`A well-written, engaging, analytical narrative rich in opinion and revealing facts'
Roderick Easdale
Country Life
'His story of the England cricket team's development is not just highly informative but offers a valuable and lasting perspective... Here is a book that all those writing about the game will want in their laptops as well as their libraries. The ... Read morebook that Wilde was destined to write, a reminder that he is surely the finest editor that Wisden Cricketers Almanack never had; perhaps there is still time.'
David Hopps
Cricinfo
'A collection of 35 thematic chapters rather than a chronological narrative and is packed full of stats and fascinating details.'
Mail on Sunday, Sports Books of the Year
'An impressive and comprehensive gem...superbly researched and brilliantly delivered. It is going to...be indispensable. It needs to be read, and it deserves to sell well.'
Huw Turbervill
The Cricketer
'This book, indispensable to any serious cricket lover, is an important work of scholarly synthesis which establishes Wilde as one of our foremost cricket historians.'
Peter Oborne
The Spectator
'Fellow [cricket] tragics will love this book, issued in the summer of England's 1,000th Test match. Even the title - England: The Biography - deserves a round of applause for presuming that the nation is synonymous with cricket... The book's greatest joys are its footnotes.'
Francis Wheen
Mail on Sunday
'Another wonderful sports book on the shelves this summer is a brilliantly presented history of English cricket written by Simon Wilde. Not only does it cover all the major matches, issues and controversies of our national summer game, it is also speckled liberally with fascinating lists and statistics... The book is simply a treat.'
Jim Holden
Sunday Express
'A meaty book, and it has to be. Wilde tells the story with clarity and a pleasing lack of bias.'
Michael Henderson
The Times
'He has done a fabulous job with this book. Inevitably, history reveals historical patterns.'
Simon Barnes
The Cricketer
The Cricket Book of the Year: 'At once dauntingly comprehensive and surprisingly light-footed.'
Simon Briggs
Daily Telegraph
'Superbly researched piece of work by Simon Wilde. His eye for detail never wavers; he never cuts any corners. It's a pleasure to read but also works as a reference book.'
Vic Marks
Observer
'An astonishing work of research, detail and revelation. Bulging with information, packed with nuggets.'
John Etheridge
Sun
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