Fully illustrated
188 pages, French fold paperback, 8.5" x 11" (A-4)
Published by Sporting Links
ISBN 978-81-901668-5-0
BIOGRAPHY OF DON BRADMAN
AND A PANAROMA OF BATTING
FROM THE 1860s TO THE PRESENT TIMES
‘Don’s Century’ pays tribute to Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest batsman there has ever been, whose birth centenary was celebrated in 2008. The book by Indra Vikram Singh, the only Indian biographer of Bradman, is a celebration of the life and magical willow of The Don, and also of the art of batting and indeed the game of cricket
The 11-chapter book, interspersed with stories and comments from legendary writers and cricketers alike, and extensively researched from scores of old publications, has three sections.
The main segment brings forth Bradman's days at the crease from Bowral to Sydney, on to Lord's and Leeds, back to Adelaide, and finishing at The Oval in 1948. The legend begins with young Don’s rise to the top, his first fifty and hundred in the backwaters of Bowral, the maiden double century against Wingello and triple ton versus Moss Vale, hundred on first-class debut and on to Test cricket. Bradman’s legendary feats in the Test arena are recalled in all their magnificence, the hundreds in his first Test series, the unprecedented and still-unparalleled triumphs of the Ashes tour of 1930, and annihilation of the West Indies and South African teams.
The saga undergoes a dramatic twist with the vicious Bodyline attack that was devised solely to decimate the genius of Bradman. This chapter carries extracts from letters received by the author from England’s Bob Wyatt who was vice captain to Douglas Jardine during this infamous series.
The aftermath of Bodyline, Bradman’s stirring fightbacks on and off the field, how his stirring deeds brought solace to the suffering millions during the Great Depression, and his resilience as captain of Australia are presented lucidly, leading to the sabbatical brought about by the Second World War. The final lap of The Don’s career after the war, the firm hold on the Ashes, his exploits against the first Indian team after the nation’s independence, and finally the 1948 tour of England by his ‘Invincibles’ are described vividly and objectively. The text is supplemented by twenty scorecards detailing Bradman’s finest achievements in the first-class and Test arenas.
A large chapter in the middle is a panorama of batting portraying thirty-four of the best players from W.G. Grace, K.S. Ranjitsinhji, Victor Trumper and Jack Hobbs to Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden, for no story of Sir Donald Bradman can be complete without an appraisal of other giants of the crease.
The third and concluding part explores Don Bradman’s personal life and family, his persona and way of life, post-retirement days and role as cricket administrator, trials and tribulations, and the final stretch of one of the most amazing stories ever, of a sporting hero and icon beyond compare. The book carries a handwritten letter from The Don received by the author Indra Vikram Singh in 1999, and an article based on it that he wrote at Bradman’s demise in 2001.
There are nearly 100 classic black & white photographs of Bradman and other greats. A comprehensive statistical section highlighting Bradman’s accomplishments and records sums up the inspirational tale. There is a detailed index that makes the book extremely user-friendly.
Don's Century will be available in leading bookshops in the next few days. The author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com or teddy.rajpipla@gmail.com.
