Grovel!

Rezensionen / Stimmen

David Tossell's excellent study of West Indies cricket...confronts all the issues fearlessly and frankly. It is a highly commended read - David Llewellyn in the Independent. Author David Tossell's wonderful ride through the summer of 1976 brings the series to life...makes the reader feel like it was yesterday - Peter Sharkey, Birmingham Post. Enough dynamite to ignite the soul of even the most somnolent cricket fan...relevant, pithy and often amusing...this is a terrific piece of work. The photographs are splendid too: look at the cover image, which captures exactly why Holding could scare a batsman witless - Andrew Baker, The Daily Telegraph "Book of the Week. David Tossell has done a fine job in setting the series in a social as well as cricketing context as he interrogates many of the main protagonists in that ill-tempered series - Independent on Sunday. 1976 was the summer when Viv Richards announced himself as the game's pre-eminent batsman and West Indies unveiled a four-paceman strategy, led by the magnificent Michael Holding, which made them the dominant force in world cricket for the next 15 years or so. David Tossell fills in the details in a highly enjoyable book, not only focusing on the cricket but also its impact on the Caribbean community in the UK, which followed the team in huge numbers and generated such a vibrant atmosphere at the grounds - Paul Grunill, cricket editor, BBC Sport website. Like watching a television documentary, the cricketing events are interspersed with some very revealing quotes from the players involved, which add to the colour and pungency of an already heady mix. Tossell also interweaves comment on the social backdrop of the era with potted histories of players and connected events. There seems to be an autobiographical tinge, which, again, adds to one's immersion in the drama. Humorous anecdotes round off a well-told tale. Eight central pages of black and white, and colour photographs convey the grace, power and drama. I enjoyed the book - it is easy to read, exciting and well written - Krishna Mahadevan, BBC Sport website reader review. Book of the month. A great read and a great book. Anyone interested in cricket will love it. But there's loads of social history as well; the hot summer, the TV and radio shows and the soundtrack of the year live son in Grovel! - Keith Topping, BBC Radio Newcastle book review show. A"ExcellentA" - Michael Atherton, SundayTelegraph. - fascinating insights into the thinking of the combatants, their motivations, and feelings towards their team-mates, opponents, selectors and even the crowd - Mad on Cricket.