Publications

Sketches at Lord’s
The Cricket Lithographs of John Corbet Anderson

by Michael Down & Derek West
Foreword by John Arlott

​A volume in the MCC Cricket Library series

Boundary Books with Collins Willow and MCC, 1990.  Full leather, all edges gilt, ribbon marker, marbled end-papers, slip case.  Limited Edition of 150 copies signed by the authors.  This was the first publication by Boundary Books and we were delighted to have the support of MCC and Collins Willow.  The book included a catalogue raisonné of the works of JC Anderson, probably the most impressive and prolific of the mid-19th century cricket artists – John Arlott in his foreword describes his work as “the pinnacle of popular cricket art”.  In the period just before photography he produced fine portraits of the leading players of the day – such great names as Wisden, Fuller Pilch, George Parr, Alfred Mynn etc.  In the book I traced the history of the lithographs and their place in cricket illustration through the ages while Professor Derek West wrote wonderful brief biographies of the players which concentrated on their characters and achievements.

“Some books, by their appearance, their layout, their very feel, are immediately attractive and, to the bibliophile, eminently desirable.  This new addition to the MCC Cricket Library is one such” – The Cricketer International

“This elegant volume . . . is an exceptional piece of scholarship, the reproductions are beautiful” – Wisden Cricket Monthly

“Any readers familar with the previous works of Michael Down and Derek West will know what to expect from this stylishly produced book which is an artefact of no little beauty; a fine standard of scholarship; an understanding of cricket’s history; an appreciation of character; a punctilious attention to detail . . the quality of both reproductions and text is uniformly high. The whole is a pleasure to handle and study” – Cricket Society Journal

“Most generously illustrated, much of it in colour, it does the artist honest justice and is linked with a sound knowledge of cricket . . . it has some admirable anecdotes. It is a book of atmosphere and most handsomely reproduces what is probably the finest popular art the game has spawned” – John Arlott in Wisden

Basingstoke Boy

by John Arlott

Boundary Books with Collins Willow, 1990.  Full leather, all edges gilt, ribbon marker, marbled end-papers.  Limited Edition of 200 copies signed by the author.  John Arlott was a reluctant autobiographer but after much persuasion he finally produced this volume of recollections, mainly covering the early years.  Sadly, he died not long after its publication but this is a fine tribute to his wonderful and varied life – policeman, poet, BBC producer, book-collector, wine connoisseur, journalist, writer and commentator extraordinaire.

 Gooch’s Golden Summer

by Bill Frindall

with an Appreciation by Trevor Bailey and photographs by Patrick Eagar

Boundary Books, 1991.  Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt.  Limited Edition of 333 copies each signed by Gooch, Bailey and Frindall.  The book contains Bill Frindall’s incredibly detailed scoresheets, descriptions of the matches and Patrick Eagar’s fine action photographs.  This was the famous series when Graham Gooch scored 333 at Lord’s – and a casual hundred in the second innings.

“The Limited Edition of the Year . . . a luxury volume that will undoubtedly become a collector’s item” – John Arlott in Wisden

A Tale of Two Captains

by Bill Frindall

with a Foreword by Ted Dexter and photographs by Patrick Eagar

Boundary Books, 1992.  Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt.  Limited Edition of 350 copies each signed by Gooch, Dexter, Viv Richards and Frindall.  The book contains Bill Frindall’s incredibly detailed scoresheets, descriptions of the matches and Patrick Eagar’s fine action photographs.  Another memorable series and Ted Dexter, who was Chairman of Selectors, provided a fascinating foreword.  The biggest problem for us was getting Viv Richards’ signature!

“Sleek and handsome . . . those collectors quick enough off the mark will covet ownership of a most agreeable record of last summer’s engrossing encounter” – The Cricketer International

David Gower – The Autobiography

by David Gower with Martin Johnson
With an Appreciation of David Gower by Tim Rice 


Boundary Books, 1992.   Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt, slip case.  Limited Edition of 100 copies, signed by Gower and Tim Rice.  The book contains an acrostic based on the letters for “David Gower”, written especially for Boundary Books by Tim Rice.

