Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime free trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn more
Buy Used
Used - Good See details
Price: £2.79

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Is It Cowardly To Pray For Rain?: The Ashes Online Chronicle: The Online Ashes Chronicle of a Nation's Office-Bound Nervousness (Guardian)
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Is It Cowardly To Pray For Rain?: The Ashes Online Chronicle: The Online Ashes Chronicle of a Nation's Office-Bound Nervousness (Guardian) [Paperback]

The Guardian
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £6.07 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £1.92 (24%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, February 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details.

Frequently Bought Together

Is It Cowardly To Pray For Rain?: The Ashes Online Chronicle: The Online Ashes Chronicle of a Nation's Office-Bound Nervousness (Guardian) + 766 and All That: Over by Triumphant Over - How England Won the Ashes + Ashes 2010-11: England's Record-Breaking Series Victory
Price For All Three: £19.51

Show availability and delivery details

Buy the selected items together


Product details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Abacus (17 Oct 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 034911983X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0349119830
  • Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 12.7 x 19.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 385,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Product Description

Review

"I think I was saying 3-0 or 4-0 about 12 months ago, thinking there might be a bit of rain around. But with the weather as it is at the moment, I have to say 5-0." Glenn McGrath

Book Description

An online Ashes chronicle of a nation's office-bound nervousness

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more


 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect, 28 Oct 2005
By A Customer
This review is from: Is It Cowardly To Pray For Rain?: The Ashes Online Chronicle: The Online Ashes Chronicle of a Nation's Office-Bound Nervousness (Guardian) (Paperback)
The Guardian are getting in on the Ashes bandwagon, but in a unique and worthwhile way.

The book will be appreciated by Over-By-Over fan's. Do note though, this is a straight cut-and-paste job from the archive so there is nothing new, and the typo's remain. But its still a great laugh, and will appeal to the cult following for the Guardian's (often mimicked, rarely bettered) commentary.

If you missed the Guardian's OBO, but got hooked on the Ashes, you should also buy this book. The OBO format involves a written summary of what happened in each over (think humourous pub/armchair version of events rather than Boycott or Atherton) mixed with input from members of the public who have e-mailed the journalists with facts, questions, current worries. You can therefore relive the whole summer whilst giggling, and learn some new facts. Plus, whilst Flintoff et al are giving their accounts in various expensive books, this is a really good version of events from the fans point of view. It records office culture in the summer of 2005 and what we expect as England supporters (i.e. like Asterix, that the sky will fall on our head any second) - you'll be able to empathise with so much of it.

But, and this is the only reason I gave the book 4 stars, I think the Guardian missed a chance in not putting some pictures in to accompany key overs, key events, and key themes in the book. It's not like a newspaper doesn't have access to sports photography. Maybe the Guardian should try a Christmas release "coffee table" version with snaps?

I really recommend the book as something different amongst the plethora of Ashes publications - as such, I believe you couldn't fail if you bought it as a gift for someone you know who likes cricket. It should win the Guardian OBO commentaries new fans as well. Photo's though would have put the cherry on the cake.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brings back happy memories, 21 Oct 2005
By A Customer
This review is from: Is It Cowardly To Pray For Rain?: The Ashes Online Chronicle: The Online Ashes Chronicle of a Nation's Office-Bound Nervousness (Guardian) (Paperback)
I don't know what I'd have done without Guardian Unlimited this summer. Their over by over coverage of the game pioneered a format that all the papers seem to be nicking now, but the original remains by far the best. Office workers all over the land, shackled to their desks and far from the nearest tv screen, relied on their updates to see them through the day. Some of them nearly got fired for it. And more than just bringing the wickets and the sledging as it happened, the commentary is a work of genius in itself. Other sites might have told you it was overcast but no sign of rain, but where else would you read that skies were "John Major grey and about as threatening as meeting the former PM in a dark alley?" (Sean Ingle).

Hilarious even months after the events it describes.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


5.0 out of 5 stars Like a phoenix, 23 Aug 2011
By 
John D. Muir "oldies and pies lover" (Oglesby, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Is It Cowardly To Pray For Rain?: The Ashes Online Chronicle: The Online Ashes Chronicle of a Nation's Office-Bound Nervousness (Guardian) (Paperback)
This book is a long conversation between people who don't know each other, but share a common passion. We hear about what they're doing, family issues, hopes, fears and dreams, all set against the ongoing backdrop of a 5-match test series. It helps that the series was one of the most exciting ever played and so emotions ran high, as the title indicates.

Reading it brought back great memories of that Summer of 2005. In a way, this book is more vivid just because it isn't wonderful writing. It's ordinary people making jokes, having fun, but underneath waiting anxiously to hear the news, good or bad, about the team they support. Because of the length of a test match, this is possible only in cricket and it's one of the things that sets the sport apart.

Thanks to the Guardian for having the idea to issue this- it's not an obvious subject for a book, but one much appreciated by me and thousands of other cricket lovers.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews



Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 

Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   


Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback


Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges