Fire in Babylon: How the West Indies Cricket Team Brought a People to its Feet

by Simon Lister

WINNER OF THE CRICKET SOCIETY AND MCC BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2016SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD'I doubt there will be a better book written about this period in West Indies cricket history.' Clive LloydCricket had never been played like this. Cricket had never meant so much. The West Indies had always had brilliant cricketers; it hadn’t always had brilliant cricket teams. But in 1974, a man called Clive Lloyd began to lead a side which would at last throw off the shackles that had hindered the region for centuries. Nowhere else had a game been so closely connected to a people’s past and their future hopes; nowhere else did cricket liberate a people like it did in the Caribbean.For almost two decades, Clive Lloyd and then Vivian Richards led the batsmen and bowlers who changed the way cricket was played and changed the way a whole nation – which existed only on a cricket pitch - saw itself. With their pace like fire and their scorching batting, these sons of cane-cutters and fishermen brought pride to a people which had been stifled by 300 years of slavery, empire and colonialism. Their cricket roused the Caribbean and antagonised the game’s traditionalists. Told by the men who made it happen and the people who watched it unfold, Fire in Babylon is the definitive story of the greatest team that sport has known.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, History, Biography, Politics

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2015

Reviews

[E.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 "Beyond a Boundary" by CLR James on West Indies cricket is considered the best book on cricket history. Unfortunately, it didnt click with me. The language was difficult and didnt get d context; perhaps it was a little old.
After I enjoyed Rama Guha's (ha wahi India after Gandhi wale) cricket books, and a fantastic cricketing history of Pak by Samiuddin "The Unquiet Ones", I really wanted to read something on d Windies.
A couple of yrs ago, I saw the documentary of the same name on which d book is based. It looked interesting but left me unfulfilled. Finally, thankfully, got my hands on this book which deals with d unbeatable Windies under Lloyd mostly from 1976-1984.
I started watching cricket in 1991 and for the 90s, West Indies was my favourite team, especially the flair in the batting of Lara, Richardson, Phil Simmons, Haynes, Hooper was such a joy to watch. And I regret that Richards retired just b4 I started watching.
How much can u idolise and love a sportsman of a past era ? I have been crazy over Richards - the swagger, the absolute show of contempt for d bowler, the simmering anger, the confidence in his own ability to never wear a helmet and never get hit. I could go on and on...
I first read about the Windies cricketers of this era in another alltime fav book of mine "Idols" by Gavaskar. Idols is one of the v.few books that I have read thrice. Loved reading again now about d fast-bowlers, about Supercat Lloyd, I even remember some series scores mentioned !
"What do they know of cricket, they who only cricket know ?" asked CLR James rhetorically. Afro-Caribbean people with erased histories, painful memories of the slave trade and bitter reality of racism, looked up to the 3 Ws, their cricketing heroes for a lot more than sporting victories.
But this book was more on what cricket meant to the cricketers, their growth, racism, apartheid, "Packer Circus". Infact my reason deducting a rating point is d repetitive over-emphasis on racism. Still, an excellent read for cricket fans.

[Vishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have known about the documentary, ‘Fire in Babylon‘, for a while now. I have always wanted to watch it, but couldn’t get it. When I discovered that a book version of the documentary, by Simon Lister, has come out, I couldn’t wait to get it and read it.

‘Fire in Babylon‘ is about the West Indies cricket team, which was the unofficial world test champion from the middle ’70s to the middle ’90s. The book starts from just after the 1975 World Cup which the West Indies won. Their tour of Australia followed. The West Indies team, though they played attractively, lost the series 5-1. Subsequent to that the West Indies played the Indian cricket team at home. And the Indians won an impossible match. That is when the West Indies captain Clive Lloyd decided to jettison spinners and go with a full on pace attack, which sometimes bowled intimidatingly and continued winning for the next twenty years. This book describes how that glorious era in West Indies cricket started and covers most of the important matches, major feats of batting and bowling, paints portraits of important players (one of my favourites was the one of Gordon Greenidge – that he was shy and introverted as a teenager – I always thought he looked like a nerd and I fell in love with him more when I read this), talks about the controversies and the politics including Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket, the rebel West Indian tour to Australia, the relationship between the players and the board, inter-island rivalry among the players, how cricket was much more than cricket for the normal, everyday West Indian and other fascinating cricketing topics.

