Winner of the Best Cricket Book at the British Sports Book Awards 2012.
'Fred Trueman was the first superstar of the game. He was a flamboyant, larger-than-life character' Ian Botham Fred Trueman was so much more than a cricketing legend. 'The greatest living Yorkshireman' according to Prime Minister Harold Wilson, he couldn't help excelling at everything he did, whether it was as a hostile fast bowler for Yorkshire and England, and the first man to take 300 Test wickets in a career, or as a fearlessly outspoken radio summariser for Test Match Special. He was famous for regularly spluttering that 'I don't know what's going off out there', as well as for the level of swearing he managed to incorporate into everyday speech. Beloved of cricket crowds who filled grounds to witness his belligerent way of playing the game, and nothing but trouble to the cricket authorities, 'Fiery Fred' was the epitome of a full-blooded Englishman. But as Chris Waters reveals in this first full biