Product Description

Gideon Haigh is now accepted as unquestionably the finest contemporary writer on cricket: this is the latest collection of his cricket writings, and the fourth in the series. As with his previous collections, "Game for Anything", "Silent Revolutions" and "A Green and Golden Age", it ranges wide in subject and tone. Here are extended pieces on cricketing greats from Don Bradman to Sunil Gavaskar, dissertations on the enduring significance of the Bodyline series and the first auguries offered by Twenty20, and estimations of great works of cricketing literature by such writers as Jack Fingleton and Ray Robinson - but also A History of the Baggy Green Cap and pieces on the art of Taking Guard.Impeccably well read, by turns considered, sagacious, waspish and droll, this is another indispensable volume for anyone interested in how cricket works, and why we play and watch it. This is the latest collection by the best cricket writer around. It features stunning cover design. The author always acclaimed by reviewers. This title covers the 2009 Ashes series for the "Guardian" in the UK.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45347 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"* 'One of the great modern cricket writers' * --Wisden Cricketer

'One of the best living writers on cricket' --Daily Telegraph

'Haigh writes as originally as anyone on the game' --Private Eye"

Customer Reviews

quite enjoyable
I have enjoyed several of Mr Haigh's books in the past. "Game For Anything", "Mystery Spinner" and "Downed Under" being three which I would select for special praise. He is clearly an erudite chap with a deep knowledge of the game and a very elegant writing style. This one, however, was not as absorbing. The easy, slightly throwaway super intelligent stream of conciousness style which is characteristic of his other work, was still there. Perhaps that was part of the problem. His breadth of reference, historical, cultural, political ( and any other word ending in ..cal ) is so wide that perhaps you need to be an intellectual peer of Mr Haigh's to get the full benefit from his prose. ( otherwise you will find that you need to keep looking things up to feel that you are engaging adequately with the text). As a mere mortal I felt disenfranchised from this enterprise and lacked the time and inclinations for the necessary thorough research. Unless you graduated Summa Cum Laude the same factors may impair your enjoyment too. I'm waiting for the publication of "Inside Out for Dummies", but I much admire Mr Haigh's panache.