Harold Larwood bio wins sports book of the year
Earlier this week the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award was handed out to Duncan Hamilton for the second time in three years – this time Hamilton won for his biography of the cricketer and demon fast bowler Harold Larwood. This book is going straight onto my ‘to read list.’ I think I know the Larwood story pretty well – coal miner becomes fastest bowler in England and humbles the Aussies including the great Don Bradman and is then shunned by the cricketing establishment for refusing to adopt the dangerous tactics demanded by his captain – but I’m sure this book has more to say about him.
Cricketing fans might like to know AbeBooks has four signed copies of Harold Larwood’s autobiography, The Larwood Story, on the site. I think the greatest irony of Larwood’s life is that he emmigrated to Australia – the nation whose team he was asked to destroy with this bowling. The class system means nothing in Australia.
It never ceases to amaze me just how many sports books there are out there! My brother collects Cubs books, and I swear there are thousands. I know there are hundreds because he owns more than 110 of them…
I’ve read about a big book on basketball that’s just come out (I just read a criticism that it’s way too biased toward the Celtics.” And my daughter (with a football-loving boyfriend) is getting a book on football geared to the novice football fan, “A Sportscaster’s Guide to Watching Football,” with all kinds of great tips about the game and how to gain enough knowledge to make watching it fun. (At least you can fake it till you make it!) Even fans will like it, because the author includes all kinds of great stories — insider ones, too — about the game and the players.
It’s worth a look, in terms of sports books. At least it’s one I understand completely!
I so agree Liz. I love reading decent sports books. I’m hoping Santa brings me some good ones.