Description
Book SynopsisInspiring and irreverent by turns, Brian Levison''s new anthology has drawn on rugby''s wealth of excellent writing. Frank Keating, P. G. Wodehouse, Alec Waugh, A. A. Thomson, John Reason and Mick Imlah are among the distinguished names who have written movingly, amusingly and entertainingly about the game they loved.
Great players such as Brian O''Driscoll, Willie John McBride, J. P. R. Williams, Chester Williams, Colin Meads, Gavin Hastings and Brian Moore give us a fascinating insider''s view, as does World Cup Final referee Derek Bevan, who reveals what it is like to try to control thirty powerful and often volatile men in a highly competitive situation. But some of the best writing and the wittiest insights come from those who played their rugby at a much less exalted level.
The origins of the game - sometimes true, sometimes fanciful - are explored as are some of its rituals like the haka. There are amusing tales including that of the four Tibetan boys sent by
Trade Review
Cricket, as Sam Johnson might have averred, has all that life affords. Almost every aspect is touched upon in this delightful collection. It is the product of wide reading, deep interest and a versatile mind.
One of the nicest things I've been asked to sign.
There is a treat around every corner . . . this will stay on the bedside table for some time . . . It is a splendid reminder that we have the best game in the world, and the best writers too.
Ranges far and wide through the literature of the game . . . almost certainly the only book in history to combine the best bits of Gus Fraser and Charles Dickens. Something for everyone then. - Guardian
Read the book if you love cricket or if you love life - or if like so many of us, you believe the two are interchangeable. - ESPNCricinfo
