Authoritative, entertaining, excellent, 11 Sep 2008
Sadly, most people's knowledge of the Bodyline tour will have been gleaned from Australian TV's hideously one-sided and inaccurate drama based around the events of 1932-33. Happily, David Frith, a wonderfully skilled cricket writer with a foot in both camps, has painstakingly brought the series to life in what is the finest cricket book I've ever read.

Frith's attention to detail combined with his love of the game, not to mention his ability in recreating a time when the Commonwealth (and, indeed, cricket) still really mattered, makes this book stand out from the pack.

Frith has met or interviewed virtually all of the key players in the Bodyline tour, and therefore his characterisation of cricketers - from the toadying Gubby Allen to the obstinate, loyal Harold Larwood - has an air of authority that few, if any, would have been able to recreate.

I'd strongly recommend this book not only to cricket fans whose love of the game goes beyond a passing interest for a few months in the summer of 2005, but to anyone with a love of social history, or indeed and interest in exploring the English psyche. The era when there were gentlemen and players may have passed, but the English attitude to sport - the misplaced air of superiority combined with being torn between wanting to take the moral high ground while having a burning desire to win at all costs - explored in this book is still highly relevant some 75 years after the event. Frith leaves no stone unturned in his quest to get to the truth of what happened on the Bodyline tour and writes in a refreshingly balanced manner. If the Aussies decide to make another TV version of the events of 1932-33, they could do a lot worse than appoint Frith as the script editor.

The Definitive History of Bodyline, 15 Nov 2006
I have seen newsreel footage of Harold Larwood bowling in this series. It brings a tingle to the spine - in particular the critical moment of the whole series, whereby a delivery unleashed from Larwood struck wicketkeeper-batsman Bert Oldfield on the head and fractured his skull in the Third Test at Adelaide.

It is difficult today to understand the impact that Bodyline had on cricket. Fast leg-theory had been practiced certainly since Victorian times, but never with bowlers of such pace, ferocity and consistency as Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, the Nottinghamshire duo, and never with a field set so aggressively - most fielders behind square leg, and no-one on the off side further forward than Point. Risk getting hit, fend off a delivery and risk getting caught. Hook, and risk getting caught.

To say that Bodyline endangered relations between England and Australia is not an understatement.

This is an excellent, well researched book. Unbiased, it paints the picture in great detail as to how the Bodyline saga unfolded. You witness the proceedings from a number of different points of view.

We see how Douglas Jardine, the England captain, knew that the key to the Ashes was to stop Don Bradman. How Jardine had a suspicion that Bradman was susceptible to short pitched bowling. How he executed his plan, and how Harold Larwood was key to this. We witness the execution of the plan, the growing unpopularity in Australia, and the flashpoint at Adelaide which nearly provoked a riot and very nearly caused the series to be cancelled.

We see the heroics. Stan McCabe's battling 189 against Bodyline. Eddie Paynter's heroic 83 having discharged himself from hospital to save England. Bill Woodfull taking blow after blow on the body rather than give up his wicket. Don Bradman's improvised batting technique to combat Bodyline.

We see the shocks. Bradman's first ball dismissal attempting to hook Bill Bowes, for example.

We witness the aftermath. Both political and sporting. How the rules were eventually changed to ban Bodyline. And an intriguing late chapter which moves forward in time and suggests that repeated short pitched bowling from the like of Lillie and Thomson (1970s), Marshall and Garner (1980s) et al is not that dissimilar from Bodyline. How very fast bowlers terririse batsman to this day.

But most of all, one gets a real history of how things used to be. How the pace of life appeared to be much slower. For me, there is the overriding feeling that this was possibly the beginning of "gamesmanship" as we know it today. Douglas Jardine sacrificed sportsmanship, and Harold Larwood too in pursuit of the Ashes. Larwood was simply doing his job. He had no other choice. He was a Professional - a workhorse who had to do as he was told. An ex-miner from Nuncargate, he was bowled to destruction by Jardine. A Captain of England in those days could only be an Amateur - a gentleman, even. We therefore see the human side to this saga too. How Larwood was subsequently ostracised by the authorities for his part in Bodyline and how he emigrated to Australia to start a new life.

This is an excellent book, which I consider to be the definitive history on the subject. It is very readable and it is certainly a book I turn to time and time again on my bookshelf.

Excellent Overview, 04 Nov 2004
Having known very little about Bodyline (It was 65 years before I was born!) I decided to find out more. This book gives an excellent overview of Bodyline and Leg Theory, giving the differences between the two and the history. The book is well researched and contains a very balanced arguement, in that it shows the Austrailian, English and World cricket views. It also defines the incident in the context if the politics of the time. This may make the book seem rather heavy, but the descriptions of the atcual cricket are well done and from other sources I have read, seems to be very accurate all round. A brilliant book for any cricket fan

Balanced Bodyline, 06 Jul 2004
An entertaining and informative history of the infamous tour of 1932/3.

For such an emotive issue in cricket history, this book is finely balanced and covers the shock and outrage of Bodyline as well as the context of Leg Theory.

Possibly the best cricket book I have read.

Bodyline Autopsy, 13 Mar 2003
A thoroughly enjoyable read, from foreward to index. The book has many strengths to distinguish it. David Frith looks at the whole sorry episode from the points of view of the players, administrators, spectators, journalists, spectators, and those cricket followers in England, (who in the pre-television age relied on newspaper reports and a few seconds of newsreel action, and had only a limited idea of what was really going on). He handles each with considerable skill, based on clear analysis, and metriculous research.

My only slight criticism is that the author can come across as a bit of a name-dropper, but given the depth of research he has undertaken, and the people he has interviewed over the years, he can easily be forgiven a little showing off!

The biggest acheivement of the book is to put the upheavals of these games into their political contexts in a clear and interesting way. He also manages to be balanced and largely sympathetic in analysing the thoughts and actions of the main protagonists - no easy task on an issue that still polarises to this day.

I would happily recommend it

Authoritative, entertaining, excellent, 11 Sep 2008
Sadly, most people's knowledge of the Bodyline tour will have been gleaned from Australian TV's hideously one-sided and inaccurate drama based around the events of 1932-33. Happily, David Frith, a wonderfully skilled cricket writer with a foot in both camps, has painstakingly brought the series to life in what is the finest cricket book I've ever read.

Frith's attention to detail combined with his love of the game, not to mention his ability in recreating a time when the Commonwealth (and, indeed, cricket) still really mattered, makes this book stand out from the pack.

Frith has met or interviewed virtually all of the key players in the Bodyline tour, and therefore his characterisation of cricketers - from the toadying Gubby Allen to the obstinate, loyal Harold Larwood - has an air of authority that few, if any, would have been able to recreate.

I'd strongly recommend this book not only to cricket fans whose love of the game goes beyond a passing interest for a few months in the summer of 2005, but to anyone with a love of social history, or indeed and interest in exploring the English psyche. The era when there were gentlemen and players may have passed, but the English attitude to sport - the misplaced air of superiority combined with being torn between wanting to take the moral high ground while having a burning desire to win at all costs - explored in this book is still highly relevant some 75 years after the event. Frith leaves no stone unturned in his quest to get to the truth of what happened on the Bodyline tour and writes in a refreshingly balanced manner. If the Aussies decide to make another TV version of the events of 1932-33, they could do a lot worse than appoint Frith as the script editor.

The Definitive History of Bodyline, 15 Nov 2006
I have seen newsreel footage of Harold Larwood bowling in this series. It brings a tingle to the spine - in particular the critical moment of the whole series, whereby a delivery unleashed from Larwood struck wicketkeeper-batsman Bert Oldfield on the head and fractured his skull in the Third Test at Adelaide.

It is difficult today to understand the impact that Bodyline had on cricket. Fast leg-theory had been practiced certainly since Victorian times, but never with bowlers of such pace, ferocity and consistency as Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, the Nottinghamshire duo, and never with a field set so aggressively - most fielders behind square leg, and no-one on the off side further forward than Point. Risk getting hit, fend off a delivery and risk getting caught. Hook, and risk getting caught.

To say that Bodyline endangered relations between England and Australia is not an understatement.

This is an excellent, well researched book. Unbiased, it paints the picture in great detail as to how the Bodyline saga unfolded. You witness the proceedings from a number of different points of view.

We see how Douglas Jardine, the England captain, knew that the key to the Ashes was to stop Don Bradman. How Jardine had a suspicion that Bradman was susceptible to short pitched bowling. How he executed his plan, and how Harold Larwood was key to this. We witness the execution of the plan, the growing unpopularity in Australia, and the flashpoint at Adelaide which nearly provoked a riot and very nearly caused the series to be cancelled.

We see the heroics. Stan McCabe's battling 189 against Bodyline. Eddie Paynter's heroic 83 having discharged himself from hospital to save England. Bill Woodfull taking blow after blow on the body rather than give up his wicket. Don Bradman's improvised batting technique to combat Bodyline.

