- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: W&N (20 May 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0297859358
- ISBN-13: 978-0297859352
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.7 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 242,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
No Holding Back: The Autobiography
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Product Description
Review
'It's more than a sportsman's biography. Holding has forthright opinions about the whole game.... A thought-provoking read that will appeal to all cricket lovers.' (WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY )
'Full of valuable insights from this most incisive of cricket commentators it's also a fascinating account of the life and career of one of the game's greatest exponents.' (CHOICE )
'Full of valuable insights from this most incisive of cricket commentators it's also a fascinating account of the life and career of one of the game's greatest exponents.' (CHOICE )
Book Description
The autobiography of West Indies fast-bowling legend turned Sky pundit, Michael Holding.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Michael Holding today is very successful as a highly respected critic and commentator . But I wish he had focused his new book entirely on his comments and life after retirement , since in his excellent first book - Whispering Death written by the peerlees Tony Cozier in the early 90's- Mikey had already outlined his career and playing days well.
I still find that first book to be a better read career wise and much more readable from the fan's perspective as many incidents were narrated viz - (like the flash point that dared Indian keeper Kirmani to expose all 3 stumps in a test in 1983 and take a stance at almost the 12th stump - (Mikey took the challenge and bowled a bouncer at him and was promptly taken off - a rare occasion when he came off second best)
As it happens in his new book , Mikey has condensed almost his entire career into just 100 pages which is really old wine for anyone having read his earlier one .
Having said this - the balance half of the book (another 100 odd pages) is interesting - thoughts on the ails of WI cricket , Chucking , ICC ,issues , Commentary , Lara , 2006 Oval test controversy ,Sanford et al views etc are all worth reading - pity as he could have covered the entire book with his forthright views .
on the whole for me its somewhat of a letdown and flawed . The beginning chapters are as pacy as his bowling - he does'nt cover any series in particluar but focuses more on the controversies like Dunedin 1980 etc - where i see the book as somewhat flawed is the lack of a smooth transition from player to businessman to cricket commentator and panelist.
There is no statistical section at the end and there is no major mention of the players he rated highly and why except Viv Richards , Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall who are kind of covered also he missed naming a best Windies or world XI of his time which would have been interesting as he played against some of the best and i was eager to find out whom he rated among the best.
But new readers possibly will find this a fascinating read - esp that over at the Kensington Oval in 1981 and on the whole Mikey much like his incisive bowling does'nt mince his words.
my abiding memory of Mikey comes from a great cartoon which Roy Ulyett crafted during the tumultuous series in NZ in the 80's - a sheepish Kiwi umpire checks with a truculent Mikey whether he would like to bowl - over the wicket , round the wicket or THROUGH THE WICKET ! sadly the cartoon has been lost in the passages of time but stuff like this and anecdotes would have greatly embellished the book from the pace legend.
I still find that first book to be a better read career wise and much more readable from the fan's perspective as many incidents were narrated viz - (like the flash point that dared Indian keeper Kirmani to expose all 3 stumps in a test in 1983 and take a stance at almost the 12th stump - (Mikey took the challenge and bowled a bouncer at him and was promptly taken off - a rare occasion when he came off second best)
As it happens in his new book , Mikey has condensed almost his entire career into just 100 pages which is really old wine for anyone having read his earlier one .
Having said this - the balance half of the book (another 100 odd pages) is interesting - thoughts on the ails of WI cricket , Chucking , ICC ,issues , Commentary , Lara , 2006 Oval test controversy ,Sanford et al views etc are all worth reading - pity as he could have covered the entire book with his forthright views .
on the whole for me its somewhat of a letdown and flawed . The beginning chapters are as pacy as his bowling - he does'nt cover any series in particluar but focuses more on the controversies like Dunedin 1980 etc - where i see the book as somewhat flawed is the lack of a smooth transition from player to businessman to cricket commentator and panelist.
There is no statistical section at the end and there is no major mention of the players he rated highly and why except Viv Richards , Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall who are kind of covered also he missed naming a best Windies or world XI of his time which would have been interesting as he played against some of the best and i was eager to find out whom he rated among the best.
But new readers possibly will find this a fascinating read - esp that over at the Kensington Oval in 1981 and on the whole Mikey much like his incisive bowling does'nt mince his words.
my abiding memory of Mikey comes from a great cartoon which Roy Ulyett crafted during the tumultuous series in NZ in the 80's - a sheepish Kiwi umpire checks with a truculent Mikey whether he would like to bowl - over the wicket , round the wicket or THROUGH THE WICKET ! sadly the cartoon has been lost in the passages of time but stuff like this and anecdotes would have greatly embellished the book from the pace legend.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Holding is one of my favourite of the latest batch of commentators and was a wonderful crickter to watch in his time, but I found myself a bit let down by this book. Having read the cricinfo review I expected to be disappointed by the shortness of the section on his playing days, but in fact this was the slowest part. Holding was very, very good and although I'm not suggesting it came easily to him- he worked very hard- his career seemed simply one of "started playing, was very good at it, stopped playing". The tribualtions of a more mediocre player like Simon Hughes are actually far more interesting. The book actually improves a lot after his retirement. Some of his anecdotes are a bit forced, but his views on modern cricket were at times enlightening. I still have a lot of affection for the guy, but there are far better sporting biographies out there.
