Wisden Cricket Monthly devotes the Books section in its October issue to a double-page review of Philip Brown’s volume of cricket photographs and Graham Coster’s The Nature of Cricket. ‘Cricket exists now in such a frenzy of formats, competitions and tournaments that it can blur by,’ writes Jon Hotten, ‘the detail of matches from just a few weeks ago already forgotten. These two books hold it still for a while, and ask us to look in a different way.’
Country Life reviews 100 People You Never Knew Were at Bletchley Park
In the 22 September issue of Country Life Kate Green reviewed 100 People You Never Knew Were at Bletchley Park, writing that ‘Most codebreakers’ families were unaware of their relatives’ crucial work. This book does a great service in revealing the life stories of 100 of them.’
The London Wildlife Trust's newsletter features The Nature of Cricket
Two months running the London Wildlife Trust’s monthly newsletter has run a special offer to its 14,000 members on The Nature of Cricket. The Trust’s Director of Conservation, Mathew Frith, features in the book’s chapter on abandoned cricket grounds.
The Guardian's Spin cricket newsletter features The Nature of Cricket
The end-of-September issue Guardian’s weekly newsletter on cricket, The Spin, was written by Simon Burnton, who featured The Nature of Cricket. Simon and the newsletter actually appear in the book thanks to his assiduous research, in a previous Spin, into the legendary leatherjackets (crane fly larvae) infestation of the wicket at Lord’s in 1935…
The Londonist features The Nature of Cricket
The popular Londonist website has published an attractive feature on The Nature of Cricket: ‘Ten Animals You Wouldn’t Expect to Find on a London Cricket Pitch’.
Country Life finds The Nature of Cricket 'wonderfully illustrated, jovially written and insightful'
In the new edition of Country Life James Fisher reviews The Nature of Cricket and praises ‘a wonderfully illustrated, jovially written and insightful piece of work that shows why the Gentleman’s Game was, and still is, the best sport of them all’.
Yahoo over Cow Corner cricket blog reviews The Nature of Cricket
Hector Capelletti’s absorbing cricket blog Yahoo over Cow Corner has just published a long review of The Nature of Cricket, praising ‘a delightful tome that explores the link between the sport and its relationship with nature’, and opining that ‘After society’s re-discovery of the natural world in COVID-induced lockdowns the book is arguably being released at a timely juncture.’
Haptic & Hue textiles podcast reviews Seats of London
The excellent podcast Haptic & Hue, which delves into all manner of stories relating to textiles and fabric design, has released a superb discussion of moquette, featuring an interview with Andrew Martin, author of Seats of London. Haptic & Hue is highly recommended.
The RHS's The Garden reviews London Tree Walks
An excellent review by Dan Raven-Ellison, founder of the London Park City movement, acclaims Paul Wood as ‘perhaps the best London tree navigator in the world’, and praises London Tree Walks for its ‘insightful short histories of these trees and their neighbourhoods. ‘As someone who loves walking and nature’, he concludes, ‘I found these book a pleasure to use and browse.’
IanVisits reviews Dickens on Railways
IanVisits has just reviewed Dickens on Railways. ‘The characters are richly described as you might expect,’ writes Ian, ‘and his descriptions of the construction of the railways seem as relevant today as they ever have.’ ‘What you’re left with’, he concludes, ‘is a huge appreciation for the impact the railways had on people’s lives and the richness of Dickens’s writing style.’