There is a beautiful chapter in the book which gives insightful portraits of all the great West Indian fast bowlers – Roberts, Holding, Garner, Croft, Marshall – and features interviews with them in which they talk about the art and technique of fast bowling and this chapter also shares their peers’ thoughts about them. It was one of my favourite chapters in the book. There is also a whole chapter dedicated exclusively to Vivian Richards, whom I love and admire so much, like every schoolboy of that era. The book also goes back into West Indian cricket history and talks about Charles Olivierre, Learie Constantine, the three Ws, especially Frank Worrell, Garry Sobers and their place in the scheme of things and how their life and cricket influenced this particular West Indies team. I loved this peek back into history. In more than a few places there were sentences in the book which said something like this – “The West Indian team had won series against Australia, England and India and so were the undisputed champions”. As an Indian cricket fan (of those times), I was happy to read those sentences :) But I didn’t agree with them. I was surprised that the Pakistani cricket team was barely mentioned (there were some stray mentions here and there of players and matches), because during this time when the West Indies team was dominant, the only team which challenged its dominance was the Pakistani team – while other teams were getting walloped 3-0, 4-0 and 5-0, the Pakistani team drew three consecutive series against the West Indies team. And one of them was at home with neutral umpires, the first ever time that had happened in the history of cricket. That was one huge gap in the book, which was perfect otherwise. The book also had a beautiful introduction by Clive Lloyd in which Lloyd shares his thoughts on the book and on this glorious era of West Indies cricket. The book also has interviews of normal West Indians embedded into the book in which they talk about why a particular match or player was important and significant to them and what the success of the team meant to them as West Indians. I loved this part of the book.

Some of the other things that I wish the author had talked about in more detail, which I felt were gaps in the book, were these :

(1) There is not much coverage of England’s 1981 tour to the West Indies, though there is a description of the ‘fastest ever over’ by Holding. Geoffrey Boycott wrote a whole book about that series called ‘In the Fast Lane‘.

(2) There is not much mention of the players from other teams who resisted the West Indian dominance during that era. Sunil Gavaskar is mentioned in just one place (I was hoping that his innings in Delhi in 1983, when he shed his defensive cloak and played more like Vivian Richards than like Sunil Gavaskar would find a mention) and there is no mention of Allan Lamb (Lamb made three hundreds in that ‘blackwash’ series of 1984, and then a few years later came back to haunt the West Indies in the 1987 World Cup when he made 18 runs in the last over to win the match for England – Lamb was a thorn in the West Indian flesh).

(3) The coverage of the post Clive Lloyd era is very brief. Lloyd captained for ten years. His successor Vivian Richards captained for six. Lots of wonderful things happened during Viv’s reign. They have all been compressed into one chapter. I wish there was more space given to that.

There were some interesting things that I learnt from the book. Some of them were these :

(1) ‘Dependant‘ is the noun form of the adjective ‘dependent‘. I didn’t know that! I have always spelt it as ‘dependent‘! The Oxford dictionary says that both are correct, but the former is the traditional spelling, while the latter is more common today. Love learning new things about the English language everyday!

(2) Guyana is in South America. I thought that the writer had got it wrong! Because I always thought that Guyana was an island! Then I went and checked the map and discovered that the book was right and I was wrong. So that is Simon Lister 1 – Vishy 0! I can’t believe that I got this wrong all my life till now! I thought I was good in geography!

(3) The book talks about a 1981 series between West Indies and Australia which West Indies won. The series I knew, which happened at around that time, was drawn 1-1. So I thought – “Yes! I have got the cricket writer on cricket history!” Well, it turns out that both of us were right! There was a series in 1979-80, which was drawn and another in 1981-82 which was won by the West Indies team. I don’t know why that 1979-80 series was not mentioned because it was one of the great ones. Ian Chappell wrote a beautiful essay about it. Well, one more new thing learnt :)

(4) David Murray is the son of Everton Weekes – I didn’t know that!

If you, like me, were a huge fan of the West Indies team while growing up and loved Richards and Marshall and Holding and Roberts and Greenidge and Haynes and Lloyd and others, you will love this book. It is a beautiful depiction of West Indies cricket history of that glorious era and if we ignore a few of the omissions, it is perfect. I have only one regret. I wish C.L.R.James was alive today. And I wish he had written this book. Because this was his book to write. Unfortunately, he is not around, and in his absence, Simon Lister has done a magnificent job.

