'An astonishing work of research, detail and revelation. Bulging with information, packed with nuggets.' John Etheridge, Sun'Superbly researched... His eye for detail never wavers. It’s a pleasure to read.' Vic Marks, Observer'The Cricket Book of the Year: Dauntingly comprehensive and surprisingly light-footed.' Simon Briggs, Daily TelegraphEngland: The Biography...

**WINNER OF THE MCC / CRICKET SOCIETY BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDWINNER OF THE HEARTACHES' CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK THE YEAR AWARDAn England cricket tour is a unique phenomenon, with its own pressures, challenges and remarkable highlights. It presents its participants - shorn of the usual support networks they enjoy at home - with a prolonged test of skill, physical stamina and mental resilience. Now Simon Wilde, author of t...

Ian Botham arrived on the international scene just in time to ride sport's first big financial wave and exploit the Thatcherite mantra of go-out-and-get-what-you-want. He certainly needed the cash, having been regularly short since leaving state school in Yeovil at 15. In an era short on glamour and personalities, Botham brought an irresistible cocktail of talent, energy and swagger. With the stench of economic failure still in the air, he made the country feel good about itself again. He ...

**WINNER OF THE MCC / CRICKET SOCIETY BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDWINNER OF THE HEARTACHES' CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK THE YEAR AWARDAn England cricket tour is a unique phenomenon, with its own pressures, challenges and remarkable highlights. It presents its participants - shorn of the usual support networks they enjoy at home - with a prolonged test of skill, physical stamina and mental resilience. Now Simon Wilde, author of t...

In the early 1870s, the boomtown of Birmingham erupted in a series of vicious gang wars. Mobs of youths armed with stones, knives and belt buckles fought pitched battles in a struggle for territorial supremacy. Known as "sloggers", they drew their numbers from the workshops and factories that made guns, nails and jewellery, and lived cheek-by-jowl in overcrowded, insanitary slums.Author Philip Gooderson traces the history of these warring factions from their first appeara...

‘Rigorously researched, yet reads like a novel you can’t put down’ LUCY WORSLEY‘Joshua Levine is a fantastic and passionate individual. I highly recommend him for the breadth of knowledge he has’ STEVE Mc****QUEENThe Blitz is one of the most iconic and tumultuous periods in modern British history – and one of the most misunderstood.From the first page, readers will discover a different story to the one they thought ...

Bumble is back! The funny, forthright and not infrequently filthy author of best-seller ‘Start the Car’ and star of Sky Sports returns with a new collection of yarns from his years at the crease and at the microphone. It’s the book that Bumble’s many fans have been longing forAfter three long years, Bumble is finally back! The outspoken author of best-seller ‘Start the Car’ returns with a whole new cricket bag full of yarns from his years on the pitch and in the commentary box.

'COMPREHENSIVE' The Sunday Times'BEAUTIFULLY DETAILED' The Guardian'UTTERLY COMPELLING' Nottingham Forest News'WONDERFUL' Forbes'INTIMATE' FourFourTwo20th Anniversary Edition - Fully revised and updated.In this authoritative, critical biography, Jonathan Wilson draws an intimate and powerful portrait of one of ...

HIGHLIGHTS OF A CAREER IN CRICKET FROM BRITAIN'S BEST-LOVED UMPIRE, THE LATE DICKIE BIRD.'You know what you will get with Mr Bird, and he delivers it with unabashed aplomb in this amiable book' - Country LifeHardly a week went by without Dickie Bird visiting a county or Test match arena where he could keep up to date with all that was happening in the cricket world, while at the same time taking the opportunity to reflect, in the company of old f...

Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff is one of the most exciting cricketers in the world and has improved out of all recognition during the last two years. In 2003, he was England's best player at the World Cup. Then, explosively, he lit up the second half of the summer in 2004, lifting spirits at Lord's with a bat-smashing 142. He walked off with the England man of the series award and averages to flaunt. This book marks his story so far in his own words, taking us up to and including the summer of ...

Michael Vaughan tells the full, compelling story of a remarkable career - from his early days at Yorkshire, to his emergence as a world-class batsman; from the successful partnership with Duncan Fletcher that culminated in the raising of the urn at The Oval in 2005, to the recurring injuries that ultimately forced his retirement.With the insight that helped him bring the best out of personalities as different as Freddie Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and Steve Harmison, the winner of a ...

Life is very rarely dull or quiet when Sir Ian Botham is around. One of Britain's greatest sportsmen, 'Beefy' has always worked hard and played hard, and this book reflects that. Botham has compiled some of his favourite stories from a life devoted to cricket and brought them all together in one volume. With the help of his huge network of friends, colleagues, team-mates and opponents, he has put together a wonderful collection of the best and the funniest stories from the cricket world.