W.G. Grace

by Simon Rae

W. G. Grace burst onto the cricket scene in the 1860s with spectacular force. He dominated the game until the end of the century, and influences it to this day. He was the world's first sporting superstar, rivalled as a public figure only by Gladstone and Queen Victoria herself. His staggering achievements as both batsman and bowler made him the greatest draw cricket had ever known. Though often depicted as an overgrown schoolboy, W. G. was extremely shrewd and ruthlessly exploited the power his immense popularity gave him. A notorious 'shamateur', he amassed great wealth through cricket, while remaining the standard-bearer for the Gentlemen against the Players for forty years.

Researched in archives from Grimsby (where Grace once scored 400) to Australia, Simon Rae's new biography offers a radical analysis of Grace's career, and reviews the more controversial aspects of his conduct, including verbal and physical altercations, both on and off the field, and his kidnapping of an Australian cricketer from Lord's. But W. G. Grace: A Life provides more than a fresh look at the cricketer. It focuses on Grace's formative family background; his intensely competitive relations with his two famous brothers, 'E. M.' and Fred; his career as a doctor, and his ambitions and bereavements as a father. Drawing on little-known diaries and letters, and unique access to Grace's own library, Simon Rae builds up a convincing psychological portrait of the man behind the most famous beard in English history.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, History

548 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 1998

About the author

Simon Rae is a British poet, broadcaster, biographer and playwright who runs the Top Edge Productions theatre company. He won the Poetry Society's National Poetry Competition in 1999 and has also been awarded an Eric Gregory Award and a Southern Arts Literature Bursary and held Royal Literary Fund fellowships at Oxford Brookes and Warwick Universities. His play Grass won a Fringe Highlight award in 2002.

Reviews

[James Wilson FRHistS · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a ton of biographies of WG Grace. I would suggest three are essential reading: Eric Midwinter's, Richard Tomlinson's, and this one. Rae's is a comprehensive work, well written and with the definitive statistical record compiled by Bill Frindall (I believe specifically for this book). The hardback is well produced and with a good picture selection as well.

[Stephen Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into the world of Victorian Britain via a biography of a truly eminent cricketer. Grace was obstinate. competitive, generous, combative, single-minded and loved cricket above all else. This book does him justice.

[Ram · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://vramonline.wordpress.com/2021...

[Patrick Whitman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enormous and went on forever. So did the book.