Fred Trueman was so much more than a cricketing legend. ' The greatest living Yorkshireman' according to Prime Minister Harold Wilson, he couldn' t help excelling at everything he did, whether it was as a hostile fast bowler for Yorkshire and England, and the first man to take 300 Test wickets in a career, or as a fearlessly outspoken radio summariser for Test Match Special. He was famous for regularly spluttering that, ' I don' t know what' s going off out there,' as well as for the amount of swearing he managed to incorporate into everyday speech. Beloved of cricket crowds, who filled grounds to witness his belligerent way of playing the game, and nothing but trouble to the cricket authorities, ' Fiery Fred' was the epitome of a full-blooded Englishman. But as Chris Waters reveals in this first full biography, behind the charismatic, exuberant mask lay a far less self-assured man - terrified even that his new dog wouldn' t like him - and whose bucolic version of his upbringing bore no relation to the gritty and impoverished South Yorkshire mining community where he actually grew up. Drawing on dozens of new interviews with his Yorkshire colleagues, family and friends, this life of Fred Trueman will surprise and even shock, but also confirm the status of an English folk hero.

The perfect gift for every cricket fan When was the first Ashes held? Who holds the highest individual Test runs score? And what exactly is a silly mid-off? Find the answer to all these and more inside The Cricket Pocket Bible, a pocket compendium of cricketing trivia and titbits about one of the world's most popular sports. Inside, debate the teams and the triumphs, defend the clubs and the competitions and discover how the quintessentially 'English' game of cricket became so popular in places as far afield as Australia, India and the West Indies. You'll also find practical information in The Cricket Pocket Bible - like the rules of playing cricket, how to kit yourself out in cricket gear, how to explain all the cricketing fielding positions and even how to bowl a googly. This pocket guide will take you through all the highlights of cricket, from the longest Test Match to the most unusual cricket match locations. Find out about memorable cricket World Cup moments, the history of the game, as well as the origin of the name and facts about famous cricket players from Brian Lara and Ian Botham to Freddie Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen. Inside The Cricket Pocket Bible you'll also find out about cricket etiquette, different forms of cricket around the world, how cricket has evolved with advances in technology and information on famous locations such as Lord's Cricket Ground - home to the world's oldest sporting museum. Whether you're a seasoned supporter like Mick Jagger or a recent cricket convert, The Cricket Pocket Bible is guaranteed to educate, enlighten and entertain every lover of the world-renowned game. So whether you're already an avid cricket fan or simply enjoy watching an afternoon's cricket at The Oval, Trent Bridge or Edgbaston, if you want to get all the essential information about cricket - from cricket players and cricket grounds to umpires and cricketing records - sit back with The Cricket Pocket Bible today. It won't have you stumped. 'I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth' Harold Pinter 'At its best, cricket is the most wonderful entertainment in the world' Michael Parkinson 'A cricketer's life is a life of splendid freedom, healthy effort, endless variety, and delightful good fellowship.' W.G. Grace 'It doesn't matter how pretty you look, it's how many runs you get' Steve Waugh This beautiful hardback edition has both dust-cover and gold embossing on the spine making it the perfect gift. Every Pocket Bible is lovingly crafted to give you a unique mix of useful references, handy tips and fascinating trivia that will enlighten and entertain you at every page. There is a Pocket Bible for everyone... Other titles in the series: The Rugby Pocket Bible, The Football pocket Bible, The Camping Pocket Bible, The DIY Pocket Bible and The Christmas Pocket Bible.

Born in Bolton tells the history of the 38 first-class cricketers, including 12 Test Players, to have been born in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. The first was Walter Hardcastle, born in Great Bolton in 1843, while the most recent are Matt Parkinson and Josh Bohannon. In between there are some fascinating stories of the careers enjoyed by so many Boltonians down the years such as R.,G.Barlow, Charlie Hallows, Dick Tyldesley, Roy Tattersall, Jack Bond, Frank Tyson, Mike Watkinson, Karl Brown, Sajid Mahmood, and many others. Why Bolton has produced so many fine cricketers and is such a cricket stronghold is explained by two excellent contributions from local cricket historians David Kaye and Jack Williams. Each book is accompanied by a fold-out map listing over 300 clubs in the Bolton area and the location of over 100 cricket grounds.

