Harold Larwood by Duncan Hamilton
The Nottinghamshire bowler Harold Larwood was his country's chief weapon in the notorious 1932-3 Ashes tour, during which England's fast bowlers used so-called 'Bodyline' tactics to counter the threat posed by the great Australian batsman Don Bradman. Larwood's pace and hostility left Australia's batsmen battered, reduced Bradman to the status of mere mortal - and brought England a 4-1 series victory. But the fury it engendered brought Anglo-Australian relations to the brink of collapse. After the series Larwood was used as a scapegoat by the MCC, which demanded he apologise for his intimidatory bowling. Arguing that he had simply obeyed the instructions of his captain Douglas Jardine, Larwood refused. He never played for England again. Frustrated and depressed, in 1953 he was encouraged to emigrate to Australia by some of the same men he had played against and injured in 1932-3. The saga of Bodyline has been told before, but Larwood's own tale, particularly his attitude to the 1932-3 series and his shoddy treatment by the establishment there-after, has not. Using materials provided by Larwood's family, Duncan Hamilton charts the peaks and troughs of Larwood's life: from his mining village upbringing, through his rise to stardom, the shock of Bodyline and its traumatic aftermath, to his emigration to Sydney, where he and his family found happiness. Hamilton examines what his story tells us about issues of class and social standing in early 20th-century Britain, and about the codes and hierarchies that existed in a game that distinguish-ed rigidly between public-school amateurs and working-class professionals A thrilling and moving recreation of the triumph, betrayal and redemption of a working-class hero and forgotten titan of English cricket, Harold Larwood will enthral and delight not only cricket fans, but all those who relish biographical writing of the highest quality.
This is a brilliant book, encompassing themes way beyond the narrow confines of sport - TimesA magnificently written, intensely moving story of that rarest of breeds - a great England fast bowler...If you want to know why the Ashes matter, you could do worse than lose yourself for a few days in the story of this great and humble man - Michael Atherton, The Times. This is cricket biography of the highest stamp, fit to compare in recent memory with Gideon Haigh's excavation of the life of Jack Iverson, David Foot's dramatic revisionism on Wally Hammond and Leo McKinstry's remarkably even-handed portrait of Geoff Boycott. Five stars.' Wisden Cricketer. Vivid portrayal of his subject ... an excellent cricket biography, one of the best of recent times. Thoroughly recommended' All Out Cricket. One of the most dramatic sporting stories of all time' Sport magazine. The first biography of Larwood the scapegoat, a great bowler but a stubborn man, Hamilton has filled the gap magnificently' Sunday Times.
Duncan Hamilton is deputy editor of the Yorkshire Post. He is the author of the 2007 William Hill Sports Book of the Year, Provided You Don't Kiss me: 20 Years with Brian Clough (Fourth Estate).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781847249494 |
| ISBN 10 | 1847249493 |
| Title | Harold Larwood |
| Author | Duncan Hamilton |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Quercus Publishing |
| Year published | 2009-07-02 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Prizes | Winner of British Sports Book Awards: Biography 2010, Winner of William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2009, Short-listed for British Sports Book Awards: Best Cricket Book 2010 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |