A Majestic Innings
A Majestic Innings

Author: C.L.R James

Publisher: Aurum Press

Published: 2014-07-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781781312766

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

C.L.R. James is the author of unquestionably the best book ever written about cricket: "Beyond a Boundary" - indeed, one of the finest books written about sport, period. In print ever since its publication in 1963, it has just been reissued again by Yellow Jersey. But James wrote about cricket all his life, though he only ever published one other book on the game, and this is it. Originally published by Allison and Busby, and out of print for the last ten years, it is now republished as part of Aurum's highest-quality cricket list, under a new title and with a striking cover tied in with the cover design of "Beyond a Boundary". "A Majestic Innings" collects together appreciations of great cricketers from Bradman to Botham, Dexter to David Gower, pieces on cricket controversies like the Bodyline series and the D'Oliviera affair, letters to friends like John Arlott and V.S. Naipaul, and above all writings on James's first love, West Indies cricket - on Gary Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Learie Constantine, and even the early promise of a young Guyanian called Clive Lloyd. Aurum's cricket list already published almost all the finest writers on the game: Derek Birley, Gideon Haigh, David Frith, David Rayvern Allen - and now it has added C.L.R. James.

A Majestic Innings
A Majestic Innings

Author: C L R James

Publisher:

Published: 2014-06-05

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781781312773

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

C. L. R. James is the author of what is universally agreed to be the best book ever written on cricket, Beyond a Boundary. James wrote about cricket throughout his life, and all his best articles, letters and occasional pieces are collected here, in the only other book he published on the game that defined his life. A Majestic Innings brings together appreciations of great cricketers from Bradman to Dexter to David Gower, letters to friends including Colin Cowdrey, John Arlott and V. S Naipaul, as well as trenchant observations on cricketing controversies like the Bodyline series and the D’Oliviera affair. And above all, from a man for whom cricket was not just a game but, unequivocally, an art form, James writes brilliantly and passionately about West Indies cricket – defining the greatness of Gary Sobers, the magisterial leadership of Sir Frank Worrell, and recognising the immense talent of a young Guyanian called Clive Lloyd.

The Telegraph Book of the Ashes 2013
The Telegraph Book of the Ashes 2013

Author: The Daily Telegraph

Publisher: Aurum

Published: 2013-09-26

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1781312168

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This summer's Ashes was another unforgettable instalment in the oldest and greatest rivalry in international sport. From the thrilling denouement at Trent Bridge, when Australia came within 19 runs of an incredible victory, to the stunning spell of hostile fast bowling from Stuart Broad in Durham and England's frantic run-chase in the gloom at the Oval in pursuit of an historic 4-0 series victory, the series was never less than engrossing. And - as always in an Ashes summer - there was as much intrigue off the field. David Warner made himself the English public's favourite pantomime villain by taking a swing at Joe Root before a ball was bowled, controversy raged over the standards of umpiring and the use of the Decision Review System while Darren Lehmann stoked the fires ahead of the return series Down Under with his infamous radio rant at Broad. The Daily and Sunday Telegraph's unbeatable team of cricket writers were present through the 2013 series to deliver the definitive account of events. Derek Pringle, Paul Hayward, Scyld Berry, Simon Hughes, Jim White, Steve James and Nick Hoult dissected events with forensic detail, and former captains Michael Vaughan and Geoffrey Boycott, together with Australian spinning legend Shane Warne, set the agenda with their hard-hitting columns. So, as you tick off the days to the first Test in Brisbane, relive the splendour of Ian Bell's three centuries, Ashton Agar's record-breaking debut, Root's stunning innings at Lord's and the spectacular bowling of Graeme Swann and James Anderson, as chronicled in the pages of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph.

