Focusing on the experiences of the poorest segments of Australian society, this account highlights the fears, hopes, and dilemmas faced by those affected by growing economic inequality. Through conversations with hundreds of individuals in three disadvantaged areas of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, the author provides a poignant insight into the personal stories behind poverty, offering a unique perspective on the social and economic challenges they encounter.
Award-winning cricket writer Mark Peel charts the development of the England captaincy from 1945 to the present, with portraits of England's 43 captains. Is England's failure to produce sufficient leaders of stature - especially in comparison with Australia - down to individual deficiencies or the exacting nature of the job?
Mike Brearley was one of England's greatest captains, thrice winning the Ashes, including the memorable series of 1981. He also led Middlesex to four county championships and two Gillette Cup wins. In this first-ever biography of Brearley, Mark Peel assesses the many facets of his complex personality to explain his phenomenal success as a leader.
Never Surrender is the biography of England cricket captain Douglas Jardine, whose success in winning the Ashes in Australia in 1932/33 was tarnished by the use of bodyline bowling, which was seen as unsporting. Now, with Jardine's reputation on the rise, Mark Peel reassesses this complex character and outstanding leader.
A fascinating and in-depth analysis of how the independent schools sector has transformed itself in a single generation
Playing the Game? looks at the changing ethics of cricket, from the infamous Bodyline series of 1932/33 to the present day. After decades of sledging, intimidatory bowling, blatant gamesmanship and dissent, the MCC adopted The Spirit of Cricket in 2000. While the concept is a noble one, its impact has so far been limited.
This vivid, multi-dimensional history considers the key cultural, social, political and economic events of Australia's history.
Ambassadors of Goodwill: MCC Tours between 1946/47 and 1970/71 looks at the death of the amateur ideal in English cricket. It assesses the MCC's attempt to foster goodwill within the Empire/Commonwealth via long, formal overseas tours which increasingly came into conflict with the rise of third-world nationalism and hard-nosed professionalism.
Gilly is the tragic account of a West Indian fast bowler whose rise to greatness was undermined by his volatile temperament on and off the field. Banned from Test cricket for dangerous bowling at age 24, his refusal to curb his aggressive behaviour and chaotic lifestyle led to constant scrapes with authority and, ultimately, to a life unfulfilled.
Yorkshire Grit: The Biography of Ray Illingworth traces the rise of a brilliant Yorkshire cricketer from humble origins to the England captaincy and his triumph in regaining the Ashes in Australia in 1970/71. But the qualities that made him a fine captain, paradoxically, were the undoing of his time as manager both at Yorkshire and with England.