We see the shocks. Bradman's first ball dismissal attempting to hook Bill Bowes, for example.

We witness the aftermath. Both political and sporting. How the rules were eventually changed to ban Bodyline. And an intriguing late chapter which moves forward in time and suggests that repeated short pitched bowling from the like of Lillie and Thomson (1970s), Marshall and Garner (1980s) et al is not that dissimilar from Bodyline. How very fast bowlers terririse batsman to this day.

But most of all, one gets a real history of how things used to be. How the pace of life appeared to be much slower. For me, there is the overriding feeling that this was possibly the beginning of "gamesmanship" as we know it today. Douglas Jardine sacrificed sportsmanship, and Harold Larwood too in pursuit of the Ashes. Larwood was simply doing his job. He had no other choice. He was a Professional - a workhorse who had to do as he was told. An ex-miner from Nuncargate, he was bowled to destruction by Jardine. A Captain of England in those days could only be an Amateur - a gentleman, even. We therefore see the human side to this saga too. How Larwood was subsequently ostracised by the authorities for his part in Bodyline and how he emigrated to Australia to start a new life.

This is an excellent book, which I consider to be the definitive history on the subject. It is very readable and it is certainly a book I turn to time and time again on my bookshelf.

Excellent Overview, 04 Nov 2004
Having known very little about Bodyline (It was 65 years before I was born!) I decided to find out more. This book gives an excellent overview of Bodyline and Leg Theory, giving the differences between the two and the history. The book is well researched and contains a very balanced arguement, in that it shows the Austrailian, English and World cricket views. It also defines the incident in the context if the politics of the time. This may make the book seem rather heavy, but the descriptions of the atcual cricket are well done and from other sources I have read, seems to be very accurate all round. A brilliant book for any cricket fan

Balanced Bodyline, 06 Jul 2004
An entertaining and informative history of the infamous tour of 1932/3.

For such an emotive issue in cricket history, this book is finely balanced and covers the shock and outrage of Bodyline as well as the context of Leg Theory.

Possibly the best cricket book I have read.

Bodyline Autopsy, 13 Mar 2003
A thoroughly enjoyable read, from foreward to index. The book has many strengths to distinguish it. David Frith looks at the whole sorry episode from the points of view of the players, administrators, spectators, journalists, spectators, and those cricket followers in England, (who in the pre-television age relied on newspaper reports and a few seconds of newsreel action, and had only a limited idea of what was really going on). He handles each with considerable skill, based on clear analysis, and metriculous research.

My only slight criticism is that the author can come across as a bit of a name-dropper, but given the depth of research he has undertaken, and the people he has interviewed over the years, he can easily be forgiven a little showing off!

The biggest acheivement of the book is to put the upheavals of these games into their political contexts in a clear and interesting way. He also manages to be balanced and largely sympathetic in analysing the thoughts and actions of the main protagonists - no easy task on an issue that still polarises to this day.

I would happily recommend it

Beauty Mate!, 22 Jan 2006
Anyone who has played club cricket will identify and love this book. Hilariously written and superbly observed - this loose "diary" of a season will leave you with a warm glow inside. Beauty mate!

Instant empathy, 29 Dec 2004
I did begin to wonder whether any of the nicknames in this book had been contrived to further characterise the people we barely had a chance to meet in the run up to the Yarra's season but, the more of that season the diary chronicled, the more the characterisation developed anyway and it was all the more touching for it. If you have played any cricket - or any amateur sport - you will empathise instantly with the peaks and troughs of the sporting achievement, and the stresses and strains of club administration. You'll recognise the people too because there is almost certainly the same blend in your own club.

In many ways, this is no different to Rain Men but, as an Englishman, all the more revealing of club culture in a sporting nation we have been conditioned to revere. For that alone Many a Slip is worth reading because you'll identify moreso with a shared bond that spans a far greater distance than some of the more parochial and therefore recognisable events in Rain Men and similar diaries.

Haigh is an excellent, perceptive and thoughtful correspondent who'll neatly encapsulate much of what you feel about your own cricket club. If you're not a cricketer then this is worth reading to see what all the fuss is about: ultimately, it isn't even about the cricket; it's about the shared interest and the mateship. It's a delightful book.

Cricket's the same game wherever it's played, 31 Mar 2004
This is the diary of the South Yarra cricket club's 2001-02 sesson in Melbourne, Australia. It makes you realise that all cricket clubs are the same all over the world. Some of Haigh's characters and situations will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played in the lower reaches of club cricket anywhere. I read this in less than two days on the train and had to struggle not to laugh out loud at several points. Very highly recommended to anyone with any interest in club cricket - or anyone who just wants quick, funny read.

fantastic, 22 Jan 2003
if you've ever read Gideon Haigh's column in the Guardian and enjoyed it, then you are obliged to buy this book.

fantastically funny, and beautifully written in a vernacular style, this is a fine read.

if you are worried about it being overly 'australian' then you might have a point, but i love it and I'm a pom.

In My Autobiography, Aussie leg-spin maestro Shane Warne, perhaps the outstanding cricketer of his generation--and one of the most consistently newsworthy characters in sport--takes stock of a phenomenally successful career, and gives his account of the scandals and controversies that have sent the media into spasms of delighted indignation.

From his days as a frustrated teenage wannabe Aussie Rules star, who decided he might as well try his hand at cricket, Warne has almost single-handedly taken the gentle, studious art of spin-bowling and turned it into a thrilling gladiatorial spectacle--on the way gathering career stats that rank him in company with the game's all-time elite.

Warne crashed into the world spotlight in 1993, when his first-ever ball in Ashes cricket made seasoned England star Mike Gatting look like a floundering buffoon:

In the second or so it took to leave my hand, swerve to pitch outside leg stump, fizz past the batsmen's lunge forward and clip off stump, my life did change ... Ian Botham said he hadn't seen the same look of wide-eyed horror on Gatting's face since somebody had stolen his lunch a few years before.

And he has hardly looked back since--on the pitch at least. Outside the boundary rope it has been a different, though no less sensational story. The media has revelled in tales of extra-marital phone-sex, match-fixing controversies, and bust-ups with the game's authorities and fellow professionals--sparking endless nonsensical speculation as to whether this hard-drinking, smoking "yobbo" was too fat, too loud, too arrogant or just plain too much for cricket to take.

This is a candid chronicle of his side of the story, and along the way there are some wonderful revelations about the mysteries of spin-bowling, the professional art of "sledging", and a fascinating insider account of Australia's rise to world dominance. A frank observer of others; an insightful assessor of his own achievements and motivations--and rarely descending into bland PR-consciousness--The King Of Spin has once again confounded all expectations and served up a peach. --Alex Hankin

Authoritative, entertaining, excellent, 11 Sep 2008
Sadly, most people's knowledge of the Bodyline tour will have been gleaned from Australian TV's hideously one-sided and inaccurate drama based around the events of 1932-33. Happily, David Frith, a wonderfully skilled cricket writer with a foot in both camps, has painstakingly brought the series to life in what is the finest cricket book I've ever read.

Frith's attention to detail combined with his love of the game, not to mention his ability in recreating a time when the Commonwealth (and, indeed, cricket) still really mattered, makes this book stand out from the pack.

Frith has met or interviewed virtually all of the key players in the Bodyline tour, and therefore his characterisation of cricketers - from the toadying Gubby Allen to the obstinate, loyal Harold Larwood - has an air of authority that few, if any, would have been able to recreate.

I'd strongly recommend this book not only to cricket fans whose love of the game goes beyond a passing interest for a few months in the summer of 2005, but to anyone with a love of social history, or indeed and interest in exploring the English psyche. The era when there were gentlemen and players may have passed, but the English attitude to sport - the misplaced air of superiority combined with being torn between wanting to take the moral high ground while having a burning desire to win at all costs - explored in this book is still highly relevant some 75 years after the event. Frith leaves no stone unturned in his quest to get to the truth of what happened on the Bodyline tour and writes in a refreshingly balanced manner. If the Aussies decide to make another TV version of the events of 1932-33, they could do a lot worse than appoint Frith as the script editor.

The Definitive History of Bodyline, 15 Nov 2006
I have seen newsreel footage of Harold Larwood bowling in this series. It brings a tingle to the spine - in particular the critical moment of the whole series, whereby a delivery unleashed from Larwood struck wicketkeeper-batsman Bert Oldfield on the head and fractured his skull in the Third Test at Adelaide.

It is difficult today to understand the impact that Bodyline had on cricket. Fast leg-theory had been practiced certainly since Victorian times, but never with bowlers of such pace, ferocity and consistency as Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, the Nottinghamshire duo, and never with a field set so aggressively - most fielders behind square leg, and no-one on the off side further forward than Point. Risk getting hit, fend off a delivery and risk getting caught. Hook, and risk getting caught.

To say that Bodyline endangered relations between England and Australia is not an understatement.

