Peter Pan's First XI by Kevin Telfer
The story of possibly the most extraordinary cricket team ever to have taken the field.
Telfer's book is a fine exposition of a little-known subject, one that manages to be more than just a cricketing chronicle, and that uses Barrie's haphazard team as a prism through which to view the wider prewar period* Andrew Holgate, Sunday Times *
In an entertaining history of the team, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Barrie's birth, Telfer happily combines a mordant humour with an imaginative ambition to find in this celebration of cricket an allusive metaphor for a golden twilight of prelapsarian Edwardian England and the fall of a graceful innocence, when stumps were pulled for the last time, into the trenches and the immortality of Neverland * The Times *
[Telfer] has unearthed a lovely and singular tale of men, sport and foolishness, perfect for a warm summer's day. * Marcus Berkmann, Daily Mail *
We have an increasing need for Edwardian idylls in the 21st century, and Barrie's idyll, which involved the creation of a cricket team who tried very hard indeed never to grow up, is lovingly recorded in Peter Pan's First XI, by Kevin Telfer, timed to coincide with Barrie?s 150th birthday. The tragedy is that we all have to grow up, but at least we have cricket to keep the process at bay. * Simon Barnes, The Times *
Entertaining * The Times Literary Supplement *
In this delightful book, Kevin Telfer tells the story of this lifelong love affair and its implications for Barrie and his charmed circle. The book attempts to capture an age and its attitudes and can be enjoyed by even those who do not have a penchant for England's summer game. * The Telegraph, Calcutta *
This is a wonderful book, written with great elegance and affection, scrupulously researched and packed full of terrific stories. * Spectator *
'Evocative and often very funny'. * Sunday Telegraph *
In an entertaining history of the team, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Barrie's birth, Telfer happily combines a mordant humour with an imaginative ambition to find in this celebration of cricket an allusive metaphor for a golden twilight of prelapsarian Edwardian England and the fall of a graceful innocence, when stumps were pulled for the last time, into the trenches and the immortality of Neverland * The Times *
[Telfer] has unearthed a lovely and singular tale of men, sport and foolishness, perfect for a warm summer's day. * Marcus Berkmann, Daily Mail *
We have an increasing need for Edwardian idylls in the 21st century, and Barrie's idyll, which involved the creation of a cricket team who tried very hard indeed never to grow up, is lovingly recorded in Peter Pan's First XI, by Kevin Telfer, timed to coincide with Barrie?s 150th birthday. The tragedy is that we all have to grow up, but at least we have cricket to keep the process at bay. * Simon Barnes, The Times *
Entertaining * The Times Literary Supplement *
In this delightful book, Kevin Telfer tells the story of this lifelong love affair and its implications for Barrie and his charmed circle. The book attempts to capture an age and its attitudes and can be enjoyed by even those who do not have a penchant for England's summer game. * The Telegraph, Calcutta *
This is a wonderful book, written with great elegance and affection, scrupulously researched and packed full of terrific stories. * Spectator *
'Evocative and often very funny'. * Sunday Telegraph *
Kevin Telfer is the author of three books. He has written for the Guardian, the Sunday Times and The Idler. He has a lifelong love of listening to cricket on the radio and lives in London.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780340919460 |
| ISBN 10 | 0340919469 |
| Title | Peter Pan's First XI |
| Author | Kevin Telfer |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
| Year published | 2011-04-14 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |