Half-Time by Robert Winder

Half-Time by Robert Winder

Set against the backdrop of depression-era politics, 1934 was an annus mirabilis for English sport. Within just a few days of each other, Hedley Verity, Henry Cotton and Fred Perry all triumphed in their field. To a sporting audience still groaning through the quagmire left by the Great Depression, greedy for inspiring distractions, these heroic efforts made for a heady spectacle.

England’s Ashes Test victory at Lord’s (later known as Verity’s match) saw Australia seeking revenge after the Bodyline series of 1932–33, but Verity bowled England to a famous innings victory, taking 15 wickets – 14 in one day! That same day, Cotton set out on the first qualifying round of the British Open. He went on to set a new Open record with a game so sparkling the Daily Express called it “the best round of golf ever played”. And within a fortnight, Perry had beaten Australia’s Jack Crawford in the Wimbledon final. England had an extraordinary national hat-trick.

Together, these three contests and these three singular life stories weave a vivid portrait of an England that has faded from view. Half-Time celebrates a time of intense and rapid social and cultural change, a time that was both the last hurrah of the ancien regime and the stirring of something new. And moving through it, famous actors on a grand stage, are three very English heroes.

This is an astonishingly good book * Country Life *
Superb * The Oldie *
Winder more than delivers on the mission statement of his publisher, Wisden Sports Writing, to produce books that “transcend individual sports and say something about life” * Daily Telegraph *
A splendidly evocative book * The Financial Times *
A splendid account of a faded England, told through three national heroes at a fascinating moment of change between the wars * All Out Cricket *

Robert Winder was Literary Editor of the Independent and Deputy Editor of Granta. He is the author of several books including Hell for Leather: A Modern Cricket Journey and Bloody Foreigners: The Story of Immigration to Britain, and a team member of the Gaieties Cricket Club, whose chairman was the late Harold Pinter. His most recent book is The Little Wonder: The remarkable history of Wisden.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781472908926
ISBN 10	1472908929
Title	Half-Time
Author	Robert Winder
Series	Wisden Sports Writing
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published	2015-05-21
Number of pages	272
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.