This is an excellent, well researched book. Unbiased, it paints the picture in great detail as to how the Bodyline saga unfolded. You witness the proceedings from a number of different points of view.

We see how Douglas Jardine, the England captain, knew that the key to the Ashes was to stop Don Bradman. How Jardine had a suspicion that Bradman was susceptible to short pitched bowling. How he executed his plan, and how Harold Larwood was key to this. We witness the execution of the plan, the growing unpopularity in Australia, and the flashpoint at Adelaide which nearly provoked a riot and very nearly caused the series to be cancelled.

We see the heroics. Stan McCabe's battling 189 against Bodyline. Eddie Paynter's heroic 83 having discharged himself from hospital to save England. Bill Woodfull taking blow after blow on the body rather than give up his wicket. Don Bradman's improvised batting technique to combat Bodyline.

We see the shocks. Bradman's first ball dismissal attempting to hook Bill Bowes, for example.

We witness the aftermath. Both political and sporting. How the rules were eventually changed to ban Bodyline. And an intriguing late chapter which moves forward in time and suggests that repeated short pitched bowling from the like of Lillie and Thomson (1970s), Marshall and Garner (1980s) et al is not that dissimilar from Bodyline. How very fast bowlers terririse batsman to this day.

But most of all, one gets a real history of how things used to be. How the pace of life appeared to be much slower. For me, there is the overriding feeling that this was possibly the beginning of "gamesmanship" as we know it today. Douglas Jardine sacrificed sportsmanship, and Harold Larwood too in pursuit of the Ashes. Larwood was simply doing his job. He had no other choice. He was a Professional - a workhorse who had to do as he was told. An ex-miner from Nuncargate, he was bowled to destruction by Jardine. A Captain of England in those days could only be an Amateur - a gentleman, even. We therefore see the human side to this saga too. How Larwood was subsequently ostracised by the authorities for his part in Bodyline and how he emigrated to Australia to start a new life.

This is an excellent book, which I consider to be the definitive history on the subject. It is very readable and it is certainly a book I turn to time and time again on my bookshelf.

Excellent Overview, 04 Nov 2004
Having known very little about Bodyline (It was 65 years before I was born!) I decided to find out more. This book gives an excellent overview of Bodyline and Leg Theory, giving the differences between the two and the history. The book is well researched and contains a very balanced arguement, in that it shows the Austrailian, English and World cricket views. It also defines the incident in the context if the politics of the time. This may make the book seem rather heavy, but the descriptions of the atcual cricket are well done and from other sources I have read, seems to be very accurate all round. A brilliant book for any cricket fan

Balanced Bodyline, 06 Jul 2004
An entertaining and informative history of the infamous tour of 1932/3.

For such an emotive issue in cricket history, this book is finely balanced and covers the shock and outrage of Bodyline as well as the context of Leg Theory.

Possibly the best cricket book I have read.

Bodyline Autopsy, 13 Mar 2003
A thoroughly enjoyable read, from foreward to index. The book has many strengths to distinguish it. David Frith looks at the whole sorry episode from the points of view of the players, administrators, spectators, journalists, spectators, and those cricket followers in England, (who in the pre-television age relied on newspaper reports and a few seconds of newsreel action, and had only a limited idea of what was really going on). He handles each with considerable skill, based on clear analysis, and metriculous research.

My only slight criticism is that the author can come across as a bit of a name-dropper, but given the depth of research he has undertaken, and the people he has interviewed over the years, he can easily be forgiven a little showing off!

The biggest acheivement of the book is to put the upheavals of these games into their political contexts in a clear and interesting way. He also manages to be balanced and largely sympathetic in analysing the thoughts and actions of the main protagonists - no easy task on an issue that still polarises to this day.

I would happily recommend it

Beauty Mate!, 22 Jan 2006
Anyone who has played club cricket will identify and love this book. Hilariously written and superbly observed - this loose "diary" of a season will leave you with a warm glow inside. Beauty mate!

Instant empathy, 29 Dec 2004
I did begin to wonder whether any of the nicknames in this book had been contrived to further characterise the people we barely had a chance to meet in the run up to the Yarra's season but, the more of that season the diary chronicled, the more the characterisation developed anyway and it was all the more touching for it. If you have played any cricket - or any amateur sport - you will empathise instantly with the peaks and troughs of the sporting achievement, and the stresses and strains of club administration. You'll recognise the people too because there is almost certainly the same blend in your own club.

In many ways, this is no different to Rain Men but, as an Englishman, all the more revealing of club culture in a sporting nation we have been conditioned to revere. For that alone Many a Slip is worth reading because you'll identify moreso with a shared bond that spans a far greater distance than some of the more parochial and therefore recognisable events in Rain Men and similar diaries.

Haigh is an excellent, perceptive and thoughtful correspondent who'll neatly encapsulate much of what you feel about your own cricket club. If you're not a cricketer then this is worth reading to see what all the fuss is about: ultimately, it isn't even about the cricket; it's about the shared interest and the mateship. It's a delightful book.

Cricket's the same game wherever it's played, 31 Mar 2004
This is the diary of the South Yarra cricket club's 2001-02 sesson in Melbourne, Australia. It makes you realise that all cricket clubs are the same all over the world. Some of Haigh's characters and situations will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played in the lower reaches of club cricket anywhere. I read this in less than two days on the train and had to struggle not to laugh out loud at several points. Very highly recommended to anyone with any interest in club cricket - or anyone who just wants quick, funny read.

fantastic, 22 Jan 2003
if you've ever read Gideon Haigh's column in the Guardian and enjoyed it, then you are obliged to buy this book.

fantastically funny, and beautifully written in a vernacular style, this is a fine read.

if you are worried about it being overly 'australian' then you might have a point, but i love it and I'm a pom.

Noiicce , Shane !, 16 Jan 2006
I started to become fascinated with Shane Warne following his remarkable performance in the Ashes this year when he almost retained the trophy for the Aussies single-handedly. Without his devastating leg breaks which repeatedly tortured the England top-order batsmen and his determined batting which frequently spared the blushes of the Australian middle order, I am convinced that England would have won the Series 4-1. Shane Warne's autobiography is interesting but not particularly revealing and it lacks the amount of amusing anecdotes one might have expected from a top sportsman's life story. I would have liked to have found out more about his early life and his married life , but a lot of the book concerned itself with details and statistics about long forgotten Test matches and accounts of his cricketing injuries. The book is at it's best when describing some of the more controversial and unfortunate events in Shane's life such as the Scott Muller incident, saucy extra-marital phone-sex, bag-snatching and sledging. He doesn't seem to have had much luck getting away with doing naughty or silly things over the years. I also enjoyed finding out more about the Australian Cricket team and the personalities and relationships that have made them such a powerful force over the past decade. Unfortunately this book is a little out of date and doesn't include recent scandal about drug-taking, more extra-marital sexual liaisons and the recent break-up of Shane's marriage. The book reveals that although Shane Warne may have made some ill advised choices in his personal life, his knowledge of strategy and tactics in cricket is excellent and it is a pity that non-cricket related matters prevented him from becoming captain of the Australian side. I think that he would have been exciting and imaginative in this role and there are plenty of positive suggestions and good ideas mentioned in the book by Shane . Shane Warne's autobiography is less for a mainstream market and more for a strictly cricket-following audience with its emphasis on match details ,statistics and esoteric remarks such as "In the mid-90's I gave Mushtaq my flipper and he showed me his wrong-un" , which may confuse ,if not startle, the less knowledgeable reader.

Cricket Fans Only Need Apply!, 22 Jul 2005
Though it pains me to say it, what with him being an Aussie, Warne is quite possibly the greatest cricketer of all time and certainly (as Wisden decided) one of the top five. As such, any cricket fan would bound to be interested in his autobiography. It is however a disappointment.

Warne has always been colourful both on and off the field and a lot of his off-field antics have gained a great deal of publicity. In the book he attempts to explain away all of the situations he found himself in, whilst always attempting to show that nothing was his fault in any way. Put frankly he comes across as a whiner.

The chapters about his early years and going to the accademy are interesting enough, though I would have enjoyed more detail be provided about how he developed his incredible action. The book starts to struggle towards the end and as mentioned previously turns into a torrent of feeble excuses that you would expect a schoolboy to trott out to a teacher.

Of ego and ability, 21 Jul 2003
A reasonably interesting book though hardly substantive and to put into perspective, by author who has not ever read a book.

As most autobiographies of sporting greats of his fabric, its full of self glorification. The author's explanation of dispicable behaviour such as sledging gives us further insight of his grain.

One particular subject which I found interesting was his scathing attack of Arjuna Ranatunga. It must be noted that it is Ranatunga who is credited with transformation of Sri Lankan cricket, which culminated with her victory at the World cup in 1996(no prizes for guessing who the losing finalists were). Ranatunga during the tournament had daringly claimed that Warne was full of hype (Warne ended wicketless against the Lankans for 58 runs in his 10 overs, including being clubbed for a six by Ranatunga himself!!!)

