some quiet time. Even then he probably attended to responding to letters. Even though Fingleton never had anything like the responsibility you'd think he'd have the empathy to appreciate Bradman's decision. Instead he ranted on for pages bagging him for a personal decision. Why even mention it I thought. I stopped reading after a couple of pages, scouted ahead and saw he was still billowing on for a few more. I jumped them and went onto the next chapter and concluded the bloke was a good hater as well as writer.

 

[archie mac]

I don't remember that passage. Perhaps if you can recall the book?

No loved lost that is for sure. It seems to have stemmed from JF blaming the Don for Fingleton's failure to make the 1934 Ashes tour. Tiger also wrote disparagingly of Bradman and it was good to hear Bradman have a go back at the end of his career.