More Than a Game: The Story of Cricket's Early Years

From the Publisher

'I cannot imagine a better guide – authoritative, graceful and always with an eye to bringing out the quirky characters who have made cricket “more than a game”…(Major's) fascination with human behaviour makes lively reading…as a readable and likeable historian of what he loves, he takes some beating. He knows the beauty of the game and makes it live.' Daily Mail

'Expertly compiled and beautifully produced…it's a book full of insight, wisdom and dry humour and, most important of all, unquenchable enthusiasm which will be appreciated by everyone who shares it.’ Sunday Times

'Passion flows through every page…it's likely that as a work of reference "More Than a Game" will supplant its predecessors…long after all the self-serving political memoirs have been utterly forgotten, "More Than a Game" will still be settling arguments and giving pleasure across the civilised, cricket-loving world.' Sunday Telegraph

‘Major's passion illuminates a beautifully produced and engaging account of the game's history from its origins to the first world war.’ Sunday Times

'It's a spectacular achievement. I can't think of anyone else who could have given such an authoritative inner and overview of the game and have the ability and knowledge to put it in the context of cultural, commercial, historical and social happenings at the same time. But more than that, it is a personal book and, even with the extraordinary amount of information, thoroughly readable…a startlingly good book. John has done a marvellous job, and I think, for the first time ever, we have both the reasonably well-known and the unknown facts about cricket put in a social and historical context and in a readable and concise fashion.' David Rayvern Allen