Further, Ranatunga as we all know put his career in line and served a suspended ICC sentence in his fiery defence Muttiah Muralitharan in Australia. Its now apparent that Shane Warne will end his career behind Muttiah Muralitharan as the Greatest spin bowler of the game. Presently Warne has 491 wickets in 107 tests at nearly 26 runs per wicket, as against Muralitharan's 459 wickets in just 82 tests(25 tests less than Warne) at just over 23 and half runs per wicket. Muttiah Muralitharan has been named the greatest bowler in the history of the game by non other than Wisden.

So had it not been for Ranatunga, would Australia have won the 1996 world cup and Warne been the greatest spinner of all time(as opposed to being the second best)?

It no doubt appears that Mr Shane Warne firmly believes so.

Some fascinating nuggets but for cricket fans only, 20 May 2003
The world's greatest spin bowler he may be, but a great writer he certainly isn't. You wonder what was his ghost doing?
The book has two basic styles: the first is something like: "And then I took five wickets, and I was especially pleased with the flipper that took Fleming's off stump, and in the second test I got a few runs and we destroyed them in the final test, when, with six wickets, I certainly proved to Tugga I was back to my best."
The second comes through whenever he has to deal with controversy: "Well, you could say I am a bit blunt, but if a bloke won't return your calls when you want to sort it out, I don't think you can blame me for what happened."
Each time the whiff of controversy comes near, Warne airbrushes himself with barely a trace of apology. He sees himself not just as more sinned against than sinning but as hardly sinning at all.
This was written just before the drugs scandal, so Warne doesn't have to defend himself on that one, but there is the betting scandal, the remarks to other players, and the saucy phone calls, all of which he flatbats away.
But, then, let's be honest, this is pretty typical for sporting autobiographies, and it rather overlooks some of the great nuggets available here. Did you know about how a senior pro in the Australian team leads the singing of the Southern Cross at the end of a match? Or the fact that each player gives a mini-talk to the others about the history of Australia, the history of cricket or a subject of their choice (Warne chose gambling at a casino)?
These sorts of things help you realise how the Aussie team bond so brilliantly and reflect well on Waugh's captaincy.
And if you like cricket, even the run through of "Tests I have played in" is readable enough.
That said, some cricket books transcend their genre and have a value to the general reader. This isn't one of them.

Needs another 200 pages to do it justice., 15 May 2003
Shane Warne is a cricketing legend but clearly never going to be a literary one. His autobiography is interesting but not as spectacular as it might have been given his stature in the game and the catalogue of controversy that has dogged his career. Instead you cant help but feel that there is a lack of detail here. Too much of the book reads like a list of statistics, "I took 5-47 in the first test, 6-70 in the 2nd and we won the series 2-0" (in fact WAY too much of the book reads like that ,but there's still enough here to keep a casual reader interested. A good read but as flawed as the man himself. Come back to hampshire soon, Shane!

This complete guide combines the basics of coaching and cricket in one conscise resource.

Authoritative, entertaining, excellent, 11 Sep 2008
Sadly, most people's knowledge of the Bodyline tour will have been gleaned from Australian TV's hideously one-sided and inaccurate drama based around the events of 1932-33. Happily, David Frith, a wonderfully skilled cricket writer with a foot in both camps, has painstakingly brought the series to life in what is the finest cricket book I've ever read.

Frith's attention to detail combined with his love of the game, not to mention his ability in recreating a time when the Commonwealth (and, indeed, cricket) still really mattered, makes this book stand out from the pack.

Frith has met or interviewed virtually all of the key players in the Bodyline tour, and therefore his characterisation of cricketers - from the toadying Gubby Allen to the obstinate, loyal Harold Larwood - has an air of authority that few, if any, would have been able to recreate.

I'd strongly recommend this book not only to cricket fans whose love of the game goes beyond a passing interest for a few months in the summer of 2005, but to anyone with a love of social history, or indeed and interest in exploring the English psyche. The era when there were gentlemen and players may have passed, but the English attitude to sport - the misplaced air of superiority combined with being torn between wanting to take the moral high ground while having a burning desire to win at all costs - explored in this book is still highly relevant some 75 years after the event. Frith leaves no stone unturned in his quest to get to the truth of what happened on the Bodyline tour and writes in a refreshingly balanced manner. If the Aussies decide to make another TV version of the events of 1932-33, they could do a lot worse than appoint Frith as the script editor.

The Definitive History of Bodyline, 15 Nov 2006
I have seen newsreel footage of Harold Larwood bowling in this series. It brings a tingle to the spine - in particular the critical moment of the whole series, whereby a delivery unleashed from Larwood struck wicketkeeper-batsman Bert Oldfield on the head and fractured his skull in the Third Test at Adelaide.

It is difficult today to understand the impact that Bodyline had on cricket. Fast leg-theory had been practiced certainly since Victorian times, but never with bowlers of such pace, ferocity and consistency as Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, the Nottinghamshire duo, and never with a field set so aggressively - most fielders behind square leg, and no-one on the off side further forward than Point. Risk getting hit, fend off a delivery and risk getting caught. Hook, and risk getting caught.

To say that Bodyline endangered relations between England and Australia is not an understatement.

This is an excellent, well researched book. Unbiased, it paints the picture in great detail as to how the Bodyline saga unfolded. You witness the proceedings from a number of different points of view.

We see how Douglas Jardine, the England captain, knew that the key to the Ashes was to stop Don Bradman. How Jardine had a suspicion that Bradman was susceptible to short pitched bowling. How he executed his plan, and how Harold Larwood was key to this. We witness the execution of the plan, the growing unpopularity in Australia, and the flashpoint at Adelaide which nearly provoked a riot and very nearly caused the series to be cancelled.

We see the heroics. Stan McCabe's battling 189 against Bodyline. Eddie Paynter's heroic 83 having discharged himself from hospital to save England. Bill Woodfull taking blow after blow on the body rather than give up his wicket. Don Bradman's improvised batting technique to combat Bodyline.

We see the shocks. Bradman's first ball dismissal attempting to hook Bill Bowes, for example.

We witness the aftermath. Both political and sporting. How the rules were eventually changed to ban Bodyline. And an intriguing late chapter which moves forward in time and suggests that repeated short pitched bowling from the like of Lillie and Thomson (1970s), Marshall and Garner (1980s) et al is not that dissimilar from Bodyline. How very fast bowlers terririse batsman to this day.

But most of all, one gets a real history of how things used to be. How the pace of life appeared to be much slower. For me, there is the overriding feeling that this was possibly the beginning of "gamesmanship" as we know it today. Douglas Jardine sacrificed sportsmanship, and Harold Larwood too in pursuit of the Ashes. Larwood was simply doing his job. He had no other choice. He was a Professional - a workhorse who had to do as he was told. An ex-miner from Nuncargate, he was bowled to destruction by Jardine. A Captain of England in those days could only be an Amateur - a gentleman, even. We therefore see the human side to this saga too. How Larwood was subsequently ostracised by the authorities for his part in Bodyline and how he emigrated to Australia to start a new life.

This is an excellent book, which I consider to be the definitive history on the subject. It is very readable and it is certainly a book I turn to time and time again on my bookshelf.

Excellent Overview, 04 Nov 2004
Having known very little about Bodyline (It was 65 years before I was born!) I decided to find out more. This book gives an excellent overview of Bodyline and Leg Theory, giving the differences between the two and the history. The book is well researched and contains a very balanced arguement, in that it shows the Austrailian, English and World cricket views. It also defines the incident in the context if the politics of the time. This may make the book seem rather heavy, but the descriptions of the atcual cricket are well done and from other sources I have read, seems to be very accurate all round. A brilliant book for any cricket fan

Balanced Bodyline, 06 Jul 2004
An entertaining and informative history of the infamous tour of 1932/3.

For such an emotive issue in cricket history, this book is finely balanced and covers the shock and outrage of Bodyline as well as the context of Leg Theory.

Possibly the best cricket book I have read.

Bodyline Autopsy, 13 Mar 2003
A thoroughly enjoyable read, from foreward to index. The book has many strengths to distinguish it. David Frith looks at the whole sorry episode from the points of view of the players, administrators, spectators, journalists, spectators, and those cricket followers in England, (who in the pre-television age relied on newspaper reports and a few seconds of newsreel action, and had only a limited idea of what was really going on). He handles each with considerable skill, based on clear analysis, and metriculous research.

My only slight criticism is that the author can come across as a bit of a name-dropper, but given the depth of research he has undertaken, and the people he has interviewed over the years, he can easily be forgiven a little showing off!

The biggest acheivement of the book is to put the upheavals of these games into their political contexts in a clear and interesting way. He also manages to be balanced and largely sympathetic in analysing the thoughts and actions of the main protagonists - no easy task on an issue that still polarises to this day.

