The sport loving men in your life could be difficult to buy for, as are the sport loving women at times. I know a few sporty men who don’t read, but they have a couple of sporting bios on their wishlist for Christmas and I think that’s fantastic… and extremely helpful.
Here’s a couple of books that lovers of sport may find interesting this festive season.
The Sound of Summer – Jim Maxwell
The commentary career of Jim Maxwell spans four decades; since 1973 he has covered 285 Test matches, over 50 Ashes Tests, 5 World Cups, six tours tours to the West Indies and seven to the subcontinent. Summer for Australian cricket lovers just wouldn’t be the same without Jim Maxwell.
It was 1973 when Jim Maxwell first started covering the cricket on ABC Radio and now decades later he is still a well known summer sound.
In August 2016, in the lead-up to the release of his memoir, he suffered a stroke on air while covering the Rio Olympic Games. Lucky for him he was miles away from the events he was calling, in a broadcast van in Redfern, Sydney. He tells us about it in the preface, which was added after the first proofs of The Sound of Summer were printed.
Maxwell is undergoing intensive rehab to get up and walking again so he won’t be back on the airwaves anytime soon but he is striving to win all the battles in front of him, firstly the personal ones with his limbs and then to get back into the commentary box.
The Sound of Summer takes us right back to the early days when Maxwell first fell in love with the game of cricket as a young boy, through his schooling, his early days and right through to now. He gives his thoughts on many greats of the game, both on the field and off.
Maxwell reflects on his life and career in a fascinating book that is warm, nostalgic and filled with cricket lore and history.
Fans of Cricket and of Jim Maxwell will be sure to enjoy learning more about the man who has been the voice of cricket for longer than I’ve been alive.
The Sound of Summer is published by Allen & Unwin and is available now where all good books are sold.
RRP: $39.99
Dane Swan: My Story
This book has been a huge hit with my circle since it was released in October and of course we were lucky that some of those fans were able to head in store and meet Dane and have their books signed in the week of release. Unfortunately for hubby we were somewhere between Hay and home when Swan was in Adelaide and he was unable to meet the author, but he will find a personalised, autographed copy of the book under the tree Christmas morning.
Dane Swan is a much loved midfielder for the Collingwood Football Club who announced his retirement at the end of the 2016 season with a foot injury.
Swan is one of Collingwood’s most loved players and recognised as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern game. I am not a Collingwood fan but he is the one player that I can recognise, I think it’s the tattoos to tell the truth. Dane Swan is a premiership player, Brownlow Medallist, five time All-Australian and all around accomplished career footballer.
Swan’s autobiography follows his journey through his Melbourne childhood, early years and 2001 drafting to Collingwood.
I think one of the things that stands out to me is that his whole career was played at Collingwood, now I’m not a huge football fan by any stretch and I have completely fallen off the AFL wagon but over the last decade or so I have seen a lot more players trading and moving clubs so it resonates with me when a player remains at one club for his whole career.
My Story covers Swan’s remarkable career and he discusses his highs and lows with honesty.
I think what is going to make this one great reading is that Dane Swan doesn’t strike me as the type to always toe the line. He’s an amazing footballer who took a little time to be noticed after his 2001 draft pick but with great mentoring at the club he has gone on to hone his talent and become a formidable midfielder on the field. Off the field I think there’s still a lot of the laidback guy who doesn’t mind a drink and a late night.
Watching some of the interviews and pranks over the years he strikes me as a good guy with a sense of humour.
I’m interested to see how those in my circle enjoyed the book and once it’s unwrapped I look forward to flicking through the book myself. Admittedly, part of that is to checkout the photo section and see the evolution of his ink.
Dane Swan: My Story is published by Hardie Grant Books and is available now where all good books are sold.
RRP: $45
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!