Bradman, by Charles Williams (Abacus, £7.99 in UK)

"The Don", as many called him, is still widely regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, or at least the best batsman, …

"The Don", as many called him, is still widely regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, or at least the best batsman, in spite of the counter claims of Hobbs, or Trumper, or W.G. Grace (Sobers was surely the greatest all rounder). Bradman's extraordinary march of runs was halted only by the war years of 1939-45, otherwise he would probably have been out of sight of any competitor. When he captained Australia in Britain after the war, it was largely a valedictory gesture and he was out for a duck in his final innings, even if he won the 1948 Test Series. Charles Williams takes us through the Bodyline saga and Bradman's later years as a Test selector; ill health sometimes plagued him, but he was happy in his marriage and family life. Bradman was not a clubbable man, but as a player he has had no real equal or successor.