FOLLOWING ON: A MEMOIR OF TEENAGE OBSESSION AND TERRIBLE PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Emma John | 272 pages | 21 Jun 2016 | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 9781472916877 | English | , United Kingdom Following on: A Memoir of Teenage Obsession and Terrible Cricket PDF Book

If meeting your idols is dangerous, meeting them and writing about it is even worse. More Details But what kind of teenager is besotted with an entire sports team — when the players are even bigger losers than she is? By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. It's the story of growing up as a fan of the England cricket team in the s, a time when, at least according to the author although in the course of the book, she does come to question this , they were a truly awful, underperform [3. The tone, which starts out light and self- deprecating—the curse of many a book about English cricket and minority enthusiasms among the English in general—deepens, as we gain some insight into what it took to be a professional cricketer in a time when English cricket was woefully run and still dominated by notions of amateurism that weren't fit for purpose against much tougher opposition. Visit the Australia site. And of going back, the best part of a quarter later, and talking the team's star players, to try to understand why they were so bad, if indeed they were. We're not getting into arguments. Emma John. Want to Read saving…. What I do remember from that game was two things: looking through the programme and picking out and deciding he looked like Prince Harry not that I see the resemblance now and the moment that was hit in the face by the ball never to return to his full capabilities. As she traipses back through her adolescence, Following On is also a personal memoir of what it was like to grow up following a team that always lost--and why on earth anyone would choose to do it. Not that she's counting. Which must have been properly niche The very writing of this book invites the question: why did English cricket in the Nineties seem more visible and important to the country at large than it does today, when the national side is so much more successful? Yet the disappointments only made her feel more protective about the team. Get A Copy. Download Now Dismiss. Within a fortnight, Emma was a full-fledged cricket geek. The primary object of her affection: , a boyishly handsome who promised to lead his young troops to glory. Looking back on it everything seemed to come together perfectly. View 2 comments. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. RaGa rated it it was amazing May 18, Feb 05, Michael Speight rated it really liked it. This item can be requested from the shops shown below. Whether England triumph this summer or not, this book is a pleasing reminder that winning is less important than participating with good grace and the right attitude. She also interviews some of the players from that time to learn how dysfunctional or inadequate the team and the management were. I can relate to Emma John's obsession but as a girl living in the 21st Century my experience of that is perhaps slightly different. Essential for any cricket follower. Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App? If anything was going to get me into cricket a phenomenal and exciting spell from one of the only players I knew would. This was an age that lacked a cohesive team structure, when cricketers arrived to play burnt out from county duty. Mon 25 Apr It's one thing to be the class swot, and hopelessly infatuated with someone who doesn't know you exist. I remembered the emotional rollercoaster of hope and despair that the 90s England team had taken me on. Thanks for telling us about the problem. I have no idea why but at the time he seemed to be the only player I could consistently remember , How long is this going to take? This is a wonderfully enjoyable book if, like me, you masochistically spent much of the s following England's dismal story as they consistently lost , valiantly struggled against the West Indies and were utterly bamboozled by Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan spin. Following on: A Memoir of Teenage Obsession and Terrible Cricket Writer

