The golden age of cricket - George Plumptre

The 20 years leading up to the First World War witnessed the establishment of modern cricket as it has been played ever since. It was also the period when the game emerged as a national pastime of huge popularity and when the leading players - W.G. Grace, Ranjitsinhji, Stanley Jackson and Jack Hobbs to name a few - were elevated to the status of sporting idols.;George Plumptre sets the game within the general context of Edwardian England and highlights its social aspects as well as analyzing the true difference between amateurs and professionals and describing the ethos of country-house cricket. Far from being just a year-by-year account of the period, the book is adventurous and selective in its treatment, focusing upon the major issues - such as why the Australians won more test matches at a time when English strength was at its historical peak - and personalities. From the introduction which examines the aura of nostalgia that has always shrouded views of Edwardian cricket to the final chapter where the author decides whether it really was "The Golden Age", the text is anecdotal and incisive.