Bill Edrich : the many lives of England's cricket great / Leo McKinstry.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McKinstry, Leo, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Edrich, W. J. (William John), 1916-1986.

Edrich, W. J.

Cricket players--England--Biography.

Cricket players.

Great Britain. Royal Air Force--Officers--Biography.

Great Britain.

Soccer players--England--Biography.

Soccer players.

Air pilots, Military--England--Biography.

Air pilots, Military.

World War, 1939-1945--Participation, British.

World War, 1939-1945.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xxi, 250 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Sport, 2024.

Summary:

"Record-breaking England cricketer, wartime RAF hero, Tottenham Hotspur footballer, and husband to five wives... this is the captivating life of one of England's most remarkable yet often overlooked cricketing heroes. 571 first-class matches from 1934 to 1958. 36,985 runs. 29th on all-time lists. Bill Edrich was regarded, along with Denis Compton and Len Hutton, as one of the most exciting cricket discoveries of his generation. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the 1940 and played association football for Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur during the 1930s. In the first biography for 30 years, award-winning writer Leo McKinstry distils the measure of Edrich's exceptional courage as a cricketer and RAF pilot. Rising to the rank of Squadron Leader, Edrich's flying skills earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his part in a daring daylight raid over Cologne in August 1941. After surviving the war, Edrich's lifestyle became notoriously hectic and devil-may-care. A gutsy batsman, his buoyancy and charm brought him to a total of five marriages; while his restless spirit also brought him into conflict with the cricket hierarchy. His omission from the tour of Australia in 1950-51 was, according to Sir Pelham Warner, 'a very costly error'. Finally restored to favour, Edrich played a major role in the winning back of the Ashes in 1953 and in retaining the trophy in his last tour of Australia in 1954-55. A history of cricket victories, wartime glory and a life lived to the fullest, this compelling biography reveals the story of one of cricketing's greatest characters"--Publisher's description.

Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1: Crossing the rope, 1932-1934

Chapter 2: All-rounder: 1934-1937

Chapter 3: Testing times, 1938-1939

Chapter 4: The shadow of war, 1939-1941

Chapter 5: Combat operations, 1941-1945

Chapter 6: Victory, 1945-1947

Chapter 7: Triumph and collapse, 1947-1948

Chapter 8: Legendary charm, 1948-1950

Chapter 9: Test exile, 1951-1953

Chapter 10: Trials and tribulations, 1954-1958

Chapter 11: On the defensive, 1959-1963

Chapter 12: Fading light, 1963-1971

Chapter 13: Close of play, 1971-1986

Bill Edrich's statistics

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781399407847

1399407848

OCLC:

1392045761