A rich and revealing portrait of Gubby Allen the enigmatic influencer behind English cricket for almost 50 years.From renowned cricket writer-historian Mark Peel, a Cricket Society Award-winner and two-time British Sports Book Awards finalist.Drawing on previously unseen correspondence between Allen and Don Bradman, this book transforms our understanding of their relationship and lays bare Allen’s private views on a range of contentious subjects.Rea...

For fifty years Shirley Williams has been one of Britain's best-known and best-loved politicians, admired for her warmth, sincerity, integrity and compassion. Hailing from an impeccable intellectual background, the young Shirley seemed destined for great things as she rose effortlessly up the political ladder. Yet for all the talk of her becoming the country's first female Prime Minister that accolade passed her by, her feisty independence earning her a career that has been anything but pe...

Deadly is the first-ever biography of Kent and England cricketing legend Derek Underwood. It includes exclusive interviews with friends and team-mates.From renowned cricket author Mark Peel, winner of the Cricket Society Award and twice shortlisted at the British Sports Book Awards.This compelling book:Profiles Underwood as a child prodigy who became the youngest ever bowler to take 100 wickets in a seasonCh...

A captivating journey through the annals of English cricket leadership.The Hollow Crown delves into the lives and legacies of England's cricket captains from 1945 to the present day. Mark Peel, an award-winning cricket writer, examines the 43 individuals who have held this prestigious yet demanding position. Through insightful portraits, Peel explores the challenges, triumphs, and tribulations faced by these leaders, offering a unique perspective on their ...

A compelling exploration of cricket, empire, and the end of an era.Ambassadors of Goodwill delves into the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) tours from 1946/47 to 1970/71, revealing the clash between the amateur ideal and rising professionalism. This book assesses the MCC's attempt to foster goodwill within the British Empire and Commonwealth through formal overseas tours. It highlights the growing discord within the British Commonwealth, the mass media's atta...

Since Victorian times, the MCC had embraced the amateur ideal that cricket was more than a game. It was the very essence of camaraderie and good sportsmanship. Yet for all their evangelising, the game's privileged elite were part of a British establishment which revelled in its national prestige and imperial hegemony. And winning at cricket was essential to maintaining that stature. Ambassadors of Goodwill assesses the MCC's attempt to marry these conflicting objectives and foster...

Gilly: The Turbulent Life of Roy Gilchrist is the tragic account of a cricket meteor who crashed to earth all too quickly because of his flawed temperament. Born into grinding poverty in rural Jamaica in 1934, Gilchrist's prowess as a phenomenal fast bowler quickly gained him international recognition, but the failure to curb his unstable temperament saw him sent home from the West Indies tour of India in 1959 for dangerous bowling. A victim of the class-ridden clique that ran Wes...

Yorkshire Grit: The Life of Ray Illingworth is a fascinating account of one of English cricket's most outstanding figures told by award-winning writer Mark Peel. Raised in the harsh world of Yorkshire cricket, Illingworth's all-round ability and tactical acumen made him an indispensable member of their great sides of the 1950s and 60s. Leaving Yorkshire in 1968, he went on to captain Leicestershire to unprecedented success, and also became one of England's finest captains and the ...

The definitive biography of one of modern Scotland's most consequential figures, Scotland's Lost Leader: The Life of Donald Dewar offers a vivid portrait of the man who helped shape the nation's return to self-government.Drawing on extensive research, Peel traces Dewar's journey from post-war Glasgow to the forefront of British politics, becoming Scotland's first First Minister. He reveals the convictions, compromises and quiet determination that defined his leadership.

Mike Brearley was one of England's greatest captains, thrice winning the Ashes, including the memorable series of 1981. He also led Middlesex to four county championships and two Gillette Cup wins. In this first-ever biography of Brearley, Mark Peel assesses the many facets of his complex personality to explain his phenomenal success as a leader.

Never Surrender: The Life of Douglas Jardine is the enthralling story of England's most controversial cricket captain, forever associated with bodyline bowling on MCC's tour to Australia in 1932/33. Despite his privileged upbringing and amateur status, Jardine's steely personality and win-at-all-costs ethos was more akin to the professional game. Confronted with the run-making genius of Australia's Don Bradman in 1932/33, Jardine resorted to a form of intimidatory bowling that helped Engla...

Of all games, cricket has long prided itself on its ethical traditions, but to modern skeptics the idea of cricket encapsulating a higher morality is actually something of a myth. Playing the Game? looks at the changing ethics of cricket, from its gentlemanly roots right up until the present day. After decades of sledging, intimidatory bowling, blatant gamesmanship and dissent, the MCC adopted "The Spirit of Cricket" in 2000 in an attempt to reclaim the game's original ethos—but w...