Author:Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle is the only man to have ever hit a six off the first ball of a Test match. But then producing the impossible is an everyday act for the West Indies legend: the first man to smash an international T20 century, the first to hit a World Cup 200, the fastest century in the history of the game. Off the pitch he is even more flamboyant: he plays late, parties later, demolishes a king-size pile of pancakes and then strolls out to mangle another hapless bowling attack.
But do we really know him? Do we know what took a shy, skinny kid from a cramped tin-roofed shack in the dusty back streets of Kingston to the very top of the cricket world - without losing himself along the way? A story not just of sporting genius but of battling prejudice, this unputdowneable memoir will leave you reeling. Welcome to the world of the Six Machine.
It feels like at any time, somewhere, Chris Gayle is hitting someone for six. There is hardly a record he does not own
—— GuardianThe Zlatan Ibrahimovic of cricket
—— MirrorHard hitting! Explosive! GET IT!
—— Kevin PietersenA fascinating insight which gets to the heart of the matter – and problems – chasing every kid’s dream. A compelling read for anyone who likes football and the stories surrounding the stars of tomorrow. I couldn't put it down.
—— John Cross , Daily MirrorAnother exceptional piece of work
—— Jason Burt , TelegraphHighly recommended reading. An excellent and important book . . . No Hunger in Paradise explores the world of youth football and, if the stories within do one thing, they press the claim for serious discussion about how the English game treats the thousands of children who come into contact with the sharper end of youth football – and their families who often get reeled in to a cut-throat environment without really understanding what is going on
—— Amy LawrenceEye-opening and compelling
—— Iain MacintoshTerrifying
—— Richard Williams , GuardianNo Hunger in Paradise is somehow both heart-breaking and uplifting. Just brilliant!
—— Waterstones SportNo Hunger in Paradise is humbling, educational, worrying and a great read. Can't recommend it highly enough. One of the best sports books I've ever read.
—— Barry Glendenning , GuardianStarted reading this and it's brilliant. Seriously recommended. Yet another important football book from Michael Calvin. In-depth well-researched accounts of the journey from kids football to the professional game..or rejection
—— Adrian Durham , TalkSPORTIf you've any interest in the future of football in this country and the young players who will provide it, No Hunger in Paradiseis a must-read.
—— Liverpool EchoBleak but brilliant. Contains stories that need to be heard.
—— i-PaperA brilliant & very important book. Vital, highly recommended. Tempted to say it's Michael Calvin’s best yet, which is some praise.
—— Oliver Kay , The TimesThe best sports book I'm likely to read this year. Highly recommend you buy it.
—— Simon Hughes , IndependentA brilliant insight into the journey young kids now make from kicking a ball around in their back garden, through the glossy facilities of academy football.
—— David Preece , Sunderland EchoHis research is, as ever, impeccable… No Hunger in Paradise is a fascinating and fitting finale to a trio of books any football lover should own.
—— Sunday SportHeartbreaking . . . an excellent piece of reportage
—— i-PaperThe award-winning writer’s new forensic, and sometimes alarming, case study into why some young prospects make the cut – and others fall away – is fascinating…
The FA would do well to read this if they want success
Brilliantly sourced and written… As a portrait of the state of the modern game, No Hunger In Paradise is vital reading. With Calvin’s previous studies, it serves as a record of what football is like today and should place him alongside Arthur Hopcraft, John Moynihan and Hunter Davies in providing the sport with its defining literature
—— When Saturday ComesOne of the great, and most important, sports books of 2017. Passionate, incisive, gripping.
—— Don McCraeCalvin is a natural storyteller who is unflinching as he goes behind the scenes and meets the people at the heart of the youth development network.
—— Irish IndependentThe book is an eye-opener into the pressures put on young players by clubs, coaches and parents; the corruption and conceit, bullying and harassment. Plus the lengths those clubs and their scouts go to, to recruit kids who have yet to reach secondary school.
—— Independent, 10 Best Football Books of the Year 2017Completes his formidable trilogy on the game with a blistering indictment of how it treats its youngest players
—— Guardian’s sport books of the yearOutstanding
—— TimesAs the book unfurls, the march along the marches turns into a eulogy to his father, part memoir, part biography, always a love story. It also contains one of the most unflinching, moving descriptions of death I have read.
—— Melanie Reid , The TimesThis beautifully written book is a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love.
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailStewart provides much food for thought about how we value our past history
—— Susannah Law , Scottish Field