Bill Edrich

DEREK HODGSON CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR - THE CRICKET MEDIA CLUB AWARDS
'Brilliant' - Daily Express
'A must-read' - Financial Times
'A wonderful book' - Henry Blofeld
'Exquisite' - The Sun
CRICKET LEGEND. WAR HERO. FOOTBALLER. WILD MAN. BILL EDRICH'S STORY IS ONE OF CRICKET VICTORIES, EXPLOSIVE CONTROVERSIES, WARTIME GLORY AND A LIFE LIVED TO THE FULLEST.
571 first-class matches from 1934 to 1958. 36,965 runs. 29th on all-time lists. 86 centuries. 479 wickets. Bill Edrich was one of the biggest cricket stars of his time along with Denis Compton and Len Hutton. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1940 and played football for Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur during the 1930s.
In the first biography for 30 years, award-winning writer Leo McKinstry recounts Edrich's audacity both as a cricketer and an RAF pilot. Edrich's flying prowess brought him a promotion to Squadron Leader and won him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) after his part in a courageous daylight raid over Cologne in August 1941.
The same action-filled intensity applied to his turbulent private life. A man of keen amorous enthusiasms, he was married five times but rarely allowed his ardour to be inhibited by any wedding vows. Equally unrestrained was his fondness for alcohol and partying, though this trait brought him into conflict with both the cricket and the judicial authorities. After one particularly exuberant display of intoxication during a home Test match, he even lost his place in the England team, only to return for the famous Ashes triumph of 1953.
A history of cricket victories, explosive controversies, wartime glory and a life lived to the fullest, this compelling biography reveals the story of one of cricketing's greatest characters.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025 CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR

Leo McKinstry writes for the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and The Sun and has been a columnist and feature writer for the Daily Express for the last 19 years. McKinstry has also produced major biographies of two great batsmen, Geoff Boycott and Jack Hobbs. Among his other books are award-winning biographies of the footballing brothers Jack and Bobby Charlton and the World Cup-winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey.

Introduction
1. Crossing the Rope: 1932-1934
2. All-rounder: 1934-1937
3. Testing Times: 1938-1939
4. The Shadow of War: 1939-1941
5. Combat Operations: 1941-1945
6. Victory: 1945-1947
7. Triumph and Collapse: 1947-1948
8. Legendary Charm: 1948-1950
9. Test Exile: 1951-1953
10. Trials and Tribulations: 1954-1958
11. On the Defensive: 1959-1963
12. Fading Light: 1963-1971
13. Close of Play: 1971-1986
Bill Edrich's Statistics
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Index