In this major end-of-career autobiography Gower answered his critics and compared his methods of captaincy with Illingworth, Brearley, Gatting, Willis and Gooch.  Written with characteristic wit, irony and at times passion.

Arabs in Aspic

by ‘The Founder’ E W Swanton
with a Foreword by Tony Lewis

Boundary Books, 1993.  Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt, marbled end-papers, slip case.  Limited Edition of only 50 copies, signed by Swanton and Lewis.  The Arabs are a wandering team founded by Jim Swanton in 1935 and still going strong.  Famous names have been honoured by the name “Arab” including Gubby Allen, Ian Peebles, Jack Fingleton, RC Robertson-Glasgow, Tony Lewis, J P Getty and Richard Hutton.  All are featured in the book and Jim traces his personal history with a light-hearted touch and a sense of history while Tony Lewis contributes a typically engaging Foreword.

Working with Swanton to produce a detailed history was a joy and an education and the beginning of a great friendship.

“This tale should be read by those who love the game . . . a wonderful tonic” – Lord Deedes

We also published a standard edition in cloth binding and dust jacket.

For Essex and England, Graham Gooch’s Century of Centuries

by Graham Gooch & Michael Down

photographs by Patrick Eagar

Boundary Books, 1993.  Slightly in advance of reaching the 100th, I gave Graham the scorecards of all his centuries along with a casette recorder.  He spent several months taking these with him around the world and recording his reminiscences of each innings which were then collected into this commemorative volume.  Some of his stories were fascinating and then there was the odd occasion like “150 in 3 hours – sounds like a good knock – but I’m afraid I don’t remember it at all, Michael”. He was the most professional of people to work with and took this type of project very seriously.  We produced two versions which together amounted to 333 books, for obvious reasons.

The book comprised a full history of Gooch’s career, gave insight into his landmark innings and placed him clearly in perspective as one of the heaviest run-scorers in the history of the game.

“For Essex and England is a beautiully produced book, carefully and thoroughly compiled” – Chris Martin-Jenkins

“As with previous books by this publisher it is splendidly produced and a delight to handle” – ACSH

Deluxe Edition – numbers 101-333

Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt.  Signed by Gooch and numbered.

Arlott.  The Authorised Biography

by David Rayvern Allen

Boundary Books, 1994.  Quarter morocco, specially designed cover.

 David Rayvern Allen was a wonderful man and a dedicated cricket historian.  He was also a very close friend and working colleague with John Arlott and was in a unique position to write this definitive – and award-winning – biography of the Great Man.  He was also a delightful friend to me so it seemed only natural to produce this high class little edition – very much in the book-collecting spirit of Arlott and Rayvern Allen and those of us in Boundary Books.  If you have a copy then it must be a treasured item in your collection.

My Autobiography

by Ian Botham
with a Foreword by Mike Brearley

Boundary Books, 1994.  Full leather, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers, slip case. Limited Edition of 102 copies, signed by Ian Botham. Each volume has a full hand-written account of Botham’s performances in the Test Match corresponding to the book’s number.  He played in 102 Tests.

This proved to be the fastest selling of all our publications and was sold out within days of its announcement.  

Cricket at the Castle
One hundred years of cricket at Arundel 1895-1995

by Sir Michael Marshall
Foreword by Sir Colin Cowdrey (later Lord Cowdrey)

Boundary Books, 1995.  Quarter bonded-leather, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers.  Limited Edition of 100 copies, signed by Hubert Doggart (Chairman of Arundel Castle CC), Cowdrey (Vice-Chairman) and by 9 former captains of the Duke or Duchess of Norfolk’s XI in matches against the tourists – a tradition that began in 1954.  The signatures are Mike Denness, Ted Dexter, Paul Parker, Rev David Sheppard, Tony Lewis, Roger Knight, Mike Griffith, Mike Brearley and John Barclay.

This book charts the history of Arundel cricket from the earliest games, through the heyday of Bernard, Duke of Norfolk, right through to the Centenary celebrations.  Sir Michael Marshall was the former MP for Arundel and he drew on the recollections of many of the greats including Hutton, Gower, Cowdrey and Botham.