My hunch, for what it is worth, is that they will. Like Emma John, I came of age as a cricket fan in the nineties, when the England team found wins hard to come by, and her evocation of the crushing despair of being a teenage cricket fan cricket was never a cool thing to be into who's doomed to follow a fairly hapless team as they lurch from one disaster to another is pitch-perfect. Sign up. Euro 96 had Three Lions; when England staged the in , the tournament anthem, a deeply embarrassing ditty by Dave Stewart , was released after the hosts had already crashed out in the first round. A good read. Read more. Nearly a quarter of a century on, Emma John wants to know why she spent her teenage years defending such a bunch of no-hopers. If anything was going to get me into cricket a phenomenal and exciting spell from one of the only players I knew would. I can't pretend I have ever understood teenage girls but I do understand cricket and cricket-related obsessions. Not registered? For us, the decade was one of unprecedented darkness and despair. Football fans have safety in numbers; there will always be others in the class who share your interest in the transfer deadline, who is in danger of relegation, and the mess that the national team are making of putting together a decent squad. As John track downs the sportsmen whose pictures she faithfully stuck into her scrapbook for candid chats, some of them behave according to type; is, naturally, interviewed in a pub, hungover, but has a surprisingly developed degree of self-criticism about some of his more outrageous antics. Nothing had prepared me for how strange it would feel to sit in front of men I had once worshipped, listening to them talk about events that had shaped my adolescence. The more I wrote, the more it became clear how cricket had grown and shaped our relationship; and how it had helped us through the awkward transition from mother and child to mother and friend. It could have been about Football or Rugby, it happens to be about . Fantastic and very funny. But it does a lot more than that, interviews with many of the protagonists of the period including this Somerset fan's boyhood hero, Andy Caddick go a long way towards illuminating that period when the game stood between the determined amateurism of the past and today's hyper-professional and arguably less fun sport. This was an age that lacked a cohesive team structure, when cricketers arrived to play burnt out from county duty. Friend Reviews. Chris Beard rated it liked it Sep 30, Really good memoir. Facebook Twitter Pinterest. With spectacularly poor timing, fourteen-year-old Emma John chose to fall in love with cricket and, mystifyingly, with that terrible English cricket team. Apr 21, Chloe rated it it was amazing. If meeting your idols is dangerous, meeting them and writing about it is even worse. May 07, Claire rated it it was amazing. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The very writing of this book invites the question: why did English cricket in the Nineties seem more visible and important to the country at large than it does today, when the national side is so much more successful? Following on: A Memoir of Teenage Obsession and Terrible Cricket Reviews

This item can be requested from the shops shown below. Aug 15, Andy Walker rated it really liked it. If they step out of line I tell them well at least I tell the TV. Not that she's counting. The question still remains unanswered, were they simply a fairly average bunch of players later to be eclipsed by the England stars of onwards, or were they made to look ordinary by playing two of the greatest cricketing sides WI and Aus in the history of the game? The primary object of her affection: Michael Atherton, a boyishly handsome captain who promised to lead his young troops to glory. The England team were a faithful companion, just not a very successful one. It's the story of growing up as a fan of the England cricket team in the s, a time when, at least according to the author although in the course of the book, she does come to question this , they were a truly awful, underperform [3. This book was significantly more emotional than This was an excellent book. Continue on UK site. Dec 29, Peter rated it really liked it. Call us on or send us an email at. Readers also enjoyed. For information on how we process your data, read our Privacy Policy. Open Preview See a Problem? Emma John tells the story through the eyes of a maturing teenag This is a wonderfully enjoyable book if, like me, you masochistically spent much of the s following England's dismal story as they consistently lost the Ashes, valiantly struggled against the West Indies and were utterly bamboozled by Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan spin. But it does a lot more than that, interviews with many of the protagonists of the period including this Somerset fan's boyhood hero, Andy Caddick go a long way towards illuminating that period when the game stood between the determined amateurism of the past and today's hyper-professional and arguably less fun sport. John has a wonderful talent for sketching character with a few deft phrases, and her portraits of her heroes, two decades on from their travails as England cricketers, would adorn a novel. I like cricket and I grew up watching the 90s England cricket team so this resonated very strongly. But he must have planted a seed in my subconscious, because later that week, as I was falling asleep, I suddenly envisioned the home-made cricket posters of my youth. It could have been about Football or Rugby, it happens to be about test cricket. Refresh and try again. Sep 17, Toby rated it really liked it Shelves: memoir- diary. Friend Reviews. Error rating book. Read more. Threads collapsed expanded unthreaded. To be perfectly honest you are probably only going to enjoy this if you were a teenage girl cricket fan in the 90s and I was. Biography Memoir. She spent her free time making posters of the players she adored. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of these cookies. She seeks out her childhood heroes with two questions: why did they never win? If meeting your idols is dangerous, meeting them and writing about it is even worse. They may not have been very good at facing Australia in the Ashes, but they were certainly enjoying it more than I was. Nearly a quarter of a century on, Emma John wants to know why she spent her teenage years defending such a bunch of no-hopers. This website uses cookies to improve user experience. I think my neighbours must think me mad. I convinced myself that I could endure a day or two of cricket as long as I could do something I enjoyed as well. It's one thing to be the class swot, and hopelessly infatuated with someone who doesn't know you exist. Really good memoir. Or as well. England fans heralded the dawn of a new era. View 2 comments. Being a cricket fan can sometimes leave you feeling a s As a teenage girl who is perhaps 'slightly' obsessed with cricket this book is probably the most relatable thing I've ever read. She recounts their story with wit, warmth and perceptiveness. Mon 25 Apr

