Following a chance encounter with a psychic, Angus Bell sets off on an 8,000-mile Skoda-powered road trip across Eastern Europe in search of a cricket match. It’s a gloriously batty adventure which brings Bell face-to-face with fingerless fielders in the Czech Republic, Serbian MI6 agents, and the realisation that England’s most eccentric game is being played with passion in the strangest corners of the continent.
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"* 'Very funny. Dave Gorman meets Andrew Flintoff in clothes borrowed from Billy Connolly.' - The Times * 'Weird and wonderful... one of the maddest, most enterprising cricket tours of all time' - Guardian * 'It deserves to be as big a hit as the blow Bell dealt a cricket ball on the bridge over the Bosphorus, propelling it from Europe into Asia.' - Daily Telegraph"
Book Description
A unique and hilarious traveller's tale that redefines the spirit of cricket
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leg glances on ice in the eastern block, it doesn't get any better than this!
26 Aug 2008
This is a fantastic book even if you are not a fan of cricket! In fact if you don't understand cricket you'll find this book even funnier. Inspired by a Canadian Psychic and accompanied by a family ghost, Angus the intrepid Caledonian Cricketer sets out in his Skoda to conquer Eastern Europe armed with only an MCC coaching manual and some stumps! You'll find this a very easy to read book with plenty of images included some nice glossy colour ones (just in case your imagination can't conjure up a 5'9" Scotsman lofting a tennis ball from Europe into Asia across the river Bosphorus!).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Tim Guinan
Who knew there was so much cricket enthusiasm in Eastern Europe!? Bell's writing is funny throughout, and full of stories on the fascinating people he meets. This is a great book if you want a fresh, funny perspective on countries like The Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia and Estonia. His mission is simple: to explore the European cricket underworld, and all its eccentricities, taking a Skoda from The UK to Istanbul and back. An amazing journey, with such interesting stories. Mafia, spies, fingerless terrorists! Priceless.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By S. Antonian
I bought this book after several recommendations from friends, giving it to my dad as a gift... he loves it! It's very funny, and easy to read.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
batting on the bosphorus: a skoda powered cricket tour around eastern europe
2 Dec 2008
By Farmer Ted
Even for a person who detests cricket like myself I found this book addictive amusing and a fun book to read, I would recommend to others who enjoy traveling and have an interest in CEEC's.
4 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By jcmacc
VINE™ VOICE
Angus Bell travelled around Eastern Europe visiting tiny outposts of the cricketing world in a battered Skoda and this is his often very funny account of attempting to play the odd game in places like Tallinn, Slovakia, Croatia and Romania.
Much of the humour comes from the fact he was travelling "on a budget" and so ended up sleeping in many quite scary places given his frequent financial issues. Bell captures the moments well and amusingly, a kind of Bill Bryson of Slovak slum hostels, but after a while this drags the book down a little. There's often no balance to the grimy aspects of the countries visited so Eastern Europe eventually comes across as nothing other than a monotone crime-ridden, dangerous place to be which ends up working against the humour of attempting to explain cricket to the locals.
Much of the humour comes from the fact he was travelling "on a budget" and so ended up sleeping in many quite scary places given his frequent financial issues. Bell captures the moments well and amusingly, a kind of Bill Bryson of Slovak slum hostels, but after a while this drags the book down a little. There's often no balance to the grimy aspects of the countries visited so Eastern Europe eventually comes across as nothing other than a monotone crime-ridden, dangerous place to be which ends up working against the humour of attempting to explain cricket to the locals.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Sir Bob
I bought this because I really enjoyed 'Slogging the Slavs' bby the same author. Great! A new installment thought I.
So, got the book, sat down in my special reading chair with my special reading coffee and with the book hat on and dived in to page one. Hmm, seems familiar. Skip forward a bit, yep definitely looks familiar. I thought I'd accidentally bought a book I already owned. (It's amazing how often I do this)
But a quick trip to the shelves and I found my copy of Slogging the Slavs, checked the blurb on the back, snap. Check page one, snap. Check table of contents, snap.
So, this is the same book under a different name and I don't think Amazon have made this clear enough. It's a good book, but I only want to read it once. let alone own it once... I can only assume that the name was changed to be a bit less aggressive to slavic people. (This would annoy Richard Littlejohn though, so we're all in favour of that)
Seriously, this is 'Slogging the Slavs' under a different name and no-one is very keen to point that out, a bit under-hand.
I'm reduced to selling my extra copy on ebay for near full price so as you can imagine, I'm livid.
So, got the book, sat down in my special reading chair with my special reading coffee and with the book hat on and dived in to page one. Hmm, seems familiar. Skip forward a bit, yep definitely looks familiar. I thought I'd accidentally bought a book I already owned. (It's amazing how often I do this)
But a quick trip to the shelves and I found my copy of Slogging the Slavs, checked the blurb on the back, snap. Check page one, snap. Check table of contents, snap.
So, this is the same book under a different name and I don't think Amazon have made this clear enough. It's a good book, but I only want to read it once. let alone own it once... I can only assume that the name was changed to be a bit less aggressive to slavic people. (This would annoy Richard Littlejohn though, so we're all in favour of that)
Seriously, this is 'Slogging the Slavs' under a different name and no-one is very keen to point that out, a bit under-hand.
I'm reduced to selling my extra copy on ebay for near full price so as you can imagine, I'm livid.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By meltow
I wouldn't recommend this book as a tour guide; it's put me off completely visiting any of these countries. Such a shame, as they were on my list of "must-see countries". Not any more!
I love cricket, and found this most unusual cricket tour amusing. I'm not certain that Angus found any Eastern Europeans playing cricket, but certainly located many Indians and Sri Lankans. Very light hearted, and you don't need to be a cricket fan to enjoy!
I love cricket, and found this most unusual cricket tour amusing. I'm not certain that Angus found any Eastern Europeans playing cricket, but certainly located many Indians and Sri Lankans. Very light hearted, and you don't need to be a cricket fan to enjoy!
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