I would happily recommend it

Beauty Mate!, 22 Jan 2006
Anyone who has played club cricket will identify and love this book. Hilariously written and superbly observed - this loose "diary" of a season will leave you with a warm glow inside. Beauty mate!

Instant empathy, 29 Dec 2004
I did begin to wonder whether any of the nicknames in this book had been contrived to further characterise the people we barely had a chance to meet in the run up to the Yarra's season but, the more of that season the diary chronicled, the more the characterisation developed anyway and it was all the more touching for it. If you have played any cricket - or any amateur sport - you will empathise instantly with the peaks and troughs of the sporting achievement, and the stresses and strains of club administration. You'll recognise the people too because there is almost certainly the same blend in your own club.

In many ways, this is no different to Rain Men but, as an Englishman, all the more revealing of club culture in a sporting nation we have been conditioned to revere. For that alone Many a Slip is worth reading because you'll identify moreso with a shared bond that spans a far greater distance than some of the more parochial and therefore recognisable events in Rain Men and similar diaries.

Haigh is an excellent, perceptive and thoughtful correspondent who'll neatly encapsulate much of what you feel about your own cricket club. If you're not a cricketer then this is worth reading to see what all the fuss is about: ultimately, it isn't even about the cricket; it's about the shared interest and the mateship. It's a delightful book.

Cricket's the same game wherever it's played, 31 Mar 2004
This is the diary of the South Yarra cricket club's 2001-02 sesson in Melbourne, Australia. It makes you realise that all cricket clubs are the same all over the world. Some of Haigh's characters and situations will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played in the lower reaches of club cricket anywhere. I read this in less than two days on the train and had to struggle not to laugh out loud at several points. Very highly recommended to anyone with any interest in club cricket - or anyone who just wants quick, funny read.

fantastic, 22 Jan 2003
if you've ever read Gideon Haigh's column in the Guardian and enjoyed it, then you are obliged to buy this book.

fantastically funny, and beautifully written in a vernacular style, this is a fine read.

if you are worried about it being overly 'australian' then you might have a point, but i love it and I'm a pom.

Noiicce , Shane !, 16 Jan 2006
I started to become fascinated with Shane Warne following his remarkable performance in the Ashes this year when he almost retained the trophy for the Aussies single-handedly. Without his devastating leg breaks which repeatedly tortured the England top-order batsmen and his determined batting which frequently spared the blushes of the Australian middle order, I am convinced that England would have won the Series 4-1. Shane Warne's autobiography is interesting but not particularly revealing and it lacks the amount of amusing anecdotes one might have expected from a top sportsman's life story. I would have liked to have found out more about his early life and his married life , but a lot of the book concerned itself with details and statistics about long forgotten Test matches and accounts of his cricketing injuries. The book is at it's best when describing some of the more controversial and unfortunate events in Shane's life such as the Scott Muller incident, saucy extra-marital phone-sex, bag-snatching and sledging. He doesn't seem to have had much luck getting away with doing naughty or silly things over the years. I also enjoyed finding out more about the Australian Cricket team and the personalities and relationships that have made them such a powerful force over the past decade. Unfortunately this book is a little out of date and doesn't include recent scandal about drug-taking, more extra-marital sexual liaisons and the recent break-up of Shane's marriage. The book reveals that although Shane Warne may have made some ill advised choices in his personal life, his knowledge of strategy and tactics in cricket is excellent and it is a pity that non-cricket related matters prevented him from becoming captain of the Australian side. I think that he would have been exciting and imaginative in this role and there are plenty of positive suggestions and good ideas mentioned in the book by Shane . Shane Warne's autobiography is less for a mainstream market and more for a strictly cricket-following audience with its emphasis on match details ,statistics and esoteric remarks such as "In the mid-90's I gave Mushtaq my flipper and he showed me his wrong-un" , which may confuse ,if not startle, the less knowledgeable reader.

Cricket Fans Only Need Apply!, 22 Jul 2005
Though it pains me to say it, what with him being an Aussie, Warne is quite possibly the greatest cricketer of all time and certainly (as Wisden decided) one of the top five. As such, any cricket fan would bound to be interested in his autobiography. It is however a disappointment.

Warne has always been colourful both on and off the field and a lot of his off-field antics have gained a great deal of publicity. In the book he attempts to explain away all of the situations he found himself in, whilst always attempting to show that nothing was his fault in any way. Put frankly he comes across as a whiner.

The chapters about his early years and going to the accademy are interesting enough, though I would have enjoyed more detail be provided about how he developed his incredible action. The book starts to struggle towards the end and as mentioned previously turns into a torrent of feeble excuses that you would expect a schoolboy to trott out to a teacher.

Of ego and ability, 21 Jul 2003
A reasonably interesting book though hardly substantive and to put into perspective, by author who has not ever read a book.

As most autobiographies of sporting greats of his fabric, its full of self glorification. The author's explanation of dispicable behaviour such as sledging gives us further insight of his grain.

One particular subject which I found interesting was his scathing attack of Arjuna Ranatunga. It must be noted that it is Ranatunga who is credited with transformation of Sri Lankan cricket, which culminated with her victory at the World cup in 1996(no prizes for guessing who the losing finalists were). Ranatunga during the tournament had daringly claimed that Warne was full of hype (Warne ended wicketless against the Lankans for 58 runs in his 10 overs, including being clubbed for a six by Ranatunga himself!!!)

Further, Ranatunga as we all know put his career in line and served a suspended ICC sentence in his fiery defence Muttiah Muralitharan in Australia. Its now apparent that Shane Warne will end his career behind Muttiah Muralitharan as the Greatest spin bowler of the game. Presently Warne has 491 wickets in 107 tests at nearly 26 runs per wicket, as against Muralitharan's 459 wickets in just 82 tests(25 tests less than Warne) at just over 23 and half runs per wicket. Muttiah Muralitharan has been named the greatest bowler in the history of the game by non other than Wisden.

So had it not been for Ranatunga, would Australia have won the 1996 world cup and Warne been the greatest spinner of all time(as opposed to being the second best)?

It no doubt appears that Mr Shane Warne firmly believes so.

Some fascinating nuggets but for cricket fans only, 20 May 2003
The world's greatest spin bowler he may be, but a great writer he certainly isn't. You wonder what was his ghost doing?
The book has two basic styles: the first is something like: "And then I took five wickets, and I was especially pleased with the flipper that took Fleming's off stump, and in the second test I got a few runs and we destroyed them in the final test, when, with six wickets, I certainly proved to Tugga I was back to my best."
The second comes through whenever he has to deal with controversy: "Well, you could say I am a bit blunt, but if a bloke won't return your calls when you want to sort it out, I don't think you can blame me for what happened."
Each time the whiff of controversy comes near, Warne airbrushes himself with barely a trace of apology. He sees himself not just as more sinned against than sinning but as hardly sinning at all.
This was written just before the drugs scandal, so Warne doesn't have to defend himself on that one, but there is the betting scandal, the remarks to other players, and the saucy phone calls, all of which he flatbats away.
But, then, let's be honest, this is pretty typical for sporting autobiographies, and it rather overlooks some of the great nuggets available here. Did you know about how a senior pro in the Australian team leads the singing of the Southern Cross at the end of a match? Or the fact that each player gives a mini-talk to the others about the history of Australia, the history of cricket or a subject of their choice (Warne chose gambling at a casino)?
These sorts of things help you realise how the Aussie team bond so brilliantly and reflect well on Waugh's captaincy.
And if you like cricket, even the run through of "Tests I have played in" is readable enough.
That said, some cricket books transcend their genre and have a value to the general reader. This isn't one of them.

Needs another 200 pages to do it justice., 15 May 2003
Shane Warne is a cricketing legend but clearly never going to be a literary one. His autobiography is interesting but not as spectacular as it might have been given his stature in the game and the catalogue of controversy that has dogged his career. Instead you cant help but feel that there is a lack of detail here. Too much of the book reads like a list of statistics, "I took 5-47 in the first test, 6-70 in the 2nd and we won the series 2-0" (in fact WAY too much of the book reads like that ,but there's still enough here to keep a casual reader interested. A good read but as flawed as the man himself. Come back to hampshire soon, Shane!

A great help, 11 May 2007
I did a lot of research into books to help me teach my two boys (9 and 6) and their friends a bit more about cricket. I love the game, and they are getting into it.

This book is so helpful in giving me insights into coaching and the various forms of the game (kids arent nececarily interested in the purist forms of the game)

Clear illustrations and plain English descriptions make this book a very easy to use reference. It's well structured with everything from photocopyable score cards to tips and tricks on some of the more technical aspects.

