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Bill Edrich
Cricket Legend. War Hero. Footballer. Hellraiser.
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Description
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025 CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR
'McKinstry's biography will fascinate cricket lovers' – The Times
BILL EDRICH'S STORY IS ONE 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 during the 1930s.
Award-winning writer Leo McKinstry recounts Edrich's audacity both as a cricketer and an RAF pilot. Edrich's flying prowess brought him a promotion to Squadron Leader and won him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) after his part in a courageous daylight raid over Cologne in August 1941.
The same action-filled intensity applied to his turbulent private life. A man of keen amorous enthusiasms, he 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, though this trait brought him into conflict with both the cricket and the judicial authorities. After one particularly exuberant display of intoxication during a home Test match, he even lost his place in the England team, only to return for the famous Ashes triumph of 1953.
Table of Contents
1. Crossing the Rope: 1932–1934
2. All-rounder: 1934–1937
3. Testing Times: 1938–1939
4. The Shadow of War: 1939–1941
5. Combat Operations: 1941-1945
6. Victory: 1945–1947
7. Triumph and Collapse: 1947–1948
8. Legendary Charm: 1948–1950
9. Test Exile: 1951–1953
10. Trials and Tribulations: 1954–1958
11. On the Defensive: 1959–1963
12. Fading Light: 1963–1971
13. Close of Play: 1971–1986
Bill Edrich's Statistics
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Index
Product details
| Published | 30 Jul 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Paperback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 272 |
| ISBN | 9781399407816 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Sport |
| Illustrations | Black and white plate section |
| Dimensions | 198 x 129 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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