{"title":"Matt Elliott","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"thorny-encounters-book-matt-elliott-9781785314469","title":"Thorny Encounters","description":"In 1905, Vic Cartwright's England rugby team lined up against Dave Gallaher's touring All Blacks at Crystal Palace - the first ever meeting of two national teams. Ensuing matches, in both the amateur and professional eras, have been dramatic and controversial, steeped in the historical rivalry of the traditional home of the game for the nation that has claimed rugby as its own. Men in white (such as Wakefield, Beaumont, Carling, Leonard and Johnson) versus men in black (Meads, Lochore, Fitzpatrick, Lomu, McCaw). Hakas drowned out by rousing renditions of 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot'. Grinding forward tussles on cold, murky afternoons and sweeping back-line movements on sun-lit grounds. Thorny Encounters chronicles the first 40 Test matches between England and New Zealand, in which giants of the sport have measured themselves against each other. In the professional era, the match has become the clash of the hemispheres.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49540228317457,"sku":"GOR009784155","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49662592975121,"sku":"GOR010053456","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51598455177489,"sku":"GOR014342233","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1785314467.jpg?v=1751217102"},{"product_id":"original-all-blacks-captain-book-matt-elliott-9781869509682","title":"The Original All Blacks Captain","description":"A brilliant rugby player and a war veteran, Dave Gallaher symbolizes the two elements on which New Zealand formed its identity: our wartime triumphs and disasters, and our peacetime success on the football field.  Dave Gallaher was an Irish immigrant who became one of the most famous people in his adopted land, a man whose skills and character were crucial in shaping rugby and our national team. Gallaher captained the 1905 All Blacks team - the first New Zealand national rugby team to tour the United Kingdom and North America. It is still considered the most important tour undertaken by the All Blacks, with only one game controversially lost out of 35 played. Historians point to Gallaher as the template for All Black captains: tough, uncompromising, letting his deeds on the field do his talking, never asking anyone to do a job he wouldn't do himself, and having an astute mind for the way the game is played. But Gallaher was much more than a brilliant rugby player. Like many of his teammates, he served in the First World War. this was an age when a sense of loyalty to the Empire meant men chose to serve on battlefields 12,000 miles from home. He lied about his age to volunteer for more war service at the age of 43. this is the story of Dave Gallaher's peacetime success on the football field and his wartime service in the New Zealand army. His influence and inspiration live on in the contests named in his honour.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49554939740433,"sku":"GOR005785989","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51856231956753,"sku":"GOR005405946","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52628323762449,"sku":"GOR014568681","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1869509684.jpg?v=1751427917"},{"product_id":"war-blacks-book-matt-elliott-9781775541110","title":"War Blacks","description":"War Blacks is the extraordinary story of New Zealand's national sport and The Great War, and the effect each had on the other.  Rugby and war have played major roles in the forging of a national New Zealand identity. This is the story of where both met, on the hot sands of Egypt and the muddy fields of Britain and France during World War I. War Blacks presents for the first time the stories of more than 90 men who had been, were, or would be All Blacks and their 1914-18 wartime service, wearing the double silver fern of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force or the badges of other nations.  While first-class and senior rugby in New Zealand came to a halt as the war progressed - \"fit to play, fit to fight\" - the game played an important role in the recreation and morale of our troops. The mighty rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks can be traced to this period. When the \"Invincibles\" were touring the Northern Hemisphere in 1924-25, the ex-soldiers in the team made a point of visiting the battlefields they had fought on only a few years earlier, as well as the graves of their fallen comrades. Arguably the most famous of the New Zealand player-soldiers was Dave Gallaher, captain of the \"Originals\" All Blacks in 1905, who lost his life in 1917 at Passchendaele. He was one of 13 All Blacks killed in action during WWI. Others were wounded and left suffering the effects of active service for the rest of their lives. But amongst those who played after the war was Maurice Brownlie, one of the greatest forwards the game has seen.  War Blacks is the moving - and at times humorous - story of our national sport and The Great War, and the effect each had on the other.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49562641072401,"sku":"GOR009310298","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1775541118.jpg?v=1750766358"},{"product_id":"howling-songs-cd-3700398703176","title":"Howling Songs","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49692059336977,"sku":"DVDB001GBZE1WVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B001GBZE1W.jpg?v=1751354275"},{"product_id":"drinking-songs-cd-3700077601762","title":"Drinking Songs","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49692345434385,"sku":"DVDB0007DAXKCVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B0007DAXKC.jpg?v=1751354267"},{"product_id":"failing-songs-cd-3700077601908","title":"Failing Songs","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51232943309073,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51232943538449,"sku":"DVDB000ICLGQWVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B000ICLGQW.jpg?v=1750734606"},{"product_id":"war-blacks-the-extraordinary-story-of-new-zealand-s-wwi-all-blacks-book-matt-elliott-9781775540366","title":"War Blacks: The extraordinary story of New Zealand's WWI All Blacks","description":"War Blacks is the extraordinary story of New Zealand's national sport and The Great War, and the effect each had on the other.  Rugby and war have played major roles in the forging of a national New Zealand identity. This is the story of where both met, on the hot sands of Egypt and the muddy fields of Britain and France during World War I. War Blacks presents for the first time the stories of more than 90 men who had been, were, or would be All Blacks and their 1914-18 wartime service, wearing the double silver fern of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force or the badges of other nations.  While first-class and senior rugby in New Zealand came to a halt as the war progressed - \"fit to play, fit to fight\" - the game played an important role in the recreation and morale of our troops. The mighty rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks can be traced to this period. When the \"Invincibles\" were touring the Northern Hemisphere in 1924-25, the ex-soldiers in the team made a point of visiting the battlefields they had fought on only a few years earlier, as well as the graves of their fallen comrades. Arguably the most famous of the New Zealand player-soldiers was Dave Gallaher, captain of the \"Originals\" All Blacks in 1905, who lost his life in 1917 at Passchendaele. He was one of 13 All Blacks killed in action during WWI. Others were wounded and left suffering the effects of active service for the rest of their lives. But amongst those who played after the war was Maurice Brownlie, one of the greatest forwards the game has seen.  War Blacks is the moving - and at times humorous - story of our national sport and The Great War, and the effect each had on the other.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51544541397265,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51544541561105,"sku":"GOR009810616","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53380409458961,"sku":"GOR010038380","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1775540367.jpg?v=1751377010"},{"product_id":"only-myocardial-infarction-can-break-your-heart-cd-3700398710280","title":"Only Myocardial Infarction Can Break Your Heart","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52901328978193,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52901329305873,"sku":"DVDB00F570N46VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/3700398710280.jpg?v=1765556782"},{"product_id":"the-mess-we-made-cd-5034202012528","title":"The Mess We Made","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52901329764625,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52901329994001,"sku":"DVDB00008ACIEVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/5034202012528.jpg?v=1765556788"},{"product_id":"change-room-book-matt-elliott-9780646851501","title":"The Change Room","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52921639010577,"sku":"GOR014656187","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53384529838353,"sku":"NIN9780646851501","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780646851501.jpg?v=1765622677"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-au\/collections\/author-books-by-matt-elliott.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}