A great buy for any level of coach - experienced or 'wannabe' Future England / Yorkshire player father like m'self ;)

Fairly Good but I Did Not Learn Anything New, 31 Oct 2004
I eagerly anticipated this book when it came through the post. Since everyone needs to keep on learning in a sport I was curious as to what the Australians were doing right. After all they excel at everything and are relitivley small.
The book is , well ,textbook cricket (What else can you expect). The book talk everything well with animations and good narration. Unfortunatley I just did not learn anything new at all.
Other books on this matter have taught m little tips like shuffling your feet before delivery or keeping your bat high like Graeme Gooch. Some have taught me how to get good power or what to exactly do in the field. This book was good if you want to teach someone very young in a orthodox fashion but for an adult who wants to almost cheat the game or just pick up that extra bit of knowledge I personally do not feel it adds anything.
Hope this Helps
Nevboz

An excellent, structured guide to coaching youngsters, 30 Oct 2001
The book is written in plain language and provides clear guidance on how to introduce youngsters to the game of cricket. The enthusiasm for the game is obvious throughout the book. The authors have provided many useful coaching tips that will be appreciated by those involved in youth cricket and the practice games are a welcome addition to those normally included in coaching manuals. Overall a very useful coaching resource that I recommend to anyone who coaches youngsters.

Authoritative, entertaining, excellent, 11 Sep 2008
Sadly, most people's knowledge of the Bodyline tour will have been gleaned from Australian TV's hideously one-sided and inaccurate drama based around the events of 1932-33. Happily, David Frith, a wonderfully skilled cricket writer with a foot in both camps, has painstakingly brought the series to life in what is the finest cricket book I've ever read.

Frith's attention to detail combined with his love of the game, not to mention his ability in recreating a time when the Commonwealth (and, indeed, cricket) still really mattered, makes this book stand out from the pack.

Frith has met or interviewed virtually all of the key players in the Bodyline tour, and therefore his characterisation of cricketers - from the toadying Gubby Allen to the obstinate, loyal Harold Larwood - has an air of authority that few, if any, would have been able to recreate.

I'd strongly recommend this book not only to cricket fans whose love of the game goes beyond a passing interest for a few months in the summer of 2005, but to anyone with a love of social history, or indeed and interest in exploring the English psyche. The era when there were gentlemen and players may have passed, but the English attitude to sport - the misplaced air of superiority combined with being torn between wanting to take the moral high ground while having a burning desire to win at all costs - explored in this book is still highly relevant some 75 years after the event. Frith leaves no stone unturned in his quest to get to the truth of what happened on the Bodyline tour and writes in a refreshingly balanced manner. If the Aussies decide to make another TV version of the events of 1932-33, they could do a lot worse than appoint Frith as the script editor.

The Definitive History of Bodyline, 15 Nov 2006
I have seen newsreel footage of Harold Larwood bowling in this series. It brings a tingle to the spine - in particular the critical moment of the whole series, whereby a delivery unleashed from Larwood struck wicketkeeper-batsman Bert Oldfield on the head and fractured his skull in the Third Test at Adelaide.

It is difficult today to understand the impact that Bodyline had on cricket. Fast leg-theory had been practiced certainly since Victorian times, but never with bowlers of such pace, ferocity and consistency as Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, the Nottinghamshire duo, and never with a field set so aggressively - most fielders behind square leg, and no-one on the off side further forward than Point. Risk getting hit, fend off a delivery and risk getting caught. Hook, and risk getting caught.

To say that Bodyline endangered relations between England and Australia is not an understatement.

This is an excellent, well researched book. Unbiased, it paints the picture in great detail as to how the Bodyline saga unfolded. You witness the proceedings from a number of different points of view.

We see how Douglas Jardine, the England captain, knew that the key to the Ashes was to stop Don Bradman. How Jardine had a suspicion that Bradman was susceptible to short pitched bowling. How he executed his plan, and how Harold Larwood was key to this. We witness the execution of the plan, the growing unpopularity in Australia, and the flashpoint at Adelaide which nearly provoked a riot and very nearly caused the series to be cancelled.

We see the heroics. Stan McCabe's battling 189 against Bodyline. Eddie Paynter's heroic 83 having discharged himself from hospital to save England. Bill Woodfull taking blow after blow on the body rather than give up his wicket. Don Bradman's improvised batting technique to combat Bodyline.

We see the shocks. Bradman's first ball dismissal attempting to hook Bill Bowes, for example.

We witness the aftermath. Both political and sporting. How the rules were eventually changed to ban Bodyline. And an intriguing late chapter which moves forward in time and suggests that repeated short pitched bowling from the like of Lillie and Thomson (1970s), Marshall and Garner (1980s) et al is not that dissimilar from Bodyline. How very fast bowlers terririse batsman to this day.

But most of all, one gets a real history of how things used to be. How the pace of life appeared to be much slower. For me, there is the overriding feeling that this was possibly the beginning of "gamesmanship" as we know it today. Douglas Jardine sacrificed sportsmanship, and Harold Larwood too in pursuit of the Ashes. Larwood was simply doing his job. He had no other choice. He was a Professional - a workhorse who had to do as he was told. An ex-miner from Nuncargate, he was bowled to destruction by Jardine. A Captain of England in those days could only be an Amateur - a gentleman, even. We therefore see the human side to this saga too. How Larwood was subsequently ostracised by the authorities for his part in Bodyline and how he emigrated to Australia to start a new life.

This is an excellent book, which I consider to be the definitive history on the subject. It is very readable and it is certainly a book I turn to time and time again on my bookshelf.

Excellent Overview, 04 Nov 2004
Having known very little about Bodyline (It was 65 years before I was born!) I decided to find out more. This book gives an excellent overview of Bodyline and Leg Theory, giving the differences between the two and the history. The book is well researched and contains a very balanced arguement, in that it shows the Austrailian, English and World cricket views. It also defines the incident in the context if the politics of the time. This may make the book seem rather heavy, but the descriptions of the atcual cricket are well done and from other sources I have read, seems to be very accurate all round. A brilliant book for any cricket fan

Balanced Bodyline, 06 Jul 2004
An entertaining and informative history of the infamous tour of 1932/3.

For such an emotive issue in cricket history, this book is finely balanced and covers the shock and outrage of Bodyline as well as the context of Leg Theory.

Possibly the best cricket book I have read.

Bodyline Autopsy, 13 Mar 2003
A thoroughly enjoyable read, from foreward to index. The book has many strengths to distinguish it. David Frith looks at the whole sorry episode from the points of view of the players, administrators, spectators, journalists, spectators, and those cricket followers in England, (who in the pre-television age relied on newspaper reports and a few seconds of newsreel action, and had only a limited idea of what was really going on). He handles each with considerable skill, based on clear analysis, and metriculous research.

My only slight criticism is that the author can come across as a bit of a name-dropper, but given the depth of research he has undertaken, and the people he has interviewed over the years, he can easily be forgiven a little showing off!

The biggest acheivement of the book is to put the upheavals of these games into their political contexts in a clear and interesting way. He also manages to be balanced and largely sympathetic in analysing the thoughts and actions of the main protagonists - no easy task on an issue that still polarises to this day.

I would happily recommend it

Beauty Mate!, 22 Jan 2006
Anyone who has played club cricket will identify and love this book. Hilariously written and superbly observed - this loose "diary" of a season will leave you with a warm glow inside. Beauty mate!

Instant empathy, 29 Dec 2004
I did begin to wonder whether any of the nicknames in this book had been contrived to further characterise the people we barely had a chance to meet in the run up to the Yarra's season but, the more of that season the diary chronicled, the more the characterisation developed anyway and it was all the more touching for it. If you have played any cricket - or any amateur sport - you will empathise instantly with the peaks and troughs of the sporting achievement, and the stresses and strains of club administration. You'll recognise the people too because there is almost certainly the same blend in your own club.

In many ways, this is no different to Rain Men but, as an Englishman, all the more revealing of club culture in a sporting nation we have been conditioned to revere. For that alone Many a Slip is worth reading because you'll identify moreso with a shared bond that spans a far greater distance than some of the more parochial and therefore recognisable events in Rain Men and similar diaries.

Haigh is an excellent, perceptive and thoughtful correspondent who'll neatly encapsulate much of what you feel about your own cricket club. If you're not a cricketer then this is worth reading to see what all the fuss is about: ultimately, it isn't even about the cricket; it's about the shared interest and the mateship. It's a delightful book.

Cricket's the same game wherever it's played, 31 Mar 2004
This is the diary of the South Yarra cricket club's 2001-02 sesson in Melbourne, Australia. It makes you realise that all cricket clubs are the same all over the world. Some of Haigh's characters and situations will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played in the lower reaches of club cricket anywhere. I read this in less than two days on the train and had to struggle not to laugh out loud at several points. Very highly recommended to anyone with any interest in club cricket - or anyone who just wants quick, funny read.

fantastic, 22 Jan 2003
if you've ever read Gideon Haigh's column in the Guardian and enjoyed it, then you are obliged to buy this book.

fantastically funny, and beautifully written in a vernacular style, this is a fine read.

if you are worried about it being overly 'australian' then you might have a point, but i love it and I'm a pom.

