Description

CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR – THE CRICKET MEDIA CLUB AWARDS

‘McKinstry’s biography will fascinate cricket lovers’ – The Times

A STORY OF CRICKET VICTORIES, EXPLOSIVE CONTROVERSIES, WARTIME GLORY AND A LIFE LIVED TO THE FULLEST

571 first-class matches from 1934 to 1958. 36,965 runs. 29th on all-time lists. 86 centuries. 479 wickets. Bill Edrich was one of the biggest cricket stars of his time along with Denis Compton and Len Hutton. He even played football for Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Award-winning writer Leo McKinstry recounts Edrich’s audacity both as a cricketer and an RAF pilot when his flying prowess brought him a promotion to Squadron Leader and won him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The same action-filled intensity applied to his turbulent private life. Edrich was married five times but rarely allowed his ardour to be inhibited by any wedding vows. Equally unrestrained was his fondness for alcohol and partying, with one particularly exuberant display of intoxication during a home Test match losing him his place in the England team, only to return for the famous Ashes triumph of 1953.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025 CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR

Publisher Review

A fascinating story … Great research, beautifully written and I loved it. — Sir Geoffrey Boycott Bill Edrich shines through these pages … a wonderful book that needed to be written. — Henry Blofeld, former ‘Test Match Special’ commentator It’s Bill Edrich to a T. An excellent book, no doubt about that. — Dickie Bird, English former cricketer and international cricket umpire What an extraordinary life. What an extraordinary man. In Leo McKinstry, Edrich has the biographer his remarkable story deserves. — Richard Whitehead, former deputy books editor, ‘The Times’ A triumph. Leo McKinstry superbly draws together the many strands of a fascinating but flawed figure. — Lawrence Booth, ‘Wisden’ editor McKinstry’s biography will fascinate cricket lovers. * The Times * this is a must-get * RAF News * Entertaining. McKinstry is a sporting and political biographer highly attuned to historical atmosphere … Edrich is proof that greatness in sport and life are very different things. * New Statesman * This meticulously researched biography reveals the man behind the controversy in glorious detail. An exquisite read. * The Sun * An eye-popping biography. * Daily Mail * I was fascinated by this colourful life lived at breakneck speed in colourful times … it’s a page-turner! * Sunday Express * Brilliant * Daily Express * An entertaining and deftly told account of a popular, but wayward, flawed character. * Country Life * a subtle writer with a deep understanding of the era in which [Edrich] lived * The Telegraph * This portrait of a gifted and not particularly pleasant man adds another feather to his hat. * The Critic * a lively read * The Cricketer * Forget Andrew Flintoff’s tipsy excursion on a pedalo, or Kevin Pietersen’s disloyal text messages. Bill Edrich puts them all in the shade. * Wisden * Written in a pacy style, the author takes us through the highs and lows of a multi-faceted and colourful life of an RAF hero and England cricketing great. An entertaining read. * Aviation News * written in a pacey style … An entertaining read. * Britain at War * [a] must-read… a well-researched account of a remarkable life. * Financial Times * A lively record of Edrich’s life… ideal Christmas present. * Aeroplane * [one] of the very best cricket books of the year — Paul Edwards * The Cricketer * Top Book of 2024 — Richard Hobson, Reviews editor * The Cricketer * [a] perceptive commentary on how cricket and Edrich’s career and status reflected the social norms of wider society. … McKinstry also handles Edrich’s wartime career and its likely impact on his behaviour and personality with sensitivity … The picture of Edrich that emerges from McKinstry’s well-written and engaging biography is of man of mercurial and exuberant temperament who was indomitable when at the crease. — Philip Cottam * The Arbuturian *