Author Talk with Richard Whitehead

Calling all the cricketers of Sevenoaks! Richard Whitehead will be joining us in our Writer's Cafe this November to discuss Victory in Australia - a definitive account of an epic Ashes battle!

• Date: Monday 17 November
• Time: 12.30pm
• Venue: Sevenoaks Bookshop, 147 High Street, Sevenoaks, TN13 1XJ

'Meticulously researched and (for any cricket fan) unputdownable... splendidly atmospheric' The Times

'Such incredibly gripping sports writing. It was like being there. Truly. Every ball' Giles Coren

'An outstanding addition to cricket's literature. With both detail and description, Richard Whitehead marvellously recreates one of the great tours of the 20th century and brings both the era - and the men who shaped it - back into full, vibrant breathing life.' Duncan Hamilton

Victory in Australia

The Ashes series of 1954-55 marked a watershed moment in the history of English cricket. Under the leadership of Len Hutton, the national team's first professional captain, one of the greatest group of players ever to represent England won an Ashes series in Australia for the first time in more than 20 years. It is a feat that has been repeated only four times in more than 70 years since.

But Hutton's men had to overcome the additional obstacle of losing heavily in the first Test - only one England team has managed to win an overseas Ashes series after such a monumental setback.

The names of the cricketers who locked horns in 1954-55 resonate down the decades - Hutton's team included Denis Compton, Frank Tyson, Brian Statham, Trevor Bailey, Godfrey Evans, Peter May and Colin Cowdrey. Among their Australian opponents were Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller, Neil Harvey and Richie Benaud. In the 1950s, these players were not just elite sportsmen, they were household names.

An Ashes series for the ages is brought thrillingly to life in this momentous slice of sporting and social history.

Richard Whitehead

Richard Whitehead worked in newspapers for nearly 40 years, spending 21 of them in a variety of senior roles at The Times, including spells in the sport, books and obituaries sections. He has been writing obituaries for Wisden Cricketers' Almanack since 2012. His previous books include The Cup: a Pictorial Celebration of the World's Greatest Football Tournament, The Times on the Ashes and Warne in Wisden.

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