Noiicce , Shane !, 16 Jan 2006
I started to become fascinated with Shane Warne following his remarkable performance in the Ashes this year when he almost retained the trophy for the Aussies single-handedly. Without his devastating leg breaks which repeatedly tortured the England top-order batsmen and his determined batting which frequently spared the blushes of the Australian middle order, I am convinced that England would have won the Series 4-1. Shane Warne's autobiography is interesting but not particularly revealing and it lacks the amount of amusing anecdotes one might have expected from a top sportsman's life story. I would have liked to have found out more about his early life and his married life , but a lot of the book concerned itself with details and statistics about long forgotten Test matches and accounts of his cricketing injuries. The book is at it's best when describing some of the more controversial and unfortunate events in Shane's life such as the Scott Muller incident, saucy extra-marital phone-sex, bag-snatching and sledging. He doesn't seem to have had much luck getting away with doing naughty or silly things over the years. I also enjoyed finding out more about the Australian Cricket team and the personalities and relationships that have made them such a powerful force over the past decade. Unfortunately this book is a little out of date and doesn't include recent scandal about drug-taking, more extra-marital sexual liaisons and the recent break-up of Shane's marriage. The book reveals that although Shane Warne may have made some ill advised choices in his personal life, his knowledge of strategy and tactics in cricket is excellent and it is a pity that non-cricket related matters prevented him from becoming captain of the Australian side. I think that he would have been exciting and imaginative in this role and there are plenty of positive suggestions and good ideas mentioned in the book by Shane . Shane Warne's autobiography is less for a mainstream market and more for a strictly cricket-following audience with its emphasis on match details ,statistics and esoteric remarks such as "In the mid-90's I gave Mushtaq my flipper and he showed me his wrong-un" , which may confuse ,if not startle, the less knowledgeable reader.

Cricket Fans Only Need Apply!, 22 Jul 2005
Though it pains me to say it, what with him being an Aussie, Warne is quite possibly the greatest cricketer of all time and certainly (as Wisden decided) one of the top five. As such, any cricket fan would bound to be interested in his autobiography. It is however a disappointment.

Warne has always been colourful both on and off the field and a lot of his off-field antics have gained a great deal of publicity. In the book he attempts to explain away all of the situations he found himself in, whilst always attempting to show that nothing was his fault in any way. Put frankly he comes across as a whiner.

The chapters about his early years and going to the accademy are interesting enough, though I would have enjoyed more detail be provided about how he developed his incredible action. The book starts to struggle towards the end and as mentioned previously turns into a torrent of feeble excuses that you would expect a schoolboy to trott out to a teacher.

Of ego and ability, 21 Jul 2003
A reasonably interesting book though hardly substantive and to put into perspective, by author who has not ever read a book.

As most autobiographies of sporting greats of his fabric, its full of self glorification. The author's explanation of dispicable behaviour such as sledging gives us further insight of his grain.

One particular subject which I found interesting was his scathing attack of Arjuna Ranatunga. It must be noted that it is Ranatunga who is credited with transformation of Sri Lankan cricket, which culminated with her victory at the World cup in 1996(no prizes for guessing who the losing finalists were). Ranatunga during the tournament had daringly claimed that Warne was full of hype (Warne ended wicketless against the Lankans for 58 runs in his 10 overs, including being clubbed for a six by Ranatunga himself!!!)

Further, Ranatunga as we all know put his career in line and served a suspended ICC sentence in his fiery defence Muttiah Muralitharan in Australia. Its now apparent that Shane Warne will end his career behind Muttiah Muralitharan as the Greatest spin bowler of the game. Presently Warne has 491 wickets in 107 tests at nearly 26 runs per wicket, as against Muralitharan's 459 wickets in just 82 tests(25 tests less than Warne) at just over 23 and half runs per wicket. Muttiah Muralitharan has been named the greatest bowler in the history of the game by non other than Wisden.

So had it not been for Ranatunga, would Australia have won the 1996 world cup and Warne been the greatest spinner of all time(as opposed to being the second best)?

It no doubt appears that Mr Shane Warne firmly believes so.

Some fascinating nuggets but for cricket fans only, 20 May 2003
The world's greatest spin bowler he may be, but a great writer he certainly isn't. You wonder what was his ghost doing?
The book has two basic styles: the first is something like: "And then I took five wickets, and I was especially pleased with the flipper that took Fleming's off stump, and in the second test I got a few runs and we destroyed them in the final test, when, with six wickets, I certainly proved to Tugga I was back to my best."
The second comes through whenever he has to deal with controversy: "Well, you could say I am a bit blunt, but if a bloke won't return your calls when you want to sort it out, I don't think you can blame me for what happened."
Each time the whiff of controversy comes near, Warne airbrushes himself with barely a trace of apology. He sees himself not just as more sinned against than sinning but as hardly sinning at all.
This was written just before the drugs scandal, so Warne doesn't have to defend himself on that one, but there is the betting scandal, the remarks to other players, and the saucy phone calls, all of which he flatbats away.
But, then, let's be honest, this is pretty typical for sporting autobiographies, and it rather overlooks some of the great nuggets available here. Did you know about how a senior pro in the Australian team leads the singing of the Southern Cross at the end of a match? Or the fact that each player gives a mini-talk to the others about the history of Australia, the history of cricket or a subject of their choice (Warne chose gambling at a casino)?
These sorts of things help you realise how the Aussie team bond so brilliantly and reflect well on Waugh's captaincy.
And if you like cricket, even the run through of "Tests I have played in" is readable enough.
That said, some cricket books transcend their genre and have a value to the general reader. This isn't one of them.

Needs another 200 pages to do it justice., 15 May 2003
Shane Warne is a cricketing legend but clearly never going to be a literary one. His autobiography is interesting but not as spectacular as it might have been given his stature in the game and the catalogue of controversy that has dogged his career. Instead you cant help but feel that there is a lack of detail here. Too much of the book reads like a list of statistics, "I took 5-47 in the first test, 6-70 in the 2nd and we won the series 2-0" (in fact WAY too much of the book reads like that ,but there's still enough here to keep a casual reader interested. A good read but as flawed as the man himself. Come back to hampshire soon, Shane!

A great help, 11 May 2007
I did a lot of research into books to help me teach my two boys (9 and 6) and their friends a bit more about cricket. I love the game, and they are getting into it.

This book is so helpful in giving me insights into coaching and the various forms of the game (kids arent nececarily interested in the purist forms of the game)

Clear illustrations and plain English descriptions make this book a very easy to use reference. It's well structured with everything from photocopyable score cards to tips and tricks on some of the more technical aspects.

A great buy for any level of coach - experienced or 'wannabe' Future England / Yorkshire player father like m'self ;)

Fairly Good but I Did Not Learn Anything New, 31 Oct 2004
I eagerly anticipated this book when it came through the post. Since everyone needs to keep on learning in a sport I was curious as to what the Australians were doing right. After all they excel at everything and are relitivley small.
The book is , well ,textbook cricket (What else can you expect). The book talk everything well with animations and good narration. Unfortunatley I just did not learn anything new at all.
Other books on this matter have taught m little tips like shuffling your feet before delivery or keeping your bat high like Graeme Gooch. Some have taught me how to get good power or what to exactly do in the field. This book was good if you want to teach someone very young in a orthodox fashion but for an adult who wants to almost cheat the game or just pick up that extra bit of knowledge I personally do not feel it adds anything.
Hope this Helps
Nevboz

An excellent, structured guide to coaching youngsters, 30 Oct 2001
The book is written in plain language and provides clear guidance on how to introduce youngsters to the game of cricket. The enthusiasm for the game is obvious throughout the book. The authors have provided many useful coaching tips that will be appreciated by those involved in youth cricket and the practice games are a welcome addition to those normally included in coaching manuals. Overall a very useful coaching resource that I recommend to anyone who coaches youngsters.

I had to laugh..., 02 Jan 2008
I recently read this book whilst on holiday and found it to be an excellent, engrossing read. The author's journey across Australia following the disastrous test series is in turn exhilarating, highly humorous and, at times, all too painful. A trip of a lifetime which sadly wont be part of my lifetime could not have been more worse from a sporting point of view but Mr Cooksons laconic sense of humour continually shines through. The Aussies may be razor sharp at cricket but they are close to bottom of the league in terms of witty banter and continually fail to come up to scratch in the game of jocular ripostes. Graham's book is a wonderful, funny and informative read and gives a great insight into the life of the travelling sports fan. The stories of incidents and encounters that occurred on his journey are very funnily recounted as are the descriptions of people he meets and the detour to New Zealand. I may not agree with all of the authors views on sport (me being a stubborn Yorkshireman) but I will certainly be buying his next book and will be recommending this one to everyone.