We also published a standard edition, in stiff wrappers

Wheelwrights to Wickets
The story of the cricketing Hearnes

by Jack Hearne
Foreword by E W Swanton

Boundary Books, 1996.  Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt.  Limited Edition of 50 copies, signed by Hearne and Swanton. The author was the son of JW Hearne of Middlesex and England and his account of the family is fascinating. Starting with “Old Tom” Hearne back in the 1850s we travel via GAL Hearne (Kent & South Africa), GG Hearne (Kent & England), JT Hearne (Middlesex & England), Alec Hearne (Kent & England) and many, many others, including the author’s father.  Thirteen first-class cricketers in all. Another really worthwhile project for us at Boundary Books, uncovering much new information.

“A book so outstanding that one has no hesitation in suggesting that here is a suitable candidate for the Cricket Society book of the year . . . the English cricket book of 1996” – Robert Brooke

“Undoubtedly one of the outstanding cricket books of recent times” – ACSH

We also published a standard edition, in stiff wrappers.  

Last Over

by E W Swanton
with David Rayvern Allen

Foreword by Tim Rice

Boundary Books, 1996.  Quarter bonded-leather, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers.  Limited Edition of 90 copies (Swanton’s age on publication, signed by Swanton, David Rayvern Allen and Tim Rice.  A fascinating collection of ‘out-of-the-way’ items written by Swanton covering a period of over 70 years. Skilfully linked by David Rayvern Allen and with a Foreword specially written for the Boundary Books edition by Tim Rice.

“Dip where you like. . . and you will pull out a plum” – Cricket Society Journal

“Readers . . . need not feel they will be familiar with the material here; on the contrary, Last Over is a rather frisky and surprising complement to previous books by Swanton” – Wisden Cricket Monthly

The Lost Art
A History of Under-arm Bowling

by Gerald Brodribb

Introduction by Mike Brearley

Boundary Books, 1997.  Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt, marbled end-papers.  Limited Edition of 50 copies, signed by Brodribb.  One of the game’s foremost historians, Gerald Brodribb, turns his attention to a largely unexplored topic, the rise and fall of under-arm bowling.  He traces the story from the ‘Greats’ of the Hambledon era to the heyday of William Clarke and through to its resurgence during the Golden Age.

“This excellent survey . . . Gerald Brodribb’s meticulous account is a serious analysis enriched by examples of character and anecdote. A most enjoyable and informative read” – Cricket Society Journal

“An instructive and stimulating read” – ACSH

We also published a standard edition, in stiff wrappers

The Trailblazers
The First English Cricket Tour of Australia: 1861-62

by David Frith

Boundary Books, 1999.  Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt, marbled end-papers.  Limited Edition of 62 copies, signed by the author. The detailed story of this historic tour, full of previously unpublished detail and photographs.  These include the priceless photos taken during the first day’s play – from the author’s collection.  The birth of the Ashes!

We also published a standard edition, in stiff wrappers

Cricketers of My Time
Heroes to Remember

by E W Swanton

Boundary Books, 1999.  Quarter bonded-leather, top edge gilt, marbled end-papers.  Limited Edition of 100 copies, signed by Jim Swanton. The book, Swanton’s last, includes reprints of a host of cricketers’ obituaries which Swanton wrote for The Cricketer and, mainly, the Daily Telegraph.  They start with a large number of war casualties and run right through the post-war period to the end of the 20th century.  Fascinating material, not easily accessed elsewhere.  Again, a pleasure to work with Swanton who was highly professional and competent right up to the end.

Great Cricketers: The Age of Grace and Trumper

by George Beldam, jnr

Edited by Cornelia Beldam

A volume in the MCC Cricket Library series

Boundary Books, with MCC, 2001. The life’s work of George Beldam – cricketer and pioneer photographer – told by his son. He was a close friend of WG Grace, Ranji, Jessop, MacLaren and CB Fry, with whom he collaborated to produce the definitive cricket books of the Golden Age.  A talented artist in his own right, he also worked closely with the Newlyn School painters, Albert Chevallier Tayler and Henry Scott Tuke.  He was also a prolific inventor and successful businessman.

This massive and opulent book includes a mass of research by his son and reproduction of dozens of previously unpublished photographs from his father’s archive.  The book demonstrates that the famous Chevallier Tayler drawings of Golden Age players were all based on Beldam photographs and all 48 lithographs are here reproduced in full colour and full size.  In all, 368 large format pages on fine quality art paper, 700 illustrations of which 100 are in full colour.

