Product Description

In 1999 Sir Derek Birley was finally recognised as one of the great writers on cricket, when this magisterial work won Britain's premier award for sports books. Immediately recognised by reviewers as both enormously entertaining and a definitive work that will enjoy immense longevity, it is now re-issued in B-format. A Social History of English Cricket is more than an encylopaedic history of the game's development, from its origins as a pastime for schoolboys and rustics all the way through to the modern one-day competitions with their rainbow clothing and floodlit finishes. It is nothing less than the story of English culture, as mirrored in the changing fortunes of an idiosyncratic sport that has always been a complex repository of manners, hierarchies, politics and, as Derek Birley shows, baser distinctions it would rather deny like hypocrisy and gambling. In considering the game of cricket Derek Birley also writes about the impact of two world wars, the influence of Empire, and, in his words, 'the English caste system', in a survey that, contends Ian Wooldridge, 'will teach an intelligent child of 12 more about their heritage than he or she will ever pick up at school.' But above all, as all commentators have agreed, this is also a superbly witty and humorous book, peopled by larger-than-life cricket characters from Sir Pelham Warner to Denis Compton and John Snow, and - rarely for cricket books - forswearing nostalgia to look forward optimistically to the future of the game just as much as it retrieves the halcyon past. Closing with a warm epilogue about the recent revival of village cricket, A Social History of English Cricket is the tour-de-force of a true cricket enthusiast that will be read for many years to come.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #108872 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Modern cricket suffers from being perceived as exemplifying the aristocratic circles from which it originated. It is the history behind this image which this book attempts to unravel, as Derek Birley illustrates cricket's uncertain position today. He cleverly shows that central to this uncertainty is the ethos of competition underpinning modern ethics--an ethos within which cricket, having originated in a leisurely environment, fares badly.

In concentrating on the aristocratic origins of the sport and the developments of the industrial revolution, Birley elucidates the reasons for the disparities in popularity and etiquette of cricket and football. His research is impressive in scope, but its purpose is ultimately hindered by his inability to filter out unnecessary facts.

This is a pity, because there is much noteworthy historical material--appealing to historians and cricket lovers alike--in this weighty book. Yet the historical passages are a little clumsily integrated with cricketing developments and the conclusions are somewhat piecemeal, as if Birley still believes that the historian's role is to be an "objective observer" and present "the facts". This is a somewhat antiquated view, but it is commensurate with the subject matter and the hypocritical mores of the founders of the game--the old-style aristocrats who invented the spirit of cricket and with whom, it appears, Birley cannot help but identify himself. --Toby Green

Review
'A masterpiece' - Ian Wooldridge, Daily Mail; 'A profoundly researched, easily and stylishly written book, put together with a view to a shelf-life of a good half-century, and as a work of reference a fair way beyond.'- Simon Barnes, The Times

About the Author
Sir Derek Birley's other books include his other classic cricket book, The Willow Wand, also published by Aurum, and the definitive 3-volume Sport and the Making of Britain. He died in 2002.

Customer Reviews

a masterpiece
This was the surprise winner of the 1999 Willian Hill Sports Book of the Year - only a surprise in that in that it is a scholarly, rigorous and well-referenced account of the evolution of English cricket through three centuries. It is also entertaining, witty, irreverent and beautifully written.

A masterpiece
This book has deservedly won the major literary sporting prizes of 1999. It is beautifully written, full of scholarly detail, and a classic in its field. It is funny, down-to-earth and lucid in its interweaving of social, political, literary and sporting events through the ages. It sparkles on every page. Do not be put off by the accurate but dry title - this is a book which delightfully brings the past to life.

Wonderful Read!
A fantastic book. As a cricket addict I can read about it all day but this book stands out. The author's chatty and lyrical style make it easy to read but the research and quantity of facts in the book is staggering. It's great to read about the non-cricketing side to personalities I've heard of and seen pictures of, but know little more. On the face if it this book should be a bit dry and hard work but believe me, it's not. It's refreshing to read a book that is not afraid to critise some of the legends of the game and bust a few myths particularly the roles of gentlemen and players.