Botham's Century
Published on 15. October 2001
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-00-218956-9 (ISBN)
Description
Among the cast of characters who will feature in Botham's own Who's Who of cricket will be top players such as Viv Richards, Brian Close and Shane Warne. Umpire Dickie Bird and the late John Arlott will also have a place in Beefy's Hall of Fame. Others associated with cricket include Mick Jagger, Sir Paul Getty and Nancy (who used to cook the lunches at Lord's and was responsible for many a cricketer's expanding waistline); and many more who in Beefy's opinion have been a positive influence in the game during his era. Published immediately after the conclusion of the 2001 Ashes series.
Reviews / Votes
An inventive concept in sports books: behind the punning title are 100 portraits of cricketing characters who made an impression on Ian Botham over his colourful career. Included are players, umpires and coaches, along with such non-cricket figures as pop stars. And the fact that it isn't just such cricketing legends as Viv Richards, Brian Close and Shane Warne that are evoked but even figures such as the Lord's cook Nancy (who prepared the lunches at Lord's - and increased Botham's waistline) makes this a highly unusual cricketing memoir. With specially commissioned portraits, the book is bound to do well, given Botham's celebrity and the publisher's timing (it's published to tie in to the conclusion of the 2001 Ashes series). Botham is a cricketer who has never fought shy of courting controversy, which guarantees that the book will not be anodyne. Professional cricket correspondent Peter Hayter may have been responsible for the actual writing, but Botham's voice comes across strong and clear, and it's refreshing to see a sporting title that is really unlike any of its predecessors - not an easy task in such an overcrowded field.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Illustrations
22 b/w illus, 50 col plates (16pp), Index
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 159 mm
Weight
829 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-218956-9 (9780002189569)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Ian Botham was the most thrilling sight in sport for nearly two decades at the top of international cricket. He retired from the game in 1993 and has since acted as coaching advisor to the England team, a commentator for Sky TV, and has a newspaper column in the Daily Mirror. He continues to be a keen analyser of the game. Peter Hayter is the cricket correspondent of the Mail on Sunday. He has also written for the Observer and the Independent and collaborated with Botham on his bestselling autobiography, and the Botham Report.