The Rites of Cricket and Caribbean Literature
The Rites of Cricket and Caribbean Literature

Author: Claire Westall

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-07-01

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 3030659720

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book analyses cricket’s place in Anglophone Caribbean literature. It examines works by canonical authors – Brathwaite, Lamming, Lovelace, Naipaul, Phillips and Selvon – and by understudied writers – including Agard, Fergus, John, Keens-Douglas, Khan and Markham. It tackles short stories, novels, poetry, drama and film from the Caribbean and its diaspora. Its literary readings are couched in the history of Caribbean cricket and studies by Hilary Beckles and Gordon Rohlehr. C.L.R James’ foundational Beyond a Boundary provides its theoretical grounding. Literary depictions of iconic West Indies players – including Constantine, Headley, Worrell, Walcott, Sobers, Richards, and Lara – feature throughout. The discussion focuses on masculinity, heroism, father-son dynamics, physical performativity and aesthetic style. Attention is also paid to mother-daughter relations and female engagement with cricket, with examples from Anim-Addo, Breeze, Wynter and others. Cricket holds a prominent place in the history, culture, politics and popular imaginary of the Caribbean. This book demonstrates that it also holds a significant and complicated place in Anglophone Caribbean literature.

Wait Till Next Year
Wait Till Next Year

Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Publisher: Aurum

Published: 2014-07-03

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1781313164

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

When historian Goodwin was six years old, her father taught her how to keep score for ‘their’ team, the Brooklyn Dodgers, which forged a lifelong bond between father and daughter. Set in the suburbs of New York in the 1950s, Wait Till Next Year is a coming-of-age memoir in the era of Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider, when baseball truly was a national pastime that brought whole communities together. With her radio by her side and scorecard to hand, she recreates the postwar era, when the corner store was a place to share stories and neighborhoods were equally divided between Dodger, Giant, and Yankee fans. Weaved between the games and the seasons, Goodwin tells the story of a changing America – from the lunacy of the Cold War alarm drills to McCarthy and the Rosenburg trials – as well as her own loss of innocence encapsulated by her mother’s death, her father’s lapse into despair and the Dodger’s departure from Brooklyn in 1957 following the destruction of the iconic Ebbets Field stadium. Poignant, unsentimental and deeply eloquent, Wait Till Next Year is a profound memoir about childhood and loss, baseball, and the power of sport to bind families and heal loss and reveal as metaphor the evolving heart of a nation.

Legends of Cricket
Legends of Cricket

Author: Geoff Armstrong

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1742692354

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In order to identify the 25 greatest cricketers of all time, ESPN assembled a panel of eminent cricket authorities. The result of their deliberations became the basis for ESPN's Legends of Cricket. The panel included Richie Benaud, Dickie Bird, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Ian Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Richard Hadlee. The final 'legends' and the order in which they belong generated considerable debate. Most agree that Sir Donald Bradman is entitled to be No. 1, and Sir Garfield Sobers No. 2, but after that, opinions diverge. Can you compare WG Grace with Sachin Tendulkar? Who was the greatest West Indian fast bowler? Was Ian Botham, Sir Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan or Kapil Dev the best all-rounder of the '80s? Has Dennis Lillee's impact on the game been greater than that of Shane Warne? Greg Chappell is here; how about Steve Waugh and Allan Border? Which South Africans make the top 25? In Legends of Cricket, Geoff Armstrong profiles each of the champions who made the top 25. The profiles feature the opinions of more than 40 current and former Test stars, including 21 Test captains, the world's most famous umpire and a number of high-profile commentators and writers. What do the greats profiled here have in common? They all have powerful personalities, an unerring self-belief, courage and an unshakeable love for the game. Some are more flamboyant and charismatic than others, and not all are natural leaders, but every one has brought something new and extraordinary to cricket. Genuine Legends can do that.