“So interesting, so instructive and so marvellous . . . the book of the year so far” – ACSH

“This is a special book, one that will be named as a reference like Ranji’s Jubilee Book, WG’s 1891 ‘Cricket’ or Arlott & Cardus’ ‘The Noblest Game’. It is more than photographs of cricketers, it is about the Beldam family, the artistic talent of his friends and Chevallier Tayler and Tuke and their paintings” – Cricket Memorabilia Society

“It is an astounding work . . .  this massive work is a cornucopia of photographic, cricket and golfing history . . . this ‘must buy’ ” – The Independent – Book of the Week

“A beautiful production which restores one’s faith in such endeavours . . . the whole is a magnificent achievement” – Cricket Society Journal

Subscriber’s Edition

Large format, cloth/gilt.  Limited Edition of 500 copies, signed by Cornelia Beldam

Limited Edition

Full leather, all edges gilt, slip case, real photograph to front cover.  Limited Edition of 48 copies, signed by Cornelia Beldam, Charles Fry (grandson of CB), and former England captains – Graham Gooch, Ted Dexter, David Gower, Colin Cowdrey and Tony Lewis.  This edition was mainly for the family and it sold out before publication. 

A D Taylor
The Cricketologist

by Tony Laughton

Foreword by Hubert Doggart

Boundary Books, 2002.  Limited Edition of 200 copies. A D Taylor (1872-1923) was a journalist, author, bibliophile, statistician, collector and enthusiast of Sussex cricket, as well as a musician and ‘mine host’ at the Cliftonville Inn in Hove. His ‘Catalogue of Cricket Literature’ was the first accepted bibliography of cricket and his ‘Story of a Cricket Picture’ unravelled the fictions surrounding the most famous of all cricket pictures.  In this appreciation Tony Laughton brings to life the enthusiasm and expertise of his subject and sets him in the Sussex scene of Murdoch, Fry and Ranji.

Hardback Edition

Numbers 1-50 are bound in quarter bonded-leather, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers and are signed by the author and Hubert Doggart

Softback Edition

Numbers 51 to 200 are bound in stiffened colour wrappers

Felix and the Eleven of England

by Gerald Brodribb

Foreword by Hubert Doggart

​A volume in the MCC Cricket Library series

Boundary Books, 2002.  Full leather, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers, slip case. Limited Edition of 250 copies, each signed by Hubert Doggart, Ted Dexter (President of MCC at that time) and by a direct descendent of Nicholas Wanostrocht (“Felix”).  Over 100pp of text by Brodribb on Felix and the Eleven of England plus over 50 full page colour reproductions of Felix’s original watercolours.  Many of these represent historic cricket grounds for the first and only time and have never been published elsewhere. Sadly, Gerald Brodribb died before publication but he was happy that his life’s work was finally to see the light of day. Our third joint publication with MCC, maintaining the high standard of the previous two.

“This is, in truth, a magnum opus  . . . every home should have one” – Robin Marlar

“This fine volume of a delighful diary is published in association with the MCC and is a posthumous climax to Brodribb’s work” – Wisden Cricket Monthly

Jim.  The Life of E W Swanton

by David Rayvern Allen

Boundary Books, 2004.  Quarter morocco, specially commissioned illustration to front cover.  

Limited Edition of only 15 copies, signed by the author.  

Another very limited edition, more a private homage to two great friends of Boundary Books.

Captain of the Crowd
Albert Craig, Cricket and Football Rhymester 1849-1909

by Tony Laughton

Foreword by David Frith

Boundary Books, 2008.  Two volumes in quarter cloth, leather labels, slip case. The second volume contains facsimile reproductions of a number of Craig’s poems.  Limited Edition of 50 copies, signed by the author.  Albert Craig was a one-off.  Born of illiterate parents in a remote Yorkshire community, he became one of the most celebrated figures on the cricket and football grounds of London and the south, accepted and respected at all major sports venues in the land.  Years of research by Tony Laughton produced this unbelievably detailed account of his life and work; his rise to becoming almost as famous as WG himself, simply by selling his printed rhymes at a penny a sheet.

