Runs in the Memory: County Cricket in the 1950s

Chalke, Stephen

ISBN 10: 0953119653 / ISBN 13: 9780953119653

Published by Fairfield Books, 2002

Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All of the pages are intact and the cover is intact and the spine may show signs of wear. The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned. Seller Inventory # wbs8493869224

Synopsis:

Memoir of County Cricket in the 1950's when the post war spirit saw a resurgence in the game. A selection of players from the period relive their most memorable matches. Illustrations by Yorkshire and England's Ken Taylor and a foreword by Tom Cartwright. Paperback. 8vo, 192pp. including tables and illustrations. Very good condition.

From the Publisher: Frank Keating's Book of the Year for 1997
Some review comments:

'Cameos of recall are two-a-penny, ten-a-page in this quite riveting book. Right up my street - any romantic's street, in fact.' Frank Keating, The Guardian

'Here is a fresh pen. Chalke extracts from the players of the 1950s pearls of reminiscence and frank thoughts on the present.' - E.W. Swanton

'A charming book, rich with fond and amusing reminiscences.' - Michael Parkinson, The Daily Telegraph

'It is a work of originality and great charm; comic and serious, nostalgic, critical, and - depending on the age of the reader - either a wistful evocation or an anthropological revelation.' - Colin Chinery, Eastern Daily Press

'An excellent book. So well written. 10 1/2 out of 10.' - Peter Matthews, BBC Radio Gloucestershire

'Chalke's own first memory of cricket relates to the summer of 1956. But so skilfully has he blended the match descriptions and interviews that the reader could imagine he had seen every ball. A delightful and charming memento of a bygone era.' - Ian Davidson, Northampton Evening Telegraph

'A loving study of the style and personalities that made up the county game at that time.' - Wisden Cricket Monthly

'A marvellously evocative recollection of county cricket in the 1950s.' - Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

'Each of the 12 matches is preceded by an illustration of one of the players by the highly-talented Ken Taylor. The book is worth the purchae price for the illustrations alone.' - Derek Carlaw, Kent CCC Annual

'It's a first-rate read, equally ideal for those with memories of the period and younger enthusiasts keen to get the flavour of a decade when cricketers wore pyjamas in bed rather than on the field.' - Andrew Radd, Northants CCC

'A new book - a new author - a great success.Many who watched these matches will be reminded of the atmosphere by Stephen Chalke's feeling for the occasion.' - Club Cricket Conference News

'A classic.' - Frank Keating

And the readers:

'I can't remember when I last enjoyed a book so much.' - Martin Horton (Worcs & England)

'It's a book for cricket-lovers. It's not mass-produced. You've only got to open it at any page and you know, 'This guy loves cricket'.' - Robin Hobbs (Essex & England)

'It's smashing. I really do think the format is a huge step forward.' - Bryan Stott (Yorkshire)

'I don't often read cricket books, but this one gave me much pleasure.' - Dennis Brookes (Northants & England)

'The best cricket book I've read.' - Derek Morgan (Derbyshire)

'It's one of the most readable cricket books ever written. It brings back to me totally the feeling of the fifties.' - Ken Smales (Yorks & Notts)

'One of the best cricket books I've read.' - Rt Hon John Major MP

'I reckon I've read a thousand cricket-related books, and quite frankly this is my favourite.' - A reader in Lincolnshire

'I have quite a substantial library of cricket books, but this one will take pride of place.' - A reader in Berkshire

'A superbly conceived book, beautifully written. I found it at times very funny but also highly evocative and, at times, strangely sad and haunting. I loved the use of the present tense in the narrative; it seemed to bring the events and the personalities to life. And I love the reference to items of contemporary news and features of social life; this really anchored it in the period. Above all, though, I was struck by the way the past seemed distinct and distant yet somehow part of the present.' - A reader in Buckinghamshire

'My husband's been driving me quite mad. He's spent the whole weekend sitting in the garden, chuckling away at the book.' - The wife of a reader in Lichfield

'I really didn't want it to end.' - A reader in Norfolk

Bibliographic Details

Title: Runs in the Memory: County Cricket in the ...
Publisher: Fairfield Books
Publication Date: 2002
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Good
Edition: 2nd Edition