The Rothmans Book of Village Cricket.

PINTER, Harold (his copy); MURPHY, Patrick.

Edité par London: Bloomsbury, 1992

First edition, Harold Pinter's copy, inscribed to him by his wife on the front free endpaper, "For Harold, with much love for Xmas, from Antonia, see p. 121 for Hornby, Barlow etc. 1992". Pinter was captain and chairman in the wandering cricket club "Gaieties" and claimed "that cricket is the greatest thing that God created on earth" (Bull). As well as having a lifelong infatuation with the sport, the playwright also enjoyed its associated poetry. The gift inscription is a reference to one of Pinter's favourite cricket verses, At Lord's by Francis Thompson, which was read at his funeral. The poem concludes with the line, "O my Hornby and my Barlow long ago!" In the 1870s, A. N. Hornby and Dick Barlow formed a famous opening partnership for Lancashire: "the aggressive, reckless, rich and selfish amateur Hornby, and the stone-walling working-class professional Dick Barlow: a classic combination" (Dewhurst, p. 72). Andy Bull, "Playwright Harold Pinter's last interview reveals his childhood love of cricket and why it is better than sex", The Guardian, 27 Dec. 2008; Keith Dewhurst, Underdogs: The Unlikely Story of Football's First FA Cup Heroes, 2013. Oblong quarto. Colour photographs throughout by Paul Barker. Original green boards, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Slight bump to one corner, rear free endpaper just creased; jacket spine lightly sunned, unclipped: a near-fine copy in like jacket. N° de réf. du vendeur 181666

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : The Rothmans Book of Village Cricket.
Éditeur : London: Bloomsbury, 1992
Edition : Edition originale