“Tony Laughton has brought Albert Craig, the “Surrey Poet”, back to life . . .  in this richly sociological volume with a wondrous selection of illustrations  . . . heart-warming and evocative” – David Frith

“For this book reviewer this is undoubtedly the best cricket book of the year, and if it does not win that plaudit from Wisden, The Cricket Society and every other cricket book award, then I can hardly wait to read the winner as it must be also five stars. It is rare that I learn a huge amount about anyone with a strong place in cricket history, as the learning curve naturally plateaus after reading 700+ cricket books, but there was hardly a page in this book in which I did not learn something new. It is impeccably researched, written and presented and should be read by every person who has an interest in cricket or just enjoys reading a quality biography” – cricketweb.net

We also published a standard edition, in hardback with dust jacket

The David Frith Archive
A detailed catalogue of the cricket library and memorabilia collection of David Frith

by David Frith

Boundary Books, 2009.  A massive volume, 1073 A4-size pages, that lists in perfect detail every single item in David Frith’s unique collection.  Books, autographs, videos & film, scrapbooks, photographs & pictures, ceramics, clothing & equipment – the list is endless – and the quality high and often unique.  Limited Edition of 75 copies, each signed by the author. The book sold out quickly before publication and copies are very hard to find.

Numbers 1-15
Bound in high quality quarter cloth, leather label, slip case.  With a disc containing the entire archive in digital form. 

Numbers 16-75.  Bound in cloth/gilt.   

Echoes from a Golden Age
Postcard photographs of cricketers by Foster and Hawkins

by Duncan Anderson

Boundary Books, 2010.  Limited Edition of 100 copies, signed by the author.  Numbers 1-10 were bound in quarter leather with slip case and included 6 facsimile copies of the postcards.  Numbers 11-100 were in hardback with dust jacket. This 339pp book has more than 170 full colour illustrations on art paper, 150 of which are full page.  Duncan Anderson tells the fascinating story of the rise of the picture postcard in the very earliest years of the 20th century.  In particular, the Brighton-based photographers Hawkins and Foster dominated the market for photographs of the cricketers of the Golden Age. This book sold out very quickly and copies are now very scarce.

“The production standards of Echoes from a Golden Age are clearly . . . a case of no expense having been spared, and that is part of the reason why this is such a beautiful publication to own” – cricketweb.net

Hardback in DW version (numbers 11-100)  

E K Brown, Cricket Bookseller

by David Smith

Foreword by Michael Down

Family History by Jenny Slatter, née Brown

Boundary Books, 2011.  Limited Edition of 90 copies, numbers 1-20 in hardback and signed by the authors; numbers 21-90 in stiffened wrappers.  Ted Brown started dealing in cricket books shortly after the second World War, initially by importing the New Zealand Cricket Annual.  His business grew until in the late sixties he was able to retire from school-teaching, buy the entire stock of the other main dealer, Epworth Press, and open a showroom in Cornwall which became the hub of the cricket-book world.  Here, he held court until 1980 when the business was scaled down before the final flourish of handling Neville Weston’s collection in 1985.  In this affectionate memoir, David Smith traces the story of EK Brown’s life and book-dealing career, lists the catalogues he issued and discusses his place in the history of cricket-book dealing from Gaston to Gutteridge and beyond.

Hardback copy – numbers 1-20 

Softback copy – numbers 21-90 

Bibliography of the works of Albert Craig, Cricket & Football Rhymester

by Tony Laughton

Boundary Books, 2017.  Limited Edition of 75 copies of which numbers 1-15 are hardbound to match item 20, Captain of the Crowd, signed by the author, and come with an original Craig poem. Numbers 16-75 are bound in stiff wrappers.

