Stiff Upper Lips and Baggy Green Caps: A Sledger's History of the Ashes Book

Peppered with bouncers expletives and even the odd diplomatic incident Stiff Upper Lips and Baggy Green Caps is a rip-roaring journey through 124 years of Ashes history. In September 1882 The Sporting Times published a mock obituary for English cricket and a great sporting rivalry was born. Relations between England and Australia have never been the same since. Every other year the two teams gather for the traditional frenzy of backbiting finger-pointing and dubious facial hair. For a list of every Ashes century and five-wicket haul try Wisden but if you want to know which England batsman was a martyr to syphilis and which Australian fast bowler reckoned the Queen had 'nice legs for an old Sheila' then read on - Stiff Upper Lips and Baggy Green Caps exposes the seamy side of Ashes cricket - the inside story behind controversies from the Bodyline series of 1932-33 to the Lillee and Thomson blitzkrieg of 1974-75. It profiles great players from W.G. Grace to K.P. Pietersen and captures choice examples of the dark art of 'sledging'. ;