Fred Trueman was so much more than a cricketing legend.

' The greatest living Yorkshireman' according to Prime Minister Harold Wilson, he couldn' t help excelling at everything he did, whether it was as a hostile fast bowler for Yorkshire and England, and the first man to take 300 Test wickets in a career, or as a fearlessly outspoken radio summariser for Test Match Special. He was famous for regularly spluttering that, ' I don' t know what' s going off out there,' as well as for the amount of swearing he managed to incorporate into everyday speech. Beloved of cricket crowds, who filled grounds to witness his belligerent way of playing the game, and nothing but trouble to the cricket authorities, ' Fiery Fred' was the epitome of a full-blooded Englishman.

But as Chris Waters reveals in this first full biography, behind the charismatic, exuberant mask lay a far less self-assured man - terrified even that his new dog wouldn' t like him - and whose bucolic version of his upbringing bore no relation to the gritty and impoverished South Yorkshire mining community where he actually grew up. Drawing on dozens of new interviews with his Yorkshire colleagues, family and friends, this life of Fred Trueman will surprise and even shock, but also confirm the status of an English folk hero.

About the Author
Chris Waters was born in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, in 1973 and raised and educated in Lincoln. He entered journalism in 1995 at Berrow's Worcester Journal before returning home to start his sports writing career on the Lincoln Chronicle. In 1999 he became cricket correspondent of the Nottingham Evening Post and, since 2004, has been cricket correspondent of the Yorkshire Post. He is the author of a biography of Fred Trueman, published by Aurum.

Reviews

'A thorough, carefully researched and most elegantly written account of Trueman's life...a true page turner.'

A compelling portait of a sports legend

'this wonderful book honours not only Trueman but also cricket, and Yorkshire in particular....the book has an elemental quality'

'It is a proper tribute to Waters that his book belongs in the finest library in the whole of sport... It may be the finest book yet written about a cricketer.

' A brilliant account of a remarkable life. There is a whole load of new information about (Trueman). Waters deserves a lot of credit for this book.'

'Now (Trueman) has been brought to life in this wonderful new biography by Chris Waters. It is one of the finest sports books of recent years: well-researched, highly readable and packed with anecdotes.'

' Thorough and well-judged biography. This book' s strength is that, with the heavy assistance of Truemann' s surviving family, it fleshes out his early life in south Yorkshire.'

' A trenchant portrait of its subject... a thorough and judicious book. Trueman' s flaws make it an uncomfortable read for devotees but to his credit the author has been as true to his trade as he is to his subject.'

' Chris Waters deserves extremely high marks for his welcome, authentically honest new biography of Fred Trueman' SPORTS BOOKS OF THE YEAR

' Perceptive biography... Waters has done a good job in disentangling the man from the myths, many of which were eagerly promoted by Fiery Fred himself.'

' His multi-coloured life is given sharper focus by the meticulous research and unforgiving anecdotes of Chris Waters. The strengths of the book lie in the breadth of insights from those closest to Trueman, along with Waters' own sharp conclusions.'

' The book will draw you in, make you chuckle and is not short on poignancy. Waters is balanced in his assessment of Trueman' s life. Exhaustive research is evident throughout.'

' Trueman's latest biographer does a better job of fleshing out his subject than his more illustrious predecessors (John Arlott and Don Mosey). The result is the fullest picture yet of a great sportsman and all-too-human being.'

' Waters sought to look beyond the brash, Jack-the-lad image that Trueman was once happy to live up to and find the truth. It was something even Arlott, for all his perceptiveness, did not quite manage.'

' It will forever stand as the definitive attempt to set the record straight in relation to which Trueman stories are true, which are less than entirely accurate, and those that are apocryphal. Fred Trueman - The Authorised Biography is a terrific story. It is highly recommended.'

' A fine, fair-minded and well-rounded portrait of great fast bowler. It is Waters' probing into Fred' s background and psyche - what made him, and what made him tick - that gives his biography true distinction. A splendid biography, which it is hard to think will ever be bettered' - Harry Mead

' The one which stood out to me was Fred Trueman. Don Mosey wrote a book about him in years gone by, John Arlott as well. Neither of them are anywhere near as good as this one.' John Rawling - SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR

' Honest and erudite portrait of the charismatic England and Yorkshire fast bowler' - BOOKS OF THE YEAR

' One of the many virtues of Chris Waters' s thoughtful and painstakingly researched biography is that he examines the Trueman myths and dismantles most of them, but leaves a vivid portrait of a complex and contradictory character who was at heart surprisingly insecure.'

' Engrossing and typically well written'

' Separating fact from fiction is difficult, but Waters has done an outstanding job and, to his credit, presents the player warts and all. Of the cricket biographies I have read in the past twelve months, this is the best by some distance. Fred Trueman was one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time and deserved a ' proper' biography. Chris Waters has undoubtedly delivered.'

'Waters may be in need of a longer mantelpiece'

'this wonderful book honours not only Trueman but also cricket, and Yorkshire in particular....the book has an elemental quality'

Superb life of the famous fa

Awards
Winner of Winner Cricket Book of The year 2012 (UK) and MCC & Cricket Society Book of the Year 2012 (UK) and Wisden Book of the Year 2012 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781845137465
Author Chris Waters
Format Paperback
Page Count 308
Imprint Aurum
Publisher Quarto Publishing PLC