Author:Dave Hadfield
Along the way he met the people whose enthusiasm for the game has made it so durable - current and former internationals as well as others involved at all levels - as well as a few miserable old gits for balance. In this intimate account, Hadfield observes the way rugby league fits into the history and sociology of towns like Wigan and Castleford, with which it is synonymous. His record of the journey is in the great tradition of writers from Wordsworth to Laurie Lee, who found in long walks the perfect medium to explore and reflect upon their surroundings. Up and Over is the definitive book about the game and the local passions it engenders, as Hadfield seeks out the poignant and the humorous on a personal journey of discovery. For those who follow rugby league, it will give a unique perspective on the parts of the world they know intimately; for others it will be an introduction to a different world, seen via one of the elements that gives it its identity.
More sporting laughs than you will read in a dozen sports autobiographies.
—— Ian Wooldridge , Daily MailHe's the funniest speaker on football I have heard in all my experience.
—— Sir Bobby RobsonUnsuprisingly full of amusing self-depracating sporting anecdotes and gags.
—— The TimesThis man is magic
—— Sir Harry Secombe CBEFar from being a tome for just those in the know, Horses for Courses is the ideal introduction for a newcomer to racing. . . Many of the author's encounters with people result in marvellous recounts of famous racing moments
—— Irish FieldFull of compelling anecdotes and perceptive analysis, and I would heartily recommend it even if it didn't also include a few excerpts from my own encounters with notable characters from the world of spin.
—— Brian Viner , IndependentGet hold of a copy of Amol Rajan's Twirlymen...This is a forensic and often lyrical examination of the history of spin
—— James Lawton , IndependentIn Amol Rajan the twirlers have found a historian worthy of their deceptive art...a brilliant, revisionist book...which should be compulsory reading for anyone who claims to love the game even half as much as the author evidently does.
—— Simon Redfern , IndependentAn eloquent, page-turning series of biographies about cricket's finest spin bowlers.'
—— Sunday ExpressAmol Rajan provides a natty introduction to the spin bowler.
—— iA charming history of spin-bowling
—— The LadyTwirlymen is a splendid romp through the history of spin bowling. A delight from start to finish, it's a book I dearly wish I'd written myself.
—— Alex Massie , SpectatorA fine book
—— William Leith , ScotsmanEntertaining and informative
—— Brandon Robshaw , Independent on SundayThis seductive book will engage those who don’t know a googly from a doosra and enlighten those who do
—— Independent