Half-Time: The Glorious Summer Of 1934 By Robert Winder (Paperback,
2016)

Product Description

Set against the backdrop of depression-era politics 1934 was an annus mirabilis for English sport Within just a few days of each other Hedley Verity Henry Cotton & Fred Perry all triumphed in their field To a sporting audience still groaning through the quagmire left by the Great Depression greedy for inspiring distractions these heroic efforts made for a heady spectacle England's Ashes Test victory at Lord's (later known as Verity's match) saw Australia seeking revenge after the Bodyline series of 1932-33 but Verity bowled England to a famous innings victory taking 15 wickets
- 14 in one day! That same day Cotton set out on the first qualifying round of the British Open He went on to set a new Open record with a game so sparkling the Daily Express called it the best round of golf ever played & within a fortnight Perry had beaten Australia's Jack Crawford in the Wimbledon final England had an extraordinary national hat-trick Together these three contests & these three singular life stories weave a vivid portrait of an England that has faded from view Half-Time celebrates a time of intense & rapid social & cultural change a time that was both the last hurrah of the ancien regime & the stirring of something new & moving through it famous actors on a grand stage are three very English heroes