The New Zealand Cricket Almanack is the cricket lover's bible and is regarded worldwide as one of the finest books of its kind. The 72nd edition contains all the details of another full year of cricket at all levels, including extensive coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup all the Black Caps' and White Ferns' matches. As usual, there is a detailed records section and a fascinating collection of the season's happenings.

When England cricket captain Tony Greig announced that he intended to make the West Indies 'grovel', he lit a fire that burned as intensely as the sunshine that made 1976 one of the most memorable summers in British history. Spurred on by what they saw as a deeply offensive remark, especially from a white South African, Clive Lloyd's touring team vowed to make Greig pay. In Viv Richards, emerging as the world's most exciting batsman, and fast bowlers Michael Holding and Andy Roberts they had the players to do it. Featuring interviews with key figures from English and West Indian cricket, Grovel!: The Story and Legacy of the Summer of 1976 provides a fascinating study of the events and social issues surrounding one of the sport's most controversial and colourful tours - as well as addressing the decline of West Indies cricket and its loss of support in the new century.

Formed in 1875, Somerset County Cricket Club had a long history of winning nothing when Brian Rose took on the captaincy in 1978. Yet in his six years at the helm they won five trophies and came close to winning several more. With only two further successes since then, those gloriously entertaining summers of Rose’s men – Botham, Richards, Garner, Roebuck, Marks and Denning – remain unrivalled as the Golden Age of Somerset Cricket. Here in 'Rosey' Brian Rose tells the inside story of those years: from his apprenticeship under the extraordinary Brian Close to the sad and acrimonious break-up of the side. Reading his account of it all, it is not hard to understand how his quiet captaincy held together so many strong personalities. Both then and as Director of Cricket in the 2000s, he has been at the heart of so much of what is best about Somerset cricket.

In this highly entertaining book Fred Rumsey looks back on an eventful life, in which he opened the bowling for England in five Tests, single-handedly advanced the idea of a Professional Cricketers’ Association, pioneered the development of public relations in cricket, played a leading role in the expansion of the Lord’s Taverners and developed cricket and football tournaments in the Caribbean. There is fun aplenty, as befits one who was a friend of comedians Eric Morecambe and Dave Allen, but there is also a sense of social purpose, to be found not only in the years when he took on cricket’s establishment but in his long service to the charity work of the Lord’s Taverners and his close bond with the anti-apartheid South African journalist Donald Woods. From the poignancy of his description of an East End childhood during the Blitz to the wonderfully funny tale of his sharing a hotel room with Geoffrey Boycott, 'Sense of Humour, Sense of Justice' is full of delights – with insights into a rich array of characters, among them David Gower, Bobby Moore, David Frost and his great mate Colin Milburn.

Cricket is a strange game. It is a team sport that is almost entirely dependent on individual performance. Its combination of time, opportunity and the constant threat of disaster can drive its participants to despair. To survive a single delivery propelled at almost 100 miles an hour takes the body and brain to the edges of their capabilities, yet its abiding image is of the gentle village green, and the glorious absurdities of the amateur game. In The Meaning of Cricket, Jon Hotten attempts to understand this fascinating, frustrating and complex sport. Blending legendary players, from Vivian Richards to Mark Ramprakash, Kevin Pietersen to Ricky Ponting, with his own cricketing story, he explores the funny, moving and melancholic impact the game can have on an individual life.

You could argue that Dennis Amiss' seven-decade cricket career started the day he was born, when his parents named him after not one but two celebrated cricketers. Or maybe it started when he was 7, sneaking into the Birmingham Cooperative Society to play a few matches with his friends - as long as they avoided the groundskeeper! Or perhaps it was on 7 April 1958; not only his fifteenth birthday, but also his first day as a professional cricketer. Whatever day you start on, there's no denying that Amiss has had an extraordinary career. He is one of England's cricketing greats, with 100 first-class hundreds to his name and a place as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year. Hugely well-respected on and off the pitch, he didn't shy away from controversy, taking part in the 1982 'Rebel Tour' of Apartheid South Africa, and somehow ending up in the midst of the battle between World Series Cricket and the England Cricket Board. Not Out at Close of Play is the story of how passion, commitment and practice - and no small amount of stubbornness! - took a boy from the backstreets of Birmingham to worldwide cricket stardom.