Have you read ‘Fire in Babylon‘? What do you think about it?

[W]

I have so many memories of West Indian cricketers,their fearsome fast bowlers and the electrifying strokeplay of their batsmen.

From the mid 70s to the mid 90s,they ruled world cricket.After that,the decline began and they began to look very ordinary.

But amid all the success they enjoyed,there seems to be a subtext,race.The tiny islands,which were a "nation" just for the purposes of cricket had found a way to be dominant,under Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards.

England captain Tony Greig's unfortunate "make them grovel" remark,was ironically the start of the West Indian domination and intimidation of the cricket world.

And the cricketers were told by the immigrant West Indians that they were looked down upon in England,and they could hold their heads high if the West Indies won.So,it wasn't just about cricket,it was about race too.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

james' beyond a boundary is a beautiful book, essentially a long critical essay abt why sports matter in a politico-cultural sense and one sport in particular mattered to the west indies, but this book goes beyond his early 60s context and updates the west indies cricket story with a vast storehouse of quotes and other useful primary source materials from players on the world beating 1970s and 1980s teams (michael holding, joel garner, viv richards, clive lloyd, gordon greenidge, et al.). for someone trying to find out why the sport of cricket is politically/culturally significant to that region, and wanting a historical sense to go along w/ it, this is probably a more useful text, particularly chapter 9, which is the deepest historical overview that author lister gives you (many readers would want this at the beginning, but based on the way the story is woven together, it makes sense where it is; it also places beyond a boundary in context so maybe read these two texts simultaneously if you're dying to understand them).

the companion documentary film is also very good.

[Jake Allingan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read about a key period in the history of cricket which was unfortunately before my time. Having grown up hearing older generations discuss the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Viv Richards and Michael Holding with such reverence, it was so interesting to learn about the people behind these almost mythical figures.

Lister brilliantly uses cricket as a way of exploring West Indian culture and history. This is something I previously knew very little about, despite its influence on both a sport I love and my country (the UK). I didn't expect to learn so much in a book ostensibly about a dominant cricket team but came away recognising that it is impossible to fully understand this period of the sport without appreciating its political and historical context.

4.5*

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

really interesting book looking at west indian cricket in a social and sporting context from clive lloyd's team to viv richards and looking back at the development of the regional game in a political sense of the region breaking away from colonial power.

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sports book is not one which is about the sport itself but about the people who live & die by it - the players, the spectators & the nations as a whole. A immense work of genius & a must read for everyone who pride upon themselves as cricket lovers.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the August of 1976. The sun burned down from a sky that had turned bronze in the heat. Grass, everywhere, was brown and parched. There had been no rain for two months, and for the last six weeks the temperature had barely dropped below 90F. It was the most memorable summer of my young life and, 13, I was going with my father to see the cricket.

But not just any cricket. Although my father is Sri Lankan, we were not going to see Sri Lanka play England (for the very good reason that Sri Lanka was not yet a Test-rated country). We were going to see England play the West Indies - and we were going to see them at the Oval, for the final Test match of the summer. England were already 2-0 down, and playing for pride and self-preservation. And when I say self-preservation, it really was. The West Indies deployed a truly fearsome array of fast bowlers in that match: Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Wayne Daniel; and this was in the days before batsmen wore helmets, or indeed much in the way of protection beyond pads, gloves and box. It really was a matter of self-preservation. The pitch was a dustbowl, burned the colour of African mud.

We arrived at the Oval to find it ringing, vibrant with West Indian fans playing instruments, singing and dancing. But I was a serious, studious boy - something of the archetype of the Asian school swot. We settled down at mid-wicket, with our drinks and our sandwiches, and waited for the day to begin.

And what I remember even today, 41 years later, is watching Michael Holding gliding over the ground as he ran in to bowl, moving as smoothly as liquid mercury, and then the leap into the bowling stride, a single puff of dust as the bowl struck the pitch, and an image of the batsman, contorted into some position of avoidance or defence. Even with my young, sharp eyes, I never once saw the ball moving through the air, but only the effects it had on wicket and man.

