Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes
The Story of an Ashes Classic
1st Edition
Published on 23. May 2024
320 pages
978-1-5266-7028-1 (ISBN)
Description
CHARLES TYRWHITT SPORTS BOOK AWARDS CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR
THE CRICKET WRITERS' CLUB DEREK HODGSON BOOK OF THE YEAR
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2024
'This entertaining book is gripping reading for any cricket buff' Sunday Times
'An epic contest superbly retold . . . a fascinating slice of social history, it is a spellbinding read' Vic Marks
'You should go out and buy it now, because the book is brilliant' Spectator
David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts relive the compelling story of a gripping Ashes-deciding Test match that heralded the dawn of a new era for English cricket.
The Ashes are on the line as England and Australia meet at Old Trafford in July 1961 for the fourth Test. For most of the match, England have their noses ahead - until a dramatic final day, of intensely fluctuating fortunes, as the tourists eventually storm to victory. In short, an Ashes classic, told here by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts in vivid and immersive detail, recreating the sometimes agonising experience of millions of armchair viewers and listeners.
At the heart of Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes are two strikingly contrasting personalities: England's captain, the Cambridge-educated, risk-averse, establishment-minded Peter May; and Australia's captain, the charismatic, risk-taking, open-minded Benaud - a contrast not only between two individuals, but between two cricketing and indeed national cultures. Whereas Benaud and Australia symbolised a new, meritocratic era, May and England seemed, in what was still an amateur-dominated game, to look back to an old imperial legacy out of sync with the dawning Sixties.
The sharply observed final chapters take the story up to the present day. They relate the 'after-lives' of the match's key participants, including Ted Dexter, Bill Lawry and Fred Trueman as well as May and Benaud; trace the continuing chequered relationship between English cricket and broader social change; and, after six more decades of fierce Ashes rivalry, wrestle with the perennial conundrum for all England supporters - why do the baggy green caps usually beat us?
THE CRICKET WRITERS' CLUB DEREK HODGSON BOOK OF THE YEAR
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2024
'This entertaining book is gripping reading for any cricket buff' Sunday Times
'An epic contest superbly retold . . . a fascinating slice of social history, it is a spellbinding read' Vic Marks
'You should go out and buy it now, because the book is brilliant' Spectator
David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts relive the compelling story of a gripping Ashes-deciding Test match that heralded the dawn of a new era for English cricket.
The Ashes are on the line as England and Australia meet at Old Trafford in July 1961 for the fourth Test. For most of the match, England have their noses ahead - until a dramatic final day, of intensely fluctuating fortunes, as the tourists eventually storm to victory. In short, an Ashes classic, told here by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts in vivid and immersive detail, recreating the sometimes agonising experience of millions of armchair viewers and listeners.
At the heart of Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes are two strikingly contrasting personalities: England's captain, the Cambridge-educated, risk-averse, establishment-minded Peter May; and Australia's captain, the charismatic, risk-taking, open-minded Benaud - a contrast not only between two individuals, but between two cricketing and indeed national cultures. Whereas Benaud and Australia symbolised a new, meritocratic era, May and England seemed, in what was still an amateur-dominated game, to look back to an old imperial legacy out of sync with the dawning Sixties.
The sharply observed final chapters take the story up to the present day. They relate the 'after-lives' of the match's key participants, including Ted Dexter, Bill Lawry and Fred Trueman as well as May and Benaud; trace the continuing chequered relationship between English cricket and broader social change; and, after six more decades of fierce Ashes rivalry, wrestle with the perennial conundrum for all England supporters - why do the baggy green caps usually beat us?
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
File size
16,87 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-5266-7028-1 (9781526670281)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
05/2025
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
€14.00
Shipment within 10-20 days
Persons
David Kynaston was born in Aldershot in 1951. He has been a professional historian since 1973 and has written eighteen books, four of which are based on different aspects of cricket history including the award-winning Arlott, Swanton and the Soul of English Cricket. He is currently a visiting professor at Kingston University.
Harry Ricketts is a critic and poet who, in addition to biographies of Kipling and the War Poets, has written the guide How to Catch a Cricket Match.
Harry Ricketts is a critic and poet who, in addition to biographies of Kipling and the War Poets, has written the guide How to Catch a Cricket Match.
