Cricket Books

[Perm]

Didn't he stay up all night drinking port or something before his final game at Lords?

 

[Matt79]

He liked port. But apparently he also liked port and ginger ale mixed together (IIRC) as a hair of the dog in the morning, and if he had that he was right as rain to play, regardless of how sore he was when he woke up.

 

[Speersy]

I think through most of his career tbh. That's certainly covered in some detail in the Harris book. Essentially his argument was that he played better after being out on the turps til 3am, because he didn't have to rock up til 10:50-ish and if he turned in at 8-9pm, he was too keyed up about the game the next day and tossed and turned all night playing and replaying the upcoming game in his head, and ended up shattered the next day. He also pointed out that he did it through most of his career and it never seemed to harm his performance.

and he always wanted to play better so that people didn't use his late nights as an excuse.

I read his autobiography, weird at the end how he honestly wishes he was a golfer as nobody criticizes them when they perform poorly

 

[pasag]

Finally finished Bodyline Autopsy, such a quality account of the series, I can't imagine anything topping it for sheer detail and unbias. WG Grace by Simon Rae is next on my list and at just under 500 pages, will be looking to finish it by sometime in 09

 

[archie mac]

Finally finished Bodyline Autopsy, such a quality account of the series, I can't imagine anything topping it for sheer detail and unbias. WG Grace by Simon Rae is next on my list and at just under 500 pages, will be looking to finish it by sometime in 09

The best bodyline book for mine, and I have read close to a dozen other books on the subject, plus I have read bios on at least half of the players involved in the series

 

[pasag]

The best bodyline book for mine, and I have read close to a dozen other books on the subject, plus I have read bios on at least half of the players involved in the series

Would love to get my hands on Larwood's and Jardine's books on the subject. Any idea of any places in Melbourne to have a look?

 

[stumpski]

Would love to get my hands on Larwood's and Jardine's books on the subject. Any idea of any places in Melbourne to have a look?

I read Jardine's book In Quest of the Ashes many years ago, and my recollection is that it was quite dull, in fact I'm not sure if I even finished it. But now I've read Bodyline Autopsy I suppose I ought to dig it out again. I think he skirts over the whole bodyline business though.

 

[archie mac]

Would love to get my hands on Larwood's and Jardine's books on the subject. Any idea of any places in Melbourne to have a look?

If you can find the hard back Larwood bio, I have a spare dust jacket you can have

 

[archie mac]

I read Jardine's book In Quest of the Ashes many years ago, and my recollection is that it was quite dull, in fact I'm not sure if I even finished it. But now I've read Bodyline Autopsy I suppose I ought to dig it out again. I think he skirts over the whole bodyline business though.

Yes the Jardine one will put you to sleep

 

[Matt79]

I'm fifty pages into Rae's WG Grace, and I'm struggling a little. That might be due to baby-related sleep rationing (3-4 hours a night), I am enjoying it - I just can't read more than 3 pages at a time without my concentration wandering.

I'm two-timing Rae with Mallet's Trumper, which I got ages ago but only now got around to reading. Finding that more lively and engaging and... accessible in my current state. That said, its got some great howlers in terms of writing in there. Things like three sentences in a row all describing exactly the same thing in almost identical terms.

 

[neville cardus]

Picked up two cricket books yesterday, John Wright's Indian Summers and The Hansie Cronje Story. Looking forward to reading them.

The latter (whose first chapter is just magnificent) outsold Harry Potter in Bloemfontein.

 

[archie mac]

I'm fifty pages into Rae's WG Grace, and I'm struggling a little. That might be due to baby-related sleep rationing (3-4 hours a night), I am enjoying it - I just can't read more than 3 pages at a time without my concentration wandering.

I'm two-timing Rae with Mallet's Trumper, which I got ages ago but only now got around to reading. Finding that more lively and engaging and... accessible in my current state. That said, its got some great howlers in terms of writing in there. Things like three sentences in a row all describing exactly the same thing in almost identical terms.

Mallett's best book by a fair distance, I read that circa 1985 and have read it three times over the years

 

[archie mac]

Would love to get my hands on Larwood's and Jardine's books on the subject. Any idea of any places in Melbourne to have a look?

Roger Page is in Melbourne (you can find him in the phone book), nothing but cricket books, he will find you a copy pretty quickly

 

[Perm]

The latter (whose first chapter is just magnificent) outsold Harry Potter in Bloemfontein.

Really? I'm a bit surprised at that, but it's been a good read so far.

 

[Matt79]

Roger Page is in Melbourne (you can find him in the phone book), nothing but cricket books, he will find you a copy pretty quickly

Is he the bloke in Mt Eliza or the one in Greensborough?

 

[archie mac]

Is he the bloke in Mt Eliza or the one in Greensborough?

Now your testing me

I think he lives in Yallambie (spelling)

 

[Matt79]

None of these guys are anywhere remotely IN town unfortunately. Still, i suppose that's where a phone is good!

 

[neville cardus]

Really?

Yip. There's something about the idea of nerdy, scarred wizard flying about on a broomstick and learning magic tricks in an old castle that doesn't quite endear itself (relatively speaking) to Afrikaners.

 

[Matt79]

His English-ness?

 

[neville cardus]

His English-ness?

It's been translated.