Item 20 (above) describes our publication in 2008 of Tony Laughton’s landmark biography of Albert Craig – The Captain of the Crowd.  Craig was a legend on the cricket and football grounds around the turn of the 19th century, selling his popular rhymes and biographies as he walked amongst the spectators. That book achieved considerable critical acclaim and has re-written accounts of Craig’s place in the history of both sports.  It listed known poems and biographies from the pen of Craig but it was mainly concerned with telling the story of his life and times.  Since 2008 much new material emerged, as well as more complete detail on items previously known only from brief entries in Padwick’s Bibliography of Cricket or from newspaper and other articles. The bibliography given in “Captain of the Crowd” was a simple listing with no account taken of separate issues nor was full bibliographical information supplied to enable accurate identification of specific items. Craig needed a Padwick approach. This full Bibliography contains 166 new or variant items as well as 68 prose anecdotes not listed in the earlier book.

Nobody can use the word ‘definitive’ about Craig – even as we went to print a new poem emerged.  But this new work will satisfy the needs of most and will hopefully tempt even more unknown treasures from amongst the archives of our two great games.

“You don’t have to be an afficianado of Craig’s works to enjoy reading this one . . . I found the booklet and its commentary immensely enjoyable” – cricketweb.net

“a valuable piece of bibliographical research” – ACSH 

Hardback copy – with an ORIGINAL Craig poem 

Softback copy

Calling the Shots
Correspondence over fifty years between Don Bradman and Jim Swanton

by Michael Down

Boundary Books, 2017.  Limited Edition of 100 copies, each signed and numbered by the author.  Sir Donald Bradman and E W “Jim” Swanton were almost exact contemporaries.  Swanton was born in 1907, Bradman a year later, and both died aged 92 having just lived to see the new millennium. Their lives were separated geographically by half the globe and culturally by an apparent chasm, but for over fifty years they maintained a friendship far closer and more trusting than the outside world could realise.  This friendship blossomed in a different era.  Swanton travelled to Australia as a journalist (albeit a very upper class one!) for seven Ashes series between 1946 and 1975 and on each occasion took the chance to visit the Don.  In the same period Bradman could only rarely hop on a ship or plane to England.  There were no e-mails, no cheap mobile phone calls, no Skype.  What they maintained, however, was a regular and detailed correspondence which lasted until they could write no more.  Swanton was an efficient and rigorous keeper of files.  Everything he ever wrote was committed to a vast series of scrapbooks and any letter received was duly filed if it was considered important.

Jim Swanton became a close friend to Boundary Books after we worked together on several book projects and I became advisor for his library and collection. On his death I was appointed literary executor responsible for the contents of his study and was able to make copies of his huge cache of correspondence with the Don.  This book traces the story of their relationship, in particluar the way in which they ‘used’ each other to further specific aims within world cricket’s Establishment.  Their characters and personalities scream out from every page of the letters and we see their attitudes and opinions far more openly than in their published words. 

The bulk of the text originally appeared in Ronald Cardwell’s excellent periodical Between Wickets.  Since those articles first appeared, more letters have come to light and the story has been expanded and illustrations added for this final book form of the work.

“The resulting insights provide a book that all cricket tragics will enjoy immensely” – cricketweb.net

Lord Brackley’s Cricket Tour to West Indies 1905

by Tony Laughton

Boundary Books, 2020.  Hardback, 113pp, illus.  Large format, A4. 

Limited Edition of 70 copies, each signed and numbered by the author

Until now the English tour of the West Indies in 1905 lead by Lord Brackley has received scant coverage. The only book on the tour is a great rarity written by the vice-captain, using the team’s own scorer’s statistics and with copies being presented to the players. This touring party was the first to the West Indies to include high quality professional players, qualified support staff and three ‘special correspondents’ from within the tour party, reporting back regularly to the UK press.

Off-the-field activities are covered as well as some thrilling cricket. The book includes reports and scores of all matches and pen portraits of all the tourists. These include a great explorer, a dressing-room attendant, a first-class lob-bowler, a banker whom MI5 exiled in the Second World War, a groundsman/scorer whose appearance in a first-class match on the tour has escaped modern records and four past or future Test players. The mix makes for an interesting study of the social history of the time. Unearthed is the true story of the ‘St Vincent Incident’ that arose from the England captain being sledged, a real threat of the tour being terminated prematurely and a rampant local tabloid press.

Albert Craig Revisited

by Tony Laughton

Boundary Books, 2020.  Softback.  Signed Limited Edition of 50 copies only.  57pp, illus.  This is the third volume of a trilogy written by Tony Laughton who has diligently researched Craig’s life and achievements.

