Richard Sydenham – författare

Cricket's Hard Men takes an innovative look at character, psychology and mental health in cricket to produce a fascinating study of the sport's toughest players.So, what actually constitutes a hard man of cricket? The truth is there is no simple definition. Whether it's resilience to defy injury from players like Kepler Wessels, Mike Atherton and Allan Border; sheer physicality from cricketer turned cage fighter Adam Hollioake; the bloody-mindedness to snub tradition by Douglas Jardine and John Reid; a chest-thumping need from Arjuna Ranatunga to show pride for a flag that had a reputation of being soft in the cricket world; or the blind courage of Brian Close, each player has his own unique story, told here through in-depth research and exclusive interviews.The author consulted prominent ex-cricketers and broadcasters before studying this select band, from Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Almost Invincible is the story of the West Indies in the 1980s, one of the greatest teams in Test cricket history, at their brilliant best.During the English summer of 1984, captain Clive Lloyd had an array of all-time greats within the ranks, including Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Desmond Haynes, Joel Garner, Jeffrey Dujon and others.Facing an England team in transition but still possessing skipper David Gower, star all-rounder Ian Botham and the in-form batsman Allan Lamb, the West Indies followed a series victory over Australia with a 5-0 win in England, a series that was famously nicknamed the 'Blackwash'.The book examines all the side-stories connected with the tour - from the ridiculously frenetic schedule to the closely fought one-day series, from the county tour matches to the intricate details of the five Tests. Author Richard Sydenham has spoken to many of the central characters and reflects on the tour's legacy, both in cricket and social terms.

Nobody Remembers Second: Aston Villa 1989-1993 charts a fascinating period in Villa's history and features exclusive interviews with many of the central characters.There were two League Cup wins in the 1990s, but apart from that the huge Midlands club failed to match its former glories.However, in the 1989/90 season, manager Graham Taylor and players such as Paul McGrath, Gordon Cowans and David Platt powered the side to the runners-up spot behind Liverpool, and for much of the season they were in title contention despite narrowly avoiding relegation the season before.Three years later, new manager Ron Atkinson also led a title charge, with a vastly changed squad. That bid faltered at the finish, when Manchester United became the first champions of the newly formed English Premier League.This book delves into the 1989 to 1993 period in unprecedented detail and gets the views of Atkinson, then club secretary Steven Stride and a host of key players.

Dennis Mortimer became Aston Villa's most famous captain when he lifted the Lions' first League Championship trophy in 71 years. That was in 1981, and he achieved a European Cup win the following year, but his time at the club ended controversially. After signing for Coventry City as a teenager in the late 1960s, Mortimer lined up against such legends as Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Franz Beckenbauer and George Best. From there he moved to Villa and became one of manager Ron Saunders' most trusted players. He was in the dressing room for the most successful period in the club's history, but was frozen out by the chairman before his eventual exit. He finished his playing career at Brighton & Hove Albion, Sheffield United and Villa's bitter rivals Birmingham City, then moved into coaching. In this tell-all autobiography, Mortimer lifts the lid on the highs and lows of his decade at Villa and shares stories galore about the many characters he met through his life in football.