David Gower – författare

David Gower was the most brilliant and gifted of English Test batsmen in recent times. Yet, despite his unimpeachable Test record, his career was not without controversy.In his frank and outspoken autobiography, Gower responds forthrightly to those critics who questioned his ‘laid back’ approach, and makes some incisive comments about the management of the England side. He recounts the triumphs and reverses of his captaincy of England and of Leicestershire, and compares his man-management with that of Illingworth, Brearley, Willis, Gatting and Gooch.On a lighter note, Gower writes about his nights on the tiles with Botham and Lamb, his Cresta Run, and his ‘fly over’ during a state game in Australia.

First published in 1983, Heroes and Contemporaries reveals a new aspect of David Gower’s personality – that of an astute and intelligent observer of the game and of his fellow players.In this book he has chosen a collection of the people in cricket he most admires and has written about them in conversational style, with immediacy and critical appreciation.Gower’s encounters with these people behind the scenes – some of the most important players of our time – give us insight into their characters, their strengths and weaknesses, an insight which we would not normally have just by observing them on the field or by reading newspaper reports. His views on the captaincies of Bob Willis, Mike Brearley and Ian Botham are especially revealing. There is also displayed in this book considerable understanding of the psychology of such contemporaries as Ian Botham and Geoff Boycott, and an important chapter is included on Ray Illingworth, Gower’s staunchest champion and sternest critic.Although Heroes and Contemporaries is basically about other people, it also tells us a great deal about David Gower himself.

First published in 1986 and now available as an ebook.Batsman of international renown, Captain of England, David Gower scaled heights other cricketers must envy. He successfully led one of the best balanced of recent English sides in a victorious tour of India in the winter of 1984/5 and returned home to win decisively the series against Australia in 1985 and regain the Ashes. There followed the more daunting task of taking on the mighty West Indies early in 1986.A Right Ambition is an honest, forthright, fascinating self-examination by a man at the height of his sporting and intellectual powers. He discusses the art of batting, comparing his techniques with that of masters like Bradman and Boycott, and provides a basic guide to every stroke in the repertoire for a cricketer anxious to improve his game. He writes with an insider’s knowledge about some of the best bowlers in the world, such as Marshall Hadler, Abdul Qadir and Edmonds.There are fascinating insights into the ups and downs of captaining an international team: the exciting but often fraught tour of India 1984/5, defeat in the one-day matches in Australia and then victory against Australia in 1985. The book is marked for its understanding and respect of fellow sportsmen and for this great cricketer’s deep love of the game itself.

Whether loathed, feared, admired or worshipped, snakes evoke stronger human reactions than almost any other animal. Moving gracefully without limbs, swallowing meals often several times larger than their own heads, and with many having venomous bites, they never fail to fascinate. From garter snakes and vipers to cobras, boas and pythons, Snakes describes the biology and natural history of this ecologically diverse and important group of animals. It highlights the amazing variety and complexity of this group that includes more than four thousand living species. Information on habitat, conservation status, and behaviour are also included to complete this comprehensive and fully illustrated introduction to the snakes of the world.

The flora and fauna of Southeast Asia are exceptionally diverse. The region includes several terrestrial biodiversity hotspots and is the principal global hotspot for marine diversity, but it also faces the most intense challenges of the current global biodiversity crisis. Providing reviews, syntheses and results of the latest research into Southeast Asian earth and organismal history, this book investigates the history, present and future of the fauna and flora of this bio- and geodiverse region. Leading authorities in the field explore key topics including palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, biogeography, population genetics and conservation biology, illustrating research approaches and themes with spatially, taxonomically and methodologically focused case studies. The volume also presents methodological advances in population genetics and historical biogeography. Exploring the fascinating environmental and biotic histories of Southeast Asia, this is an ideal resource for graduate students and researchers as well as environmental NGOs.