There has never been a team like that West Indies team, that came into itself on that tour of England in 1976 and then proceeded to dominate international cricket for nearly the next 20 years. This marvellous book tells the story of how they reached that position of dominance and, much more difficult, how they kept it for so long. It's a tale of resistance, revolt, and hours and hours and hours of sheer bloody hard work made to seem completely effortless in the smoothness of Michael Holding's run up or Viv Richard's lifting the ball to the boundary for 6. It's a tale of all the once-colonial peoples, such as my father's Sri Lankans, realising that they really could match and beat the English who had given them these games. It's a reminder of how far we've come from the everyday racism of the 1970s. And it manages to do all this through the medium of grown men throwing and hitting a ball around for interminable periods of time. Cricket is one-on-one combat in a team context; it's gladiatorial and, despite all the talk of the spirit of cricket, inherently confrontational, veiling its violence behind its pristine whites. It's the most perfect game and also the most ridiculous. And this is one of the best books I've read about it.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is s very good book and a delight for anybody who, like me, enjoyed watching the West Indies become, and remain for nearly twenty years, one of the greatest sporting teams of all time. It's (what I'd regard) as being part of a new (and welcome) cricket writing. Not written by ex cricketers or members of the public school dominated cricket culture but written by someone who is good writer who knows a great deal about cricket and knows how to tell a story.

He was only 5 when the side that he writes so eloquently about was clicking into shape, so the perspective isn't memory but good research. Mind you, I'm ten years older and was aware enough of the Frank Worrall tour of 63 to have made Conrad Hunte my earliest sporting hero. (So we'll give memory a supporting role). Actually Simon Lister stays out of the book almost completely. This is rare. He relies on detailed research and long quotations from interviews for much of the text. His writing persona barely intrudes at all. (Perhaps he'd like to use his BBC contacts to get into the Test Match Special Box where only Vic Marks retains this quality.)

He lets events tell the story and, like a good documentary maker, he allows the talking heads uninterrupted opportunity to state their case without prejudice. The book could be well described as being a written documentary. It's based on the film of the same name. But that isn't relevant to my contention that it follows a documentary style. At least it uses this film as a launch pad. As a result of reading the book I've sent off for the DVD but as it hasn't yet arrived I cannot comment on whether he's borrowed heavily, added greatly or combined (in the manner of good team play) to create a greater whole.

Like several recent sporting books, the writing and research has been greatly aided by the marvellous audio visual library that is Youtube.

I like very much the parts of the book that serve to contextualise both the antecedents of the team and the effects that they had on communities white and black.

It was unfortunate to come up against a fantastically strong short list for the William Hill. It could easily have won in other years. My love of cricket waxes and wanes like the moon. Sometimes non-existent, sometimes lighting up the night sky. This documents and celebrates almost everything I love about the game while keeping the issues of privilege, class, bigotry, laddishness, drinking and chauvinism in their proper place.

Very readable. A most enjoyable book.

[Jarvo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its an 'I was there moment' even if the there in this case was a living room in Kidderminster. The ' I' was an 11 year old cricket nut watching Sportsnight on the eve of the 1976 test series between England and the West Indies, and the England captain a giant brash man of South African origins was saying that talented as they were when the West Indies were down they 'grovelled...and I intend to make them grovel'. Even to some very sheltered ears this did not sound like a good thing to say, and time has done nothing to alter that opinion.
This is the story of the West Indies cricket team's rise to greatness, and to a global dominance of the game that lasted almost twenty years. It is a book steeped in the knowledge that cricket, more than any other sport, is a colonial game in which race is a central issue. It involves a detailed discussion of the tactics through which the West Indies came to dominate - virtually ignoring spin bowling completely and relying on a succession of brilliant fast ballers. This is treated even-handedly, the author acknowledges that there were occasions when there was too much intimidation, but he also rightly dismisses the attempts that were made to curb the law to tame the bowlers. They are great sections on the Kerry Packer affair, on the history of West Indies and its cricketers and on many of the great players from the period.
I may be biased because I remember many of the players and incidents well, they are possibly more familiar than recent events in the sport, but I think this is the best book on sport I have read for ages.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine history of the greatest international cricket side of all time, Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards's West Indies team of the 1970s and 80s. This is far more than a cricket book, locating the building and prolonged success of these sporting warriors in the history of violence, racism and resurgence experienced by black people in the Caribbean and elsewhere, from the days of slavery to this of the sus laws. Not only is it a varied, immensely intelligent, enthusiastic, and compulsively readable book, it might even appeal to those who have no interest in the game of cricket itself but are interested in what drives people to excel.