The mysterious obituary of a woman cricketer in Auckland. A young Australian killer under siege by the police. Sherlock Holmes's extraordinary day at the Oval. These and other stories (eleven of them plus a sub) provide more twists and turns than a thrilling test match. Bob Cattell's second collection of short stories once again takes the reader on a world tour. Linked by the theme of cricket, each tale is shot through with wit, humour and drama.

Few other team sports can equal the global reach of cricket. Rich in history and tradition, it is both quintessentially English and expansively international, a game that has evolved and changed dramatically in recent times. Demonstrating how the history of cricket and its international popularity is entwined with British imperial expansion, this book examines the social and political impact of the game in a variety of cultural sites: the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. An international team of contributors explores the enduring influence of cricket on English identity, examines why cricket has seized the imagination of so many literary figures and provides profiles of iconic players including Bradman, Lara and Tendulkar. Presenting a global panoramic view of cricket's complicated development, its unique adaptability and its political and sporting controversies, the book provides a rich insight into a unique sporting and cultural heritage.

John Arlott, one of cricket's most revered commentators said of Farokh Engineer: "He finds both cricket and life fun; he laughs easily and his jokes are often very funny but he can be grave. His appeals are as loud as anyone's yet off the field he is quietly spoken. As a batsman or wicketkeeper he is aggressive, yet he is a man of consideration and courtesy. There has always been a quality of generosity about his cricket and his way of life." In this new book 'Farokh, The Cricketing Cavalier' Colin Evans, former cricket writer for the Manchester Evening News, looks back at Engineer's career, recalling many magical moments with Lancashire and India though the 1960s and 1970s. "John Arlott summed up Farokh so well," says Evans. ""I watched many of his performances for Lancashire from 1968 to 1976 and he had the ability to lighten up the gloomiest Manchester day, whether on the pitch or off it. Nowadays, 40 years after his retirement from the game, he is still warmly welcomed all over the world as an ambassador for cricket."

Combining reportage, anecdote, biography, history, and personal recollection, "A Last English Summer" is an honest and passionate reflection on cricket's past, present, and future. In 2009 the county system looked directionless and obsolete; more than ever, the players blessed with central contracts seemed separate from, rather than a part of, the domestic game. The home Ashes series was for the first time only available on cable TV and, of course, the juggernaut of Twenty20 threatened to flatten all but the Test form of the game, suggesting it may soon eclipse even that as well. Duncan Hamilton has preserved this seminal, convulsing season, which in years to come may be seen as a turning point in the history of cricket. In the process he embarks on a journey--often a deeply personal one--through the history and spirit of the game.

Winner of the MCC Book of the Year Award His father was a first-class cricketer, his grandfather was a slave. Born in rural Trinidad in 1901, Learie Constantine was the most dynamic all-round cricketer of his age (1928-1939) when he played Test cricket for the West Indies and club cricket for Nelson. Few who saw Constantine in action would ever forget the experience. As well as the cricketing genius that led to Constantine being described as 'the most original cricketer of his time', Connie illuminates the world that he grew up in, a place where the memories of slavery were still fresh and where a peculiar, almost obsessive, devotion to 'Englishness' created a society that was often more British than Britain itself. Harry Pearson looks too at the society Constantine came to in England, which he would embrace as much as it embraced him: the narrow working-class world of the industrial North during a time of grave economic depression. Connie reveals how a flamboyant showman from the West Indies actually dovetailed rather well in a place where local music-hall stars such as George Formby, Frank Randle and Gracie Fields were feted as heroes, and how Lancashire League cricket fitted into this world of popular entertainment. Connie tells an uplifting story about sport and prejudice, genius and human decency, and the unlikely cultural exchange between two very different places - the tropical island of Trinidad and the cloth-manufacturing towns of northern England - which shared the common language of cricket.

This fascinating book takes a very different look at Australia's most popular sporting hero, Sir Donald Bradman. Unlike the mostly reverent literature on 'The Don', this 2003 book explains how his iconic status was created and sustained, and what his popularity and heroism say about the meaning of Australian nationhood. Brett Hutchins' unique analysis reveals the mythical character of so many representations of The Don, and connects them to broader social phenomena and the cultural contexts in which they were created. Hutchins considers the many ways in which Bradman has been represented - as a symbol of Australian masculinity, as the quintessential Australian boy from the bush, as the 'battler', and as the hero at a distance from the political. Hutchins is able to show that many of the truisms we take for granted about Bradman and his role in Australian culture are open to challenge.