Battle For The Ashes - A Cricket Timeline History

Worth Press LTD ISBN: 1903025303 (Released 27th October, 2006) Buy It Now

At first glance “The Battle For The Ashes – A Cricket Timeline History” is slightly confusing in its presentation and it took me a while to figure out the best way to read it. The book is split into two parts; the first half of the book has been produced on a fold out timeline and the second half as a regular book.

Bang up to date with the 2005 Ashes series,the book is colourful and well presented, the size being slightly bigger than A4 which does justice to the timeline in part one. It is worth noting that the quality of material used for this book is of exceptional standard and is a step up to the paper used in most novels. In fact you could quite favourably compare it to an encyclopaedia given the size and quality, this also brings the images used to life and adds greater depth to the production.

Following the timeline we have the meat of the book which includes an introduction to the Ashes, the origin, a focus on eight series including bodyline and 2005 plus a tour around the grounds. As you would expect from any cricket book, records and statistics are also included as are memorable characters and quotes and Robin Osmond's choice of best England and Australian XI.

One of the strengths of this book is that each time I pick it up I spot something different which prolongs the shelf life and interest in what is a effectively a reference book. As I have already mentioned the first part looks at the timeline, something Worth Press have made into a feature of the book. It has been cleverly designed to allow the reader to either read it as a book or pull it out flat and view the results from every series at the same time. This however would take a very big table and is probably not a great idea! Along with original photographs, the timeline is split into four categories namely date of series (season), results and captains, England and Australia records and facts.

On the flip side of the timeline (you'll need to open the timeline out to view them) are 80 small profiles from key players who have had a part in the greatest competition in international cricket and includes the likes of Shane Warne, Freddie Flintoff, Sir Donald Bradman and Victor Trumper. All in all the first part is unusual but very well presented.

Osmond casts his eye over a number of past series in the second half of the book and includes the likes of Bodyline and the 1948 invincibles series. Osmond writes with a warm no nonsense style and his love for the game shines throughout. An interesting addition to the book and one you don't always find is a section on the grounds used over the years in the competition. These include (in most cases) a detailed ground map and directions for each ground, historical background and a brief look at test cricket played on the ground.

The final section of the book includes Osmond's select XI for England and Australia however he has limited his choice to only the players he has seen play. It's a very interesting selection and a personal choice favouring attacking players that could cope with the modern game. Bradman is there of course but two commissions that surprised me was that of Larwood and Arthur Morris but there again we don't always have to agree do we – that's what makes the game so interesting!

An entertaining and informative book full of amazing photographs and interesting facts and figures 'The Battle For the Ashes - Timeline” is another book in a long line looking over the Ashes history. Given the number of books currently on offer it is imperative to do something slightly different to remain memorable; this book achieves that. I would have liked to have seen a few more series covered in greater detail but we can't have everything! Buy It Now

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