Walter Hammond had all the attributes of a Boy’s Own hero.
On the field he struck an imposing figure, handsome of face and broad of shoulder, as immaculately turned out in his whites as he was off the field when his dapper manner charmed the ladies.
He moved with a languid, easy grace, whether swooping in the covers or taking slip catches few could match. His batting was all elegant orthodoxy, his cover drive of exquisite beauty and power, his fast-medium bowling delivered from the most classical of actions.
He won matches for his county, Gloucestershire, almost on his own. He came through the professional ranks to captain England to their biggest win in an Ashes test. His contemporaries saluted his genius.
Yet his star seems to have dimmed, the modern fan and cricket writer seemingly not much interested in him. When the names of past greats of the game have rolled down through the years, his is one that you rarely seem to hear. Even so, many people will say that Wally Hammond is England’s best test cricketer.
For his abundant talents, for all his admirers beyond the boundary, however, Hammond was not a happy or fulfilled man. If life was not always as kind to him as it could have been, how much of this was his own fault? And why is he not better known these days? How could someone who so enriched the cricket of his time fade from cricket collective’s memory to the extent that he has?
'Wally Hammond: Gentleman and Player' is a concise, expertly argued biography of one of English cricket's most enigmatic legends. It is a book that no devotee of the game will want to miss.
Roderick Easdale is a Berkshire-born Yorkshire supporter who now lives within walking distance of Lord's. An erratic and ferocious fast bowler in his youth, he decided it was time to retire from playing when his sole wicket one season was a stumping. He now plays golf instead. He is the author of The Novel Life of PG Wodehouse and England's One Test Wonders.
Reviews of England's One Test Wonders:
'Roderick Easdale is a natural writer. He makes an impact where other's don't. This excellent book defies convention' (Cricket Lore)
'This book is a winner' (The Cricketer)
'Much time and research has gone into this fascinating study' (The Independent)
'An extremely interesting book and a rattling good read' (Northants Evening Telegraph)
'Preposterously entertaining' (Press Association)
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher.
On the field he struck an imposing figure, handsome of face and broad of shoulder, as immaculately turned out in his whites as he was off the field when his dapper manner charmed the ladies.
He moved with a languid, easy grace, whether swooping in the covers or taking slip catches few could match. His batting was all elegant orthodoxy, his cover drive of exquisite beauty and power, his fast-medium bowling delivered from the most classical of actions.
He won matches for his county, Gloucestershire, almost on his own. He came through the professional ranks to captain England to their biggest win in an Ashes test. His contemporaries saluted his genius.
Yet his star seems to have dimmed, the modern fan and cricket writer seemingly not much interested in him. When the names of past greats of the game have rolled down through the years, his is one that you rarely seem to hear. Even so, many people will say that Wally Hammond is England’s best test cricketer.
For his abundant talents, for all his admirers beyond the boundary, however, Hammond was not a happy or fulfilled man. If life was not always as kind to him as it could have been, how much of this was his own fault? And why is he not better known these days? How could someone who so enriched the cricket of his time fade from cricket collective’s memory to the extent that he has?
'Wally Hammond: Gentleman and Player' is a concise, expertly argued biography of one of English cricket's most enigmatic legends. It is a book that no devotee of the game will want to miss.
Roderick Easdale is a Berkshire-born Yorkshire supporter who now lives within walking distance of Lord's. An erratic and ferocious fast bowler in his youth, he decided it was time to retire from playing when his sole wicket one season was a stumping. He now plays golf instead. He is the author of The Novel Life of PG Wodehouse and England's One Test Wonders.
Reviews of England's One Test Wonders:
'Roderick Easdale is a natural writer. He makes an impact where other's don't. This excellent book defies convention' (Cricket Lore)
'This book is a winner' (The Cricketer)
'Much time and research has gone into this fascinating study' (The Independent)
'An extremely interesting book and a rattling good read' (Northants Evening Telegraph)
'Preposterously entertaining' (Press Association)
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher.
