Bradman's War

Description

Shortlisted for the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards. The Australian and English Test cricketers who fought and survived together in WWII came home planning to resume the Ashes in a new spirit of friendship. Australia's legendary captain had something else in mind. The 1948 'Invincibles' are the only Australian team to complete a tour of England undefeated. In his compelling account, Malcolm Knox exposes the mixed feelings among the fans, commentators and players - from both teams - about the manner in which their feats were achieved. At its heart was a rift between players who had experienced the horrors of active duty, epitomised by the fiery RAAF pilot Keith Miller, and those who had not, such as the invalided Bradman. Bradman's War celebrates the talents of Ray Lindwall, Sid Barnes, Lindsay Hassett, Bill Johnston, Arthur Morris and, of course, their irrepressible captain, but wonders if the Don's single-minded tactics, even against the war-ravaged veterans of the country clubs, cost Test cricket the opportunity to be played for the love of the game. 'The last word on a seminal chapter in Australian sporting history.' Inside Sport 'An excellent work by an outstanding journalist.' Courier-mail 'Poised and evocative.' The Age

Malcolm Knox is the former literary editor and award-winning cricket writer of the Sydney Morning Herald, where he broke the Norma Khouri story, for which he won one of his two Walkley Awards. His novels include A Private Man, winner of the Ned Kelly Award; The Life; and most recently The Wonder Lover. His many non-fiction titles include The Greatest- The Players, the Moments, the Matches 1993 - 2008; The Captains- The Story Behind Australia's Second Most Important Job; Boom- The Underground History of Australia, From Gold Rush to GFC, which won the 2013 Ashurst Business Literature Prize; and Bradman's War, shortlisted in the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.

'Succeed[s] brilliantly, deepening and complicating a cherished Australian myth without dispelling it' Weekend Australian 'Knox has gone behind the headlines to launch a fast-paced and sometimes personal attack on a national hero ...Bradman's War is a book that will have cricket fans talking' Herald Sun 'Poised and evocative' The Age 'The last word on a seminal chapter in Australian sporting history' Inside Sport