Product Description

There are many cricket books, and they are all the same. 'Don't Tell Goochie', autobiographical insights of nights on the tiles in Delhi with Lambie and the boys; 'Fruit cake days', a celebrated humourist recalls 'ball' - related banter of yore; and Wisden, a deadly weapon when combined with a thermos flask. Rain Men is different. Like the moment the genius of Richie Benaud first revealed itself to you, it is a cricketing epiphany, a landmark in the literature of the game. Shining the light meter of reason into cricket's incomparable madness, Marcus Berkmann illuminates all the obsessions and disappointments that the dedicated fan and pathologically hopeful clubman suffers year after year - the ritual humiliation of England's middle order, the partially-sighted umpires, the battling average that reads more like a shoe size. As satisfying as a perfectly timed cover drive, and rather easier to come by, Rain Men offers essential justification for anyone who has ever run a team-mate out on purpose or secretly blubbed at a video of Botham's Ashes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20382 in Books
• Published on: 1996-04-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
'The Fever Pitch of cricket. Very funny.' Daily Telegraph 'Many thousands of cricketers will be able to identify with Marcus Berkmann's marvellous Rain Men. A masterpiece.' Sir Tim Rice 'A very funny book about some very sad men' Ian Hislop 'It captures splendidly the many dazzingling facets of the truly atrocious cricketer' Observer 'For addicts with a low batting average - i.e. most cricket lovers' Guardian

Synopsis
There are many cricket books, and they are all the same. 'Don't Tell Goochie', autobiographical insights of nights on the tiles in Delhi with Lambie and the boys; 'Fruit cake days', a celebrated humourist recalls 'ball' - related banter of yore; and Wisden, a deadly weapon when combined with a thermos flask. Rain Men is different. Like the moment the genius of Richie Benaud first revealed itself to you, it is a cricketing epiphany, a landmark in the literature of the game. Shining the light meter of reason into cricket's incomparable madness, Marcus Berkmann illuminates all the obsessions and disappointments that the dedicated fan and pathologically hopeful clubman suffers year after year - the ritual humiliation of England's middle order, the partially-sighted umpires, the battling average that reads more like a shoe size. As satisfying as a perfectly timed cover drive, and rather easier to come by, Rain Men offers essential justification for anyone who has ever run a team-mate out on purpose or secretly blubbed at a video of Botham's Ashes.

About the Author
Marcus Berkmann is the author of Zimmer Men (SBN 0 316 72838 1) the sequel to Rain Men. He writes regularly for the Oldie, Private Eye and The Spectator

Customer Reviews

Absolutely hilarious! And true to life!
I came to this book after reading Harry Thompson's "When Penguins Stopped Play", encouraged by the comments in some reviews of that book (which I enjoyed) that this one would be so much better. And it is! I think one needs to be a player/ex-player (at not too high a level)/scorer/umpire/cricket "widow" to get the most of out it. But for those in any of those categories, be warned that you will encounter very strange looks from anyone in your vicinity where you are reading it as you will find yourself snorting out loud with laughter on almost every page.

Winter days thinking about cricket, pre-season indoor nets, TV or radio commentaries on England Test failures, the talents (or otherwise) of members of your own side, the awesome-looking opposition, the bad umpiring decisions (deliberate or just plain daft), players crying off late or getting lost en route, over-indulgent lunches and teas, the captain's task of trying to keep every player happy - we have all experienced them but Marcus Berkmann brings them (and more) vividly and colourfully to life in a journey through the year of a cricketer. Plus memories of "little Harry Pilling", the boring Chris Tavare and others who will be well known to the real cricket lover. It's all there, and so well written. Get it and enjoy it - but be prepared to split your sides with laughter!

Drink-spillingly funny and honest to boot
For a humble Sunday second eleven wicketkeeper, reading this book is like gazing into a mirror and seeing reflected in it the richness and absurdity of the game I love and the collection of similarly warped and addicted individuals I share it with.

If your team and two hangers on drive off to an away match, and cluster in threes to share cars (four is too many with full bags of kit), then arithmetic demands there will be one of you left over. Have you ever been that one, reluctantly driving ON YOUR OWN and with the whole journey to wonder if your place is in peril?

Have you seen a former Bletchley code-breaker reduced to tears trying to reconstruct a half-hearted attempt at scoring by a love-struck, mobile phone-bonded colt? Does he stuff that missing four on John's innings total, or does Clive count all his runs? Is a lifetime's friendship in the balance?

Have you ever secretly taken FIVE sausage rolls, hiding them under two carefully arranged sandwiches?

Why does it always rain just after you arrive at Kidmore End?

If this means anything to you, get the book, laugh till the tears stream down your face, viva Berkmann.

So good I decided to emulate Berkmann
his book has compelled me to do two things I would never have done before:

1. write a review so evangelical I am about how funny this book is; and

2. set up my own hopeless cricket team with a bunch of rugby, football and hockey players from university with the same levels of success of the team described in these pages.

I can not imagine how anyone but the most hardened anti-sports fan can fail to enjoy this book. I find that there is a lot of drivel written about cricket which seems be in love with its own sense of history and literature but this is a real treat. Don't go and buy the next Beckham, Rooney or Lampard autobiography - read a book about proper sportsmen who really suffer for their love.

... and A Few Good Men Cricket Club are looking for a good fast bowler by the way...