Excellent, 06 Sep 2007
Having been at the Ashes - I can honestly say this is an excellent account - with humour throughout. Interesting that the final twist in the conclusion matched mine

Ashes To Ashes - Page To Page A Great Read!, 10 Jun 2007
As Someone who is relatively new to cricket I was a little wary about buying this book on a friends reccomendation, as I felt it might get bogged down by in depth analysis of each match.

I shouldn't have worried though, Cookson balances the book perfectly between humourous anecdotes about the various characters and incidents from the tour, both at the cricket and as a tourist in Australia.

You don't need to be the biggest cricket fan in the world ever to enjoy this, if you like sport of any kind, like the odd beer yourself and can associate with what it's like to be abroad in a foreign country where you feel under attack for being English then you'll love this.

A ripping read from start to finish.



Howzat!, 06 Jun 2007
A fantastic personal account of the highs and mainly lows of England's dismal performance in the 2006 Ashes. Makes you feel like you were actually there without having the hassle of getting on a plane and being surrounded by Aussies for a couple of months.

Authoritative, entertaining, excellent, 11 Sep 2008
Sadly, most people's knowledge of the Bodyline tour will have been gleaned from Australian TV's hideously one-sided and inaccurate drama based around the events of 1932-33. Happily, David Frith, a wonderfully skilled cricket writer with a foot in both camps, has painstakingly brought the series to life in what is the finest cricket book I've ever read.

Frith's attention to detail combined with his love of the game, not to mention his ability in recreating a time when the Commonwealth (and, indeed, cricket) still really mattered, makes this book stand out from the pack.

Frith has met or interviewed virtually all of the key players in the Bodyline tour, and therefore his characterisation of cricketers - from the toadying Gubby Allen to the obstinate, loyal Harold Larwood - has an air of authority that few, if any, would have been able to recreate.

I'd strongly recommend this book not only to cricket fans whose love of the game goes beyond a passing interest for a few months in the summer of 2005, but to anyone with a love of social history, or indeed and interest in exploring the English psyche. The era when there were gentlemen and players may have passed, but the English attitude to sport - the misplaced air of superiority combined with being torn between wanting to take the moral high ground while having a burning desire to win at all costs - explored in this book is still highly relevant some 75 years after the event. Frith leaves no stone unturned in his quest to get to the truth of what happened on the Bodyline tour and writes in a refreshingly balanced manner. If the Aussies decide to make another TV version of the events of 1932-33, they could do a lot worse than appoint Frith as the script editor.

The Definitive History of Bodyline, 15 Nov 2006
I have seen newsreel footage of Harold Larwood bowling in this series. It brings a tingle to the spine - in particular the critical moment of the whole series, whereby a delivery unleashed from Larwood struck wicketkeeper-batsman Bert Oldfield on the head and fractured his skull in the Third Test at Adelaide.

It is difficult today to understand the impact that Bodyline had on cricket. Fast leg-theory had been practiced certainly since Victorian times, but never with bowlers of such pace, ferocity and consistency as Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, the Nottinghamshire duo, and never with a field set so aggressively - most fielders behind square leg, and no-one on the off side further forward than Point. Risk getting hit, fend off a delivery and risk getting caught. Hook, and risk getting caught.

To say that Bodyline endangered relations between England and Australia is not an understatement.

This is an excellent, well researched book. Unbiased, it paints the picture in great detail as to how the Bodyline saga unfolded. You witness the proceedings from a number of different points of view.

We see how Douglas Jardine, the England captain, knew that the key to the Ashes was to stop Don Bradman. How Jardine had a suspicion that Bradman was susceptible to short pitched bowling. How he executed his plan, and how Harold Larwood was key to this. We witness the execution of the plan, the growing unpopularity in Australia, and the flashpoint at Adelaide which nearly provoked a riot and very nearly caused the series to be cancelled.

We see the heroics. Stan McCabe's battling 189 against Bodyline. Eddie Paynter's heroic 83 having discharged himself from hospital to save England. Bill Woodfull taking blow after blow on the body rather than give up his wicket. Don Bradman's improvised batting technique to combat Bodyline.

We see the shocks. Bradman's first ball dismissal attempting to hook Bill Bowes, for example.

We witness the aftermath. Both political and sporting. How the rules were eventually changed to ban Bodyline. And an intriguing late chapter which moves forward in time and suggests that repeated short pitched bowling from the like of Lillie and Thomson (1970s), Marshall and Garner (1980s) et al is not that dissimilar from Bodyline. How very fast bowlers terririse batsman to this day.

But most of all, one gets a real history of how things used to be. How the pace of life appeared to be much slower. For me, there is the overriding feeling that this was possibly the beginning of "gamesmanship" as we know it today. Douglas Jardine sacrificed sportsmanship, and Harold Larwood too in pursuit of the Ashes. Larwood was simply doing his job. He had no other choice. He was a Professional - a workhorse who had to do as he was told. An ex-miner from Nuncargate, he was bowled to destruction by Jardine. A Captain of England in those days could only be an Amateur - a gentleman, even. We therefore see the human side to this saga too. How Larwood was subsequently ostracised by the authorities for his part in Bodyline and how he emigrated to Australia to start a new life.

This is an excellent book, which I consider to be the definitive history on the subject. It is very readable and it is certainly a book I turn to time and time again on my bookshelf.

Excellent Overview, 04 Nov 2004
Having known very little about Bodyline (It was 65 years before I was born!) I decided to find out more. This book gives an excellent overview of Bodyline and Leg Theory, giving the differences between the two and the history. The book is well researched and contains a very balanced arguement, in that it shows the Austrailian, English and World cricket views. It also defines the incident in the context if the politics of the time. This may make the book seem rather heavy, but the descriptions of the atcual cricket are well done and from other sources I have read, seems to be very accurate all round. A brilliant book for any cricket fan

Balanced Bodyline, 06 Jul 2004
An entertaining and informative history of the infamous tour of 1932/3.

For such an emotive issue in cricket history, this book is finely balanced and covers the shock and outrage of Bodyline as well as the context of Leg Theory.

Possibly the best cricket book I have read.

Bodyline Autopsy, 13 Mar 2003
A thoroughly enjoyable read, from foreward to index. The book has many strengths to distinguish it. David Frith looks at the whole sorry episode from the points of view of the players, administrators, spectators, journalists, spectators, and those cricket followers in England, (who in the pre-television age relied on newspaper reports and a few seconds of newsreel action, and had only a limited idea of what was really going on). He handles each with considerable skill, based on clear analysis, and metriculous research.

My only slight criticism is that the author can come across as a bit of a name-dropper, but given the depth of research he has undertaken, and the people he has interviewed over the years, he can easily be forgiven a little showing off!

The biggest acheivement of the book is to put the upheavals of these games into their political contexts in a clear and interesting way. He also manages to be balanced and largely sympathetic in analysing the thoughts and actions of the main protagonists - no easy task on an issue that still polarises to this day.

I would happily recommend it

Beauty Mate!, 22 Jan 2006
Anyone who has played club cricket will identify and love this book. Hilariously written and superbly observed - this loose "diary" of a season will leave you with a warm glow inside. Beauty mate!

Instant empathy, 29 Dec 2004
I did begin to wonder whether any of the nicknames in this book had been contrived to further characterise the people we barely had a chance to meet in the run up to the Yarra's season but, the more of that season the diary chronicled, the more the characterisation developed anyway and it was all the more touching for it. If you have played any cricket - or any amateur sport - you will empathise instantly with the peaks and troughs of the sporting achievement, and the stresses and strains of club administration. You'll recognise the people too because there is almost certainly the same blend in your own club.

In many ways, this is no different to Rain Men but, as an Englishman, all the more revealing of club culture in a sporting nation we have been conditioned to revere. For that alone Many a Slip is worth reading because you'll identify moreso with a shared bond that spans a far greater distance than some of the more parochial and therefore recognisable events in Rain Men and similar diaries.

Haigh is an excellent, perceptive and thoughtful correspondent who'll neatly encapsulate much of what you feel about your own cricket club. If you're not a cricketer then this is worth reading to see what all the fuss is about: ultimately, it isn't even about the cricket; it's about the shared interest and the mateship. It's a delightful book.

Cricket's the same game wherever it's played, 31 Mar 2004
This is the diary of the South Yarra cricket club's 2001-02 sesson in Melbourne, Australia. It makes you realise that all cricket clubs are the same all over the world. Some of Haigh's characters and situations will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played in the lower reaches of club cricket anywhere. I read this in less than two days on the train and had to struggle not to laugh out loud at several points. Very highly recommended to anyone with any interest in club cricket - or anyone who just wants quick, funny read.

fantastic, 22 Jan 2003
if you've ever read Gideon Haigh's column in the Guardian and enjoyed it, then you are obliged to buy this book.

fantastically funny, and beautifully written in a vernacular style, this is a fine read.

if you are worried about it being overly 'australian' then you might have a point, but i love it and I'm a pom.

Noiicce , Shane !, 16 Jan 2006
I started to beco