And for those of us who *are* interested ? Well, I was fortunate enough to have watched the West Indies on every English tour related here. Their devastating fast bowling, and the masterful batting of the likes of Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, and above all Vivian Richards, left a permanent impression on me. They were giants, and cricket has somehow never been the same since.

[Ankur Maniar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Treat for a cricket lover. Wonderful to read about the aura, enigma and charisma of the world beater West Indian cricket team and each of its influential members. Though would have loved to have a more potent writing style. The events appear haphazardly without following a proper time line or flow and also the writing doesnt aim to build up the tension or climax for the events described in the book, its more a journalistic reporting kind of writing.

[Rdurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book which gives a comprehensive and engaging history of the great West Indian cricket team of the 70s, 80s and 90s. The author interviewed key players including Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and many others. Unlike most cricket books, Fire in Babylon goes beyond the cricket to deal with the issues of politics, race and culture. An outstanding achievement.

[Kaśyap · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the greatest team of them all and what its success meant for the Caribbean people all around the world. The author places the narrative in its proper historical and sociopolitical context.

[Dipra Lahiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account of a 2-decade long reign of the West Indies cricket team - the history, the pride, the skill and the glory all intertwined. Reminds me of why cricket is described as much more than a game.

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story on how arguably the world's best sporting team of all time was put together, made better and went undefeated for 15 years in a test series home and away.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellently written, superbly researched, informative and evocative book. I devoured it. Read it.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Fire in Babylon by Simon Lister in 2018, long after the Caribbean flame had flickered. My generation didn’t witness the thunderbolts of Holding, the cool rage of Viv, or the swagger of Clive Lloyd.

We grew up under the shadow of Steve Waugh’s cold-blooded efficiency and the Australian empire. But this book? It was a reminder—no, a resurrection—of a different kind of dominance. One born not just from skill, but from resistance.

Lister doesn’t merely write cricket history—he orchestrates it like a reggae anthem laced with political fire. He chronicles how a small group of island men, armed with pace, poetry, and pain, walked into colonial stadiums and made the Empire kneel.

It starts with humiliation—those early West Indies tours where style didn’t match stamina. Where race was still a code and swagger wasn’t yet allowed. But then came Kerry Packer. And the turn. And then—Sir Clive Lloyd.

Ah, Loyd. The sleek cat. The tactician. The man who, with aviator glasses and absolute intent, rewired the very psychology of Caribbean cricket. Lister paints him not as a general screaming in the trenches but as a shadow leader, controlling chaos with feline poise. He’s less Bradman, more Basquiat—with a clipboard.

What the West Indies did, under Lloyd and later Viv, wasn’t just winning. They dismantled narratives. They used short-pitched bowling as reparation. Every Holding bouncer was history snapping back. Every Garner spell was a speech in rhythm and thunder. Every victory was political.

Lister captures this with journalistic detail and literary flair. He moves fluidly between match accounts and sociocultural commentary. You feel the locker room tension before a Perth Test, but you also feel the ancestral memory of being considered less than human.

Reading this in 2018, when West Indies cricket was a faint echo of its former glory, made it all the more bittersweet. We had grown up watching the ruthlessness of the Aussies—their strategic choking, their relentless pressure. But the West Indies of the 70s and 80s? They were poetry with blood in its mouth. No sandpaper. No sledging. Just raw fire and groove.

Comparatively, this book lives on the same shelf as CLR James' Beyond a Boundary—though Lister is more reporter than philosopher. It also shares a heartbeat with Open by Andre Agassi, where sport is shown as identity, protest, and therapy. In fiction, it evokes the revolutionary spirit of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart—except here, the colonised don’t just speak back; they win.

Fire in Babylon is more than sportswriting. It is a story of what it means to be underestimated and to strike back with a smile—and a yorker. It’s not just about the West Indies team. It’s about the dignity of standing tall when the world expected you to bend.

A must-read for anyone who believes that sport, when played right, can rewrite history.

