Description
Book SynopsisCombining reportage, anecdote, biography, history and personal recollection, A Last English Summer is an honest and passionate reflection on cricket's past, present and future. A memorable and acutely observed portrait of one summer of cricket from an award-winning sports writer who has watched - and loved - cricket since he was a boy, it is essential reading for anyone who cares about the English game. In 2009 the county system looked directionless and obsolete; more than ever the players blessed with central contracts seemed apart from, rather than a part of, the domestic game; the Ashes series was for the first time only available on pay-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 a way that overshadows even the Packer Revolution of the 1970s. In the process he embarks on a journey - often a deeply personal one - through the history and spirit of the game. He experiences irresistible nostalgia for what has been and will never return, together with an overwhelming love for the game that transcends even the most dramatic shifts in the way it is played.
Trade Review'[Hamilton's] passion and knowledge shine through ... a rich and nostalgic read' The Independent. 'Hamilton's mix of reportage, observation, history and anecdote never fails to hold the reader's interest. The quality of his writing, so evident in his previous works, shines again' Mike Atherton, The Times. 'Combining reportage, anecdote, history and personal recollection, a Last English Summer is an honest and passionate reflection on cricket's past, present and future. A memorable and acutely observed portrait of one summer of cricket from an award-winning sports writer, it is essential reading for anyone who cares about the English game' Yorkshire Evening Post. 'If anyone can meld cricket, social commentary and memoir, it's this double William Hill Sports Book Of The Year winner' Metro. '[Hamilton] demonstrates a thorough understanding of how to bring a game to life. You will not find here any bland sentences trotting out what is obvious from a glance at the scorecard, and everything that is written adds something to what has already been said... It is not just the way the game was played in years gone by that Hamilton's book harks back to. His writing, particularly by virtue of his liberal use of similes and metaphors, contains many shades of sepia and has much of the romanticism of Cardus about it... Were it just for its core contents this would be an excellent book but there are other features that deserve to be noticed' Cricketweb. 'The gentle crack of leather on willow - that classical English sound - has rarely been brought to life quite so delightfully as in Hamilton's wonderful new book. Combining good old-fashioned journalism, beautifully observed writing and his own recollections, he recounts the story of a single season's cricket from a personal perspective. Famous for his best-selling memoir of football manager Brian Clough, and having won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year twice, this author has the knack of bringing people and places to life. Even non-cricket fans will be enthralled by this quality book.' News of the World.
Table of ContentsForeword: A Golden Age Sort of Chap. Why Don't You Come Back When It's Less Busy? For the Islands, He Sang. Taking Tea with Neville Cardus. See the Conquering Hero Comes. And Still the Gas-Works... The Unbelievable Lightness of Fielding. Yes, I'll Remember Aigburth. He That Plays the King. Instead of a Telegram. It's a Clearing Shower in These Parts. On the Shoulders of Giants. Riding the Charabanc to Lord's. The Man in the Unmarked Grave. The Poet of Penrhyn Avenue. The Crimson Petal and the White. First Love, Last Love. A Moral Lesson from Lord Harris. The Captain in the Baggy Green. A Very Perfect Gentle Knight. Author Notes and Acknowledgements. Postscript. Statistics of Summer. Bibliography. Index.
