The Story of the Ashes
We have teamed up with the Wisden Cricketer to offer readers the chance to win a copy of 'The Story of the Ashes' Cricket's greatest rivalry as told by the writers who were there.
The editorial team behind the world's best-selling cricket monthly has turned its attention to the game's greatest international rivalry to produce the
Story of the Ashes, a unique collection of writing covering 133 years of cricket's most famous contest.
The book comes from the archives of the three most influential British magazines to have chronicled the game, The Cricketer, Wisden Cricket Monthly and for the past five years, The Wisden Cricketer.
The result is an absorbing collection of contemporaneous reporting, analysis and opinion by many of the greatest writers present at the most famous games and series.
All of the big Ashes moments are covered; Bodyline, the Bradman era, Compton and Laker in the 1950s, Headingley '81, Australian domination with Warne, Waugh and McGrath in the 1990s, Flintoff and Vaughan's 2005 triumph. Great cricketing moments captured as they happened and now collected in one volume to entertain new generations of readers.
In his foreword, Christopher Martin-Jenkins describes the book as 'a publication to please both those with a deep knowledge of the Ashes and those for whom much of the story is new.' He continues, 'This summer new heroes will be added to the saga and, with luck, there will be epic contests to rival those games of four years ago.'
Among its pages are opportunities to rediscover the writing of famous names from Cardus to Woodcock, Robertson-Glasgow to Swanton and Arlott, while Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton are two immediately recognisable contributors - and former Ashes captains - from the modern game.
But the Story of the Ashes is much more than great writing, featuring as it does iconic photography, rarely-seen illustrations and carefully selected statistics to reinforce the heroic nature of the players and the unforgettable matches and series.
Editor Edward Craig has nominated 11 Ashes Heroes, five from England and six Australian - Hobbs, Armstrong, Jardine, Bradman, Miller, Lillee, Botham, Gower, Border, Warne and Vaughan. Their profiles are woven chronologically throughout the book's 148 pages, representing outstanding value for just £7.99.
The Story of the Ashes is on sale from Friday 12 June at all good retailers and online at www.thewisdencricketer.com.
CLOSING DATE: Monday 20th July 2009