Albert Craig was a one-off.  Born of illiterate parents in a remote Yorkshire community, he became one of the most celebrated figures on the cricket and football grounds of London and the south, accepted and respected at all major sports venues in the land.  Years of research by Tony Laughton produced an unbelievably detailed account of his life and work; his rise to becoming almost as famous as WG himself, simply by selling his printed rhymes at a penny a sheet.  This book was titled Captain of the Crowd and was published by Boundary Books in 2008.

In 2016 we published the second part of the story – a detailed and highly informative Bibliography of Craig’s work – rhymes, biographies, cricket, football and much more.

Since the publication of Parts 1 and 2, availability of the British Newspaper Library Archive website has made research of newspapers far more accessible. Now, in part 3 of the trilogy, Tony has unearthed over 400 previously unrecorded references to the Cricket and Football Rhymester – including twenty new rhymes – and appreciations of Craig by writers including Edmund Blunden, C B Fry and Fred Gale as well as contemporary players George Gunn, Len Braund, J N Crawford, Cecil Parkin and Maurice Tate. Some of this material was written about Craig well after his death in 1909, the last in 1951.

We now know far more about Craig’s role as an entertainer at local functions in Yorkshire in the 1870s mainly to support local Methodist, school and Liberal institutions. The full detail of his ‘fisticuffs’ with Billy Whittam at Scarborough in1879 are revealed with a detailed blow by blow account reported in the Yorkshire dialect. Craig was seen at the famous first ‘Ashes Test’ at the Oval in1882 and we learn of his turning down a spoof invitation by MacLaren to tour Australia in 1901.

Many more references to association football in Craig’s life appear with his changing his affections from Arsenal to Tottenham and later to Fulham, not forgetting smaller local clubs where his attendance was often for charitable purposes. New material on the rugby union code is uncovered, particularly for the his admiration for the clean-living touring All Black tourists of 1905.

Some new full colour images of Craig’s rhymesheets are shown as are two rhymes in his own hand, one to a lady fan.

An essential book to accompany Captain of the Crowd of 2008 and the Bibliography of the Works of Albert Craig of 2016, both published by Boundary Books.

DAVID RAYVERN ALLEN  “A Man of Many Parts”

by Michael Down

Eulogy by Sir Richard Stilgoe

Boundary Books, 2022.  DW, 180pp, full colour illustrations.

The book is produced in a Limited Edition of 100 copies, signed by the author, plus a further 25 copies in a special Deluxe binding with extra signatures.

Printed by traditional offset lithography on the highest quality paper.  This produces a far better book than the modern and cheaper digital Print-on-Demand techniques.

David is well known in the cricket book world for writing the official biographies of John Arlott and E W “Jim” Swanton, both of which won the Book of the Year Award.  He also wrote other well known books on cricket history – but not many know that he was the author of 40 in total.  His closest friend in cricket was John Arlott and the pair worked together on many projects.  A worthy and interesting life – but only one of his lives.

David started out as a professional musician and then embarked on a long career as a leading BBC radio producer.  He worked with many great names – Orson Welles, Judi Dench, The Who, John Arlott, Tim Rice, Richard Stilgoe and so many more.  In all, he produced over 1000 BBC shows including every episode of Friday Night is Music Night.  He won over 20 International Awards for his work including the top one – Prix Italia – for Who Pays the Piper? with Richard Stilgoe.

David was a long term Member of MCC, sat for many years on the Arts & Library Committee and did much to help the organisation of the museum and the collection.  He invented and single-handedly assembed the MCC Audio Archive whch is now named the David Rayvern Allen Audio Archive.

As well as this, David was one of the top collectors of rare cricket books, artwork and memorabilia.

Shortly before David’s death in 2014, we discussed the idea of a slim little booklet describing his collection.  Over the subsequent years my research into his life has produced so much fascinating material that the booklet has grown into a full length biography.  It was firstly intended as a memento for his family and friends but will hopefully be of interest to others when they share the broad scope of his life and  career.

By far the best bit of the writing is a wonderful eulogy written by Sir Richard Stilgoe who shared so many award-winning projects with DRA.