{"product_id":"9781526670298","title":"Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes: The Story of an Ashes Classic","description":"Author: Ricketts, Harry; Kynaston, David\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781526670298\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Bloomsbury\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 03 Sep 2024\u003cbr\u003ePages: 320 Format: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eCHARLES TYRWHITT SPORTS BOOK AWARDS CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE CRICKET WRITERS' CLUB DEREK HODGSON BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2024\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This entertaining book is gripping reading for any cricket buff'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An epic contest superbly retold . . . a fascinating slice of social history, it is a spellbinding read' \u003c\/b\u003eVic Marks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'You should go out and buy it now, because the book is brilliant' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eDavid Kynaston and Harry Ricketts relive the compelling story of a gripping Ashes-deciding Test match that heralded the dawn of a new era for English cricket.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Ashes are on the line as England and Australia meet at Old Trafford in July 1961 for the fourth Test. For most of the match, England have their noses ahead     until a dramatic final day, of intensely fluctuating fortunes, as the tourists eventually storm to victory. In short, an Ashes classic, told here by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts in vivid and immersive detail, recreating the sometimes agonising experience of millions of armchair viewers and listeners.\u003cbr\u003eAt the heart of \u003ci\u003eRichie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes\u003c\/i\u003e are two strikingly contrasting personalities- England's captain, the Cambridge-educated,\u003cb\u003e risk-averse, establishment-minded Peter May\u003c\/b\u003e; and Australia's captain, the \u003cb\u003echarismatic, risk-taking, open-minded Benaud\u003c\/b\u003e     a contrast not only between two individuals, but between two cricketing and indeed national cultures. Whereas Benaud and Australia symbolised a new, meritocratic era, May and England seemed, in what was still an amateur-dominated game, to look back to an old imperial legacy out of sync with the dawning Sixties.\u003cbr\u003eThe sharply observed final chapters take the story up to the present day. They relate the 'after-lives' of the match's key participants, including \u003cb\u003eTed Dexter, Bill Lawry and Fred Trueman\u003c\/b\u003e as well as May and Benaud; trace the continuing chequered relationship between English cricket and broader social change; and, after six more decades of fierce Ashes rivalry, \u003cb\u003ewrestle with the perennial conundrum for all England supporters     why do the baggy green caps usually beat us? \u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46636921454750,"sku":"UBD-9781526670298","price":44.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9781526670298.jpg?v=1774399678","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9781526670298","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}