[Atul Pujar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre : History / Cricket
Rating : 5/5

On the face of it, this book is about the domination of West Indies as a cricketing force from the mid 70s to the mid 90s. 19 years to be precise.

However, what you have not braced for, is the deep rooted history behind the game. Slavery and racism was ingrained in an entire generation. On top of it ,British colonization created further differences between people of some color and creed. In such a scenario, a game was introduced, as a pastime for the rulers, where the oppressed played roles of bystanders, followed by ball boys, to harmless practice bowlers, and slowly meek opponents. What happened when the meek opponents improved their game.

The author narrates in a manner of parallel stories, how, the impact an innings here or a test win there, led to improved social environment for the blacks. Cricket was not just about a game of bat and ball....it probably helped in reducing racism in a polarised world.

The history flows through some of the chequered events in cricket in this period. The Odi World Cups, the apartheid in SA, and insights into the rebelious Kerry Packer series.

On the cricketing front, the stories unravel tour after tour, the domination of that team series by series, of the legends of WI - 3Ws , of the indimitating fast bowlers - Croft, Holding, Roberts,Garner, Marshall, or even of the captaincy style of Worrell, Sobers ,Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards. Rich...truly rich.

Incredible scorecards and anecdotes are relived here, which I researched through cricinfo later,

1) WI chasing 343 in 70 odd overs (344/1 in 66 overs) on Day 5 of a test.
2) Viv Richards scoring 189* and taking his team from 166/9 to 272 in an Odi.
3) How Malcolm Marshall, inspite of being injured , bowling England single handedly in the 2nd innings with a 7 for.
4)The infamous NZ umpires and their poor decisions flaring up Croft who kicked the stumps, abused the umpire and while running in to bowl, gave more than an accident push to the umpire.
5) Bishen Bedi declaring the innings with 5 wickets left in the innings in protest to intimidating fast bowling
The list is endless.

The book is based on the documentary film by the same name, and is time and again, used as motivation for West Indian cricketers today, to use this reference and pump themselves to be a force to reckon with....a force which a generation ago, was the most feared and respected side of cricketing history.

A must read for cricket fans, the world over.

[Daniel Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having journeyed through Simon Lister's "Fire in Babylon," I am left profoundly moved by the author's poignant exploration of the West Indies cricket team's transcendent impact beyond the cricket field. Lister masterfully weaves a narrative that extends beyond the boundaries of sports, presenting a compelling account of how the team became a symbol of unity, resilience, and national pride for the Caribbean people.

One of the notable strengths of the book is Lister's ability to contextualize the West Indies cricket team's success within the socio-political landscape of the time. By delving into the racial and political struggles that defined the Caribbean during the team's golden era, Lister provides readers with a broader understanding of the profound significance of their victories.

The book's portrayal of cricketing legends like Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd, and Michael Holding is both reverent and humanizing. Lister captures the personalities behind the cricketing prowess, offering readers a glimpse into the camaraderie and the challenges faced by the players, both on and off the pitch.

"Fire in Babylon" is not merely a sports narrative; it's a testament to the power of sports in shaping cultural identity. Lister skillfully showcases how the success of the West Indies cricket team became a source of inspiration and empowerment, transcending the boundaries of a mere sporting achievement.

While the book excels in capturing the spirit of the era and the impact of the West Indies team, some readers may find the narrative occasionally straying into sentimentality. The deeply emotional tone, while fitting for the subject matter, may feel overly idealized for those seeking a more objective examination of the team's legacy.

In conclusion, "Fire in Babylon" by Simon Lister stands as a captivating tribute to the West Indies cricket team and its cultural significance. Lister's evocative storytelling and his ability to intertwine sports with broader societal narratives make this book a compelling read for cricket enthusiasts and those interested in the intersection of sports and identity.

[AndHeReadsToo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Cricket is more than a sport, it is a political and social process that requires detailed investigation” Sir Vivian Richards

I first saw the documentary “Fire in Babylon” many years ago and, like every other fan of WI cricket, I found it to be excellent, inspirational and every other superlative that came to mind.

The book is an extension of the doc, including conversations and interviews that had to be left out of the documentary. So we get not only an account of this great era in WI cricket, but background information and analysis of the political and social impact of cricket in the WI.