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
What a disappointment!
I was expecting an autobiography, instead I read excerpts of certain incidents in Holding's career as a commentator & cricketer, in his failed attempt to sound sincere.
There's very little on his private life. Some recollections of his childhood in Kingston. Then it goes on to briefly cover his days as a cricketer, the transition to cricket broadcasting, and to gloss over phases of his career as a cricket pundit.
But what I found even more hypocritical is that he's so adamant to defend himself in his involvement with Allen Stanford (the Texan billionaire currently awaiting trial in the US). In numerous publications, Holding is credited as introducing Stanford to the game of cricket. But the Stanford 20/20 series failed in the West Indies. It's obvious that Holding wrote this book to whitewash his own involvement & no doubt to profit.
Holding's current wife Laurie-Ann Holding, who hails from Antigua and is an accountant, was running the Stanford cricket events from her own small company in the Cayman Islands (how convenient). Nice business arrangement for Holding. Stanford ended all this and so Holding's wife's company was no longer on the receiving end of an income from Stanford. This has been reported in the press. Google Image Laurie-Ann Holding & Allen Stanford to view a photo of them at work.
I expect an autobiography to reveal personal details about one's life. There's little mention of his numerous children, all of whom he's fathered with various different women, including one with another ex-wife. Only that he had to pay for two of his daughters' university fees. How petty of him to mention this.
Holding's passion for horse-racing covers another chapter.
A previous biography, Whispering Death was a more accurate read, if you want an insight into his career as a cricketer. No Holding Back was a waste of my time and money. I feel that Holding is trying to portray himself as a conscientious media personality, but instead he's insincere. Not an autobiography. It's his biased version of certain events and the reader feels deceived. What a pity! Save your time and money for something more worthwhile.
I was expecting an autobiography, instead I read excerpts of certain incidents in Holding's career as a commentator & cricketer, in his failed attempt to sound sincere.
There's very little on his private life. Some recollections of his childhood in Kingston. Then it goes on to briefly cover his days as a cricketer, the transition to cricket broadcasting, and to gloss over phases of his career as a cricket pundit.
But what I found even more hypocritical is that he's so adamant to defend himself in his involvement with Allen Stanford (the Texan billionaire currently awaiting trial in the US). In numerous publications, Holding is credited as introducing Stanford to the game of cricket. But the Stanford 20/20 series failed in the West Indies. It's obvious that Holding wrote this book to whitewash his own involvement & no doubt to profit.
Holding's current wife Laurie-Ann Holding, who hails from Antigua and is an accountant, was running the Stanford cricket events from her own small company in the Cayman Islands (how convenient). Nice business arrangement for Holding. Stanford ended all this and so Holding's wife's company was no longer on the receiving end of an income from Stanford. This has been reported in the press. Google Image Laurie-Ann Holding & Allen Stanford to view a photo of them at work.
I expect an autobiography to reveal personal details about one's life. There's little mention of his numerous children, all of whom he's fathered with various different women, including one with another ex-wife. Only that he had to pay for two of his daughters' university fees. How petty of him to mention this.
Holding's passion for horse-racing covers another chapter.
A previous biography, Whispering Death was a more accurate read, if you want an insight into his career as a cricketer. No Holding Back was a waste of my time and money. I feel that Holding is trying to portray himself as a conscientious media personality, but instead he's insincere. Not an autobiography. It's his biased version of certain events and the reader feels deceived. What a pity! Save your time and money for something more worthwhile.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a cricket lovers must!
as an avid cricket lover michael,s views and his knowledge about the game is highlighted in this book. a must buy for the game,s enthusiast
Published 4 months ago by Ianmcnaughton
A change from your average autobiography
This book was a refreshing change from the usual sportsman autobiography. It is not a recollection of every Test or County game played by Michael which make some sporting... Read more
Published 19 months ago by s. cliffe
Why would Michael Holding write such a ridiculous book?
Was given this book as a gift, though I wanted Botham's Head On.
It has a lighthearted, anecdotal start, but then it veers off on different tangents. Read more
It has a lighthearted, anecdotal start, but then it veers off on different tangents. Read more
Published 20 months ago by James Owen King
boring beyond belief
Tried to complete this book but it was truly dull. Took me months...... snore.....
It comes across as corny, rather patronizing at times and almost written to appeal to 8 year... Read more
It comes across as corny, rather patronizing at times and almost written to appeal to 8 year... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Russell D Wilkinson
Hold back till Christmas
Mikey has become a widely respected figure in world cricket and his Jamaican inflection is sweet music for many Sky viewers, especially in an era when a good speaking voice no... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mr. K. Rance
Lovely man - patchy book
The rather good punning title points to Michael Holding's objective for this book - an ambition that he makes clear at its end "I have no plans to do another book after this one,... Read more
Published 23 months ago by P. S. Briggs
Michael Holding
What a great book got a signed copy at Lords during the recent test match against Bangladesh . A great story of his life and also his opinions on the game .
Published on 30 May 2010 by S. Gibbon
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