The Essential Wisden
The Essential Wisden

Author: John Stern

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2014-01-07

Total Pages: 1097

ISBN-13: 1408178966

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

All the highlights of 150 editions of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

Times on the Ashes
Times on the Ashes

Author: Richard Whitehead

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2015-06-01

Total Pages: 622

ISBN-13: 075096393X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Times newspaper has been covering the Ashes since the great cricketing rivalry between England and Australia began. From the day — May 14, 1877 — that a report was published of a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground that was later recognised as the first Test match, to its slick, modern-day coverage with a team of writers, stunning colour photographs and instant online analysis, the paper has been there every step of the way. This book showcases some of the best Ashes coverage from the pages of The Times over almost 140 years and includes many of the most memorable matches, moments and players. It includes the sensational Bodyline series in 1932-33 that nearly split the Empire and the epic drama of the unforgettable Tests of 2005 when England finally won back the Ashes to the acclaim of the whole nation. The ruthless record-breaking exploits of Don Bradman are featured along with many other great individual contributions, including Jim Laker’s 19 wickets at Old Trafford in 1956 and Ian Botham’s Australia’s staggering solo performances in 1981. There are chapters recalling memorable innings by the likes of Len Hutton, David Gower, Colin Cowdrey, Walter Hammond and Kevin Pietersen for England and from Greg Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Stan McCabe, Allan Border and Charles Macartney for Australia. The great bowlers are covered in full, too, from Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne to Alec Bedser and James Anderson and many more besides. All these great cricketers were fortunate to have their Ashes exploits recorded by some of the most celebrated names in cricket writing, including Times cricket correspondents John Woodcock, Mike Atherton, Christopher Martin-Jenkins and Alan Lee plus a host of other distinguished journalists who have written about cricket for The Times. With a foreword by Mike Atherton, the former England captain who is now the award-winning Times cricket correspondent, The Times on the Ashes is a unique record of a remarkable and enduring sporting rivalry.

Eighty at Eighty
Eighty at Eighty

Author: Geoff Hurst

Publisher: eBook Partnership

Published: 2021-10-01

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 1801501297

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Sir Geoff has an in-depth knowledge of all the major sports and his A to Z reflects this, running from Ali to Zidane. The book is filled with surprising facts.1966 legend Sir Geoff Hurst is the only footballer in history to score a World Cup final hat-trick. To mark his 80th birthday, he has named the 80 sportsmen who most inspired and motivated him throughout his life. Sir Geoff, who scored 24 goals in 49 England games, also had a talent for cricket, and has an in-depth knowledge of all the major sports. His A to Z of sporting heroes covers multiple sports and decades, from Muhammad Ali to Zinedine Zidane. The book is filled with surprising facts, and Sir Geoff challenges you to count how many times you exclaim, 'I didn't know that!' when reading his entertaining and enlightening breakdown on his sporting idols. Writing in collaboration with renowned sports historian Norman Giller, who reported Sir Geoff's West Ham debut in 1960, Hurst personalises each profile with anecdotes that offer a unique insight into the individual. Pitch Publishing are planning a similar book on the greatest post-war sportswomen, but for now enjoy Sir Geoff Hurst discussing his 80 greatest sportsmen.

A War to the Knife
A War to the Knife

Author: Richard Bentley

Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd

Published: 2019-06-18

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1789017491

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The book tells the story of two test match series: England vs West Indies in 1933 and West Indies vs England in 1935. The England team was one of the best to ever play the game. Their side including: Herbert Sutcliffe, Wally Hammond Harold Larwood and captained by Douglas Jardine had just battered Australia by 4:1 in the infamous bodyline series. Australians though regarded the bodyline series as a travesty: what was supposed to be a gentle game for gentlemen had been turned into a struggle for dominance characterised by violence, intimidation and injury. The West Indian team, made up of from the populations of Britain’s scattered possessions in the Caribbean and divided by race as well as island loyalties, seemingly, had little chance against Jardine’s juggernaut. But cricket in the West Indies was more than just a game, the cricket field was a place where the island’s black population could meet their white compatriots as equals in competition, competitions they often won. West Indian cricket was an exciting new thing, suffused with athletic excellence, passion, the desire for dignity and financial security. Could men like: Learie Constantine, Manny Martindale and George Headley take West Indian cricket out into the world and beat the best the British had to offer?