Juxtaposed with the Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards teams of the 1970s & 80s, are stories of previous WI cricketers who laid the ground work for professional WI cricketers. From Charles Ollivierre, the 1st black WI to play first class cricket in England, to Frank Worrell, the first black permanent captain of the WI to Gary Sobers who became the greatest player the game had seen.

These players had varying degrees of success but none were able to lead the WI to sustained success the way LLoyd and Richards were. This book examines how that team was able to become the most dominant team in the sport’s history and dispel the label “Calypso Cricket” (entertaining but unable to produce results) and the political and social significance of these teams not only in the Caribbean but throughout the world.

[Tamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Several dots on the map dominating the world"

That's the last line in the epilogue of the book and sums up the West Indies brilliance of the mid 1970s to the Viv Richards era ending in 1991. Put simply, they were world beaters following a big rebuild. Firstly they became the first side to pick 4 out and out fast bowlers of which they had some of the best ever. Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Andy Roberts and then Malcom Marshall later on. All captained by Clive Lloyd who was tasked with uniting a group of people from different islands of the Caribbean.

What this book does well is shine a light on their united histories of oppression and how they became the oppressors of England and Australia and India on the cricket field.

Deals with all the landmark moments, 'grovel'-gate, Brian Close getting the fright of his life at Old Trafford in 76, backlash over bouncers and finally the passing of the torch from Lloyd to Viv.
Viv Richards strolling out to the middle was like a gladiator entering a colosseum. Hugely talented team covered well by this cricket history book. There's also a better known documentary which I haven't seen yet.

[Akash Parakh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed and emotional rendition of what the WI cricket during that fearsome phase was all about !! Some determined men with exceptional cricketing skills came together to forge the first ever world beaters in cricket. The book, meandering at times and an overkill of racism in a few chapters not withstanding, it is an epitome of the fight that 'A People' fought with utmost vigor against the powers that be at that time. The Epilogue is poetry in prose and worth reading over and over again !! That is why 5 stars !!!

[Olly Colluphid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid handling of a fascinating and extraordinary sporting achievement.

Perhaps overindulgent of (for example) the casual homophobia -- given that (correctly) the racism of the period is savaged it felt rather grating in the discussion of the pink colour worn in the Packer matches.

Overall though an excellent read linking many topics to explain the rise of the WIndies.

I'd be intrigued to see a chapter on the fall of recent years: why do the factors mentioned not suffice any more.

[Anirban · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked for me:
1. This book is not just a collection of runs scored or wickets taken. Not about specific matches as well. Rather it's about the socio-political factors based on which the great WI team of the 70-80s grew. So, thumbs up for the history lesson.
2. The writing style is fluent and easy to read.

What didn't work for me:
1. A little more on runs scored and wickets taken; or how specific matches/series progressed should have been added.

[Steve Parcell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating biopic of the West Indies cricket team and their rise to the top of their game in the 70's and early 80's.

Didn't realise the level of racism directed towards them by their opposition but guess its not surprising. Satisfying to see them rise above and sometimes literally destroy their opposition by intimidation. passion, skill and grace.

My only criticism is the book was probably 50 pages too long.

[Michael Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the greatest cricket team I've ever seen, this book inspired by the excellent film of the same name. The author explains how the history of the Caribbean region and it's cricketers contributed to the emergence of Clive Lloyd's team.
I would have liked more about the matches and players and a little less of the history and politics but it's an accurate account of a great team of brilliant individuals who deserve their place in history, at the very top of the pile.

[Diptakirti Chaudhuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unputdownable history of how West Indies went from being a bunch of extraordinarily talented cricketers to the world's greatest cricket team... In the process, becoming a symbol of excellence for people of colour everywhere.

Research and storytelling come together beautifully in this saga of cricket.

[deepak malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a good read. Insightful into the history of the island nations, slavery $ racial abuse

Definitely a good read. Insightful into the history of the island nations, slavery $ racial abuse. If you want to know what went about making of the greatest cricket team ever, go through this one.

[Barry Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on how a united West Indian cricket became the best team in the world and stayed there for almost 20 years. Also how the team gave the people of the many countries that the team came from something to be proud of and inspire their countries to be better than they ever had been. Excellent book and can’t recommend it enough for any cricket fan.