The Glory Days
Authors: Tony King and Peter Laurie
Reviewer: Wyvolyn Gager
Publisher: MacMillan Caribbean
WEST INDIES cricket fans now have something to cheer about. And it is not the recent series win over bottom-of-the-ladder Bangladesh. It is the release of The Glory Days, in celebration of 25 great West Indian cricketers.
Written by Barbadians Tony King and Peter Laurie, this 130-page book will prove compelling to anyone with an interest in the game as the accounts are as thrilling today as they were many decades ago. Although it is a book about cricket it could more appropriately be regarded as being about life with the game of cricket as its lure.
This collection of biographical fragments which has been timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of West Indies
cricket will undoubtedly find a revered place among the existing volumes of cricket literature. The authenticity of the book is enhanced by the foreword from that most celebrated cricketer, Sir Garfield Sobers, who calls it a timely reminder of the great tradition of West Indies cricket. He is, of course, included in the circle of 25.
Sir Garfield is optimistic that 'our youngsters' many of whom were in diapers, if they were indeed born during 1975-1995 when the Windies were the idols of cricket fans, "will find many a useful role model to emulate in the pages of The Glory Days". We certainly hope they will be truly inspired by this book.
THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS
King, a former player and cricket administrator, and Sharpe, writer and retired diplomat, put their imaginative heads together to confect a unique style by carrying on a conversation to introduce their work, including an explanation of how they chose the 25. Their thoughtful analysis of the history and sociology of West Indies cricket put a fascinating face on the book.
The book is broken up into eras:
1923-1939 The Early Years
1947-1960 The Post-War
Years
1960-1974 The
Worrel-Sobers Era
1975-1995 World
Supremacy
1995 The Present Day
How many are aware that the West Indies team was granted Test status in 1928 based on the scintillating performances of George Challenor and Learie Constantine?
GREAT PLAYERS OF
BYGONE DAYS
Readers are introduced to some of the great players of by-gone days such as Challenor, Constantine, Headley, Ramadhin, Walcott and others. Faces have been put to these names through the use of good black and white photographs. The book also has the reader thinking which is more appropriate George Headley as the 'black Bradman' or Bradman as the 'white Headley'?
The chapter on World Supremacy opens with a profile on fast bowler Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose, the great Antiguan who was voted Wisden cricketer of the year in 1992. Significantly, there are six fast bowlers and six batsmen from this era included in the 25 all-time greats. This chapter is a must read for anyone involved in the realm of cricket either as player, aspiring player, administrator, coach or fan. During this period, 1975-95, the West Indies won 33 series of the 35 they played and enjoyed 29 consecutive series victories. Frequent re-reads by the current crop of
players may just be necessary to motivate them.
As if to demonstrate the mire into which West Indies cricket has fallen, the chapter titled Present Day celebrates one great player Brian Lara. The conclusion is obvious, while cricket allows individuals to shine, individuals performance alone will not result in success team effort is what counts.
For me, the wealth of photos in The Glory Days outshines the prose. These photos have brought a cascade of memories to me. I also feel that an index would have been useful so that someone wanting to zero in on a particular player could do so, without having to thumb through the entire book.
Controversy is never far from cricket so there will be much talk about the selected 25. Whether or not we agree that Lawrence Rowe should have been ranked with them, we can, however, agree that The Glory Days rescues the stories of some of our past heroes from obscurity.
It's a great read and from a historian's point of view a valuable book of record as it includes profiles, career highlights and statistics of the 25 greats.
