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Product Description
Product Description
The game of cricket has been blessed with many fine writers, but for wit and learning none surely can rival Alan Gibson.
The son of a Baptist minister, he was born in Sheffield in 1923. The family moved to East London when he was seven, then to the West Country where he stayed for the rest of his life.
After studying history at Oxford University, where he gained a first and was President of the Union, he joined the BBC's western region, gaining a reputation as an outstanding broadcaster and joining the Test Match Special team. He stood as a Liberal candidate in the 1959 General Election.
In 1967 he began reporting cricket regularly for The Times, establishing a style all his own. In sparkling prose, he deployed his knowledge of history, literature, theology and local geography to paint vivid portraits not just of the cricketers on the field of play but of the characters off it - and even the frustrations of his journey to the ground.
The cricketers he watched acquired a semi-mythical status: Robin Jackman the Shoreditch Sparrow, Colin Dredge the Demon of Frome. As did the places he loathed: Didcot railway station and Basingstoke town centre.
Yet, for all the wit and eccentricity, there were few with a deeper knowledge of cricket history or a greater ability to observe a game perceptively.
Of Didcot and the Demon is a collection of his writings during his 20 years with The Times: match reports but also articles that he contributed, both to The Times and to The Cricketer. It is compiled and introduced by his eldest son Anthony, who writes with a clear eye about his father, a genius with a self-destructive streak that led eventually to a descent into alcoholism: how it lost him his place on Test Match Special and finally on The Times.
But, for all the sadness of the decline, this book is primarily a celebration of a great writer. For followers of cricket with a sense of humour and a love of good English, it is 300 pages of joy.
Other cricket journalists might have written in greater detail of the day's play but, as E.W. Swanton wrote, "it is Alan Gibson whose reports gladden my summer."
The son of a Baptist minister, he was born in Sheffield in 1923. The family moved to East London when he was seven, then to the West Country where he stayed for the rest of his life.
After studying history at Oxford University, where he gained a first and was President of the Union, he joined the BBC's western region, gaining a reputation as an outstanding broadcaster and joining the Test Match Special team. He stood as a Liberal candidate in the 1959 General Election.
In 1967 he began reporting cricket regularly for The Times, establishing a style all his own. In sparkling prose, he deployed his knowledge of history, literature, theology and local geography to paint vivid portraits not just of the cricketers on the field of play but of the characters off it - and even the frustrations of his journey to the ground.
The cricketers he watched acquired a semi-mythical status: Robin Jackman the Shoreditch Sparrow, Colin Dredge the Demon of Frome. As did the places he loathed: Didcot railway station and Basingstoke town centre.
Yet, for all the wit and eccentricity, there were few with a deeper knowledge of cricket history or a greater ability to observe a game perceptively.
Of Didcot and the Demon is a collection of his writings during his 20 years with The Times: match reports but also articles that he contributed, both to The Times and to The Cricketer. It is compiled and introduced by his eldest son Anthony, who writes with a clear eye about his father, a genius with a self-destructive streak that led eventually to a descent into alcoholism: how it lost him his place on Test Match Special and finally on The Times.
But, for all the sadness of the decline, this book is primarily a celebration of a great writer. For followers of cricket with a sense of humour and a love of good English, it is 300 pages of joy.
Other cricket journalists might have written in greater detail of the day's play but, as E.W. Swanton wrote, "it is Alan Gibson whose reports gladden my summer."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An excellent book if you are interested in pre 1980s cricket and the ups and downs in the life of a cricket writer. There is a lot of sadness in this book given that Gibson had a large self destruct button which prevented him reaching the heights of an Arlott or a Cardus. Difficult to find anything that is comparable to this book which is very well written. You will be disappointed if you are looking for Test Match cricket as this book charts Gibson's career as a County cricket reporter who had a highly individualist style which commented on wider issues than just the cricket. His son Anthony deserves much credit for putting together a celebration of the life of his brilliant but flawed father and a reminder of the county cricket scene as it was from the 50s to the 80s. A unique and highly enjoyable family memoir.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Read this in small stages, a few pages at a time. Like sipping good cider. Surprised how well the writing has lasted. In fact, it seems almost to have improved with age. Very fresh, very entertaining - full of humour. One of the most amusing books on cricket I've ever read.
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My Husband was so pleased with this (Christmas present) that he ordered another copy for a friend.
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