Following on: A Memoir of Teenage Obsession and Terrible Cricket Read Online

I too suffered through these bleak times where the hope killed you, I remember crying in a pub over the cricket result whilst bemused university pals looked on It's one thing to be 14 years old and a loser. Feb 05, Michael Speight rated it really liked it. The sport's fan memoir has become a well established sporting genre and it is a splendidly democratic one. We're not getting into arguments. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Want to Read saving…. This wasn't when my love of cricket began but I would have concluded that it was 'alright' and 'at least it was better than football. More Details They too my knowledge played a boring game which I knew nothing about. Show 25 25 50 All. Continue on UK site. Loading comments… Trouble loading? If they step out of line I tell them well at least I tell the TV. But it does a lot more than that, interviews with many of the protagonists of the period including this Somerset fan's boyhood hero, Andy Caddick go a long way towards illuminating that period when the game stood between the determined amateurism of the past and today's hyper-professional and arguably less fun sport. I certainly found it an easy enough read. Autobiography and memoir reviews. Terribly embarrassing when you think about it. Essential for any cricket follower. Emma John. Simply reserve online and pay at the counter when you collect. And now for the revelation: I was in The Creaven Arms in with a copy of this book on my person when two of the stars of this book and Mike Atherton came in. Hardcover , pages. If meeting your idols is dangerous, meeting them and writing about it is even worse. Your order is now being processed and we have sent a confirmation email to you at. To be perfectly honest you are probably only going to enjoy this if you were a teenage girl cricket fan in the 90s and I was. Everyone, that is, except for England cricket fans. Instead, it turned out to be the start of England's arguably worst streak in any sport--a decade of frustration, dismay, and comically bungling performances that no fan will ever forget. Charming and insightful, and pretty relatable for me. She spent her pocket money on Panini stickers of them, and followed their progress with a single-mindedness that bordered on the psychopathic. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. I remember watching the scores of the warm up games before the county season willing him to do well. I was going through my tortured teens in the 90s — investing far too much emotion in a team that never rewarded it, teased by everyone for my weird obsession — but they were at the peak of their powers, representing their country, and earning a good living doing the thing they loved most. When I started watching cricket England were on a high and winning games. The men on the TV in their white clothing were familiar but rather unknown. Refresh and try again. So mostly what I ended up enjoying about this book, as someone not particularly interested in cricket were two things: The accounts of sportsmen who never quite achieved what they had wanted, and the very different ways that they seemed to explain away their failures years later, and the author's account of what it was like to be a fan, and particularly a teenage fan Of these, to my mind the most interesting were her account of meeting the oddly named Jack Russell, a man who came across as a genuine eccentric, who had become a professional artist after retiring and the book's closing encounter with John's childhood hero, Mike Atherton, who went some way to undermining the author's whole account of the England cricket team's supposed miserable failures during the s, accusing the author of falling into the trap of "narrative fallacy. They may not have been very good at facing Australia in the Ashes, but they were certainly enjoying it more than I was. As football went from strength to strength, cricket was becoming ever more uncool. https://files8.webydo.com/9583484/UploadedFiles/3C4E79E7-E4E5-35F0-823C-E9DA7BAF47BC.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9582824/UploadedFiles/2F1E5942-9613-55B3-15A3-DFF246484575.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9582789/UploadedFiles/90C9333C-C131-A1E3-1535-F48C30584CBC.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9583246/UploadedFiles/D4768FBC-4FEE-F5B5-66B5-6E734EC581CF.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9583803/UploadedFiles/2A86D246-540D-2043-DA66-5F699D6B7221.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9583804/UploadedFiles/2DB51E05-5827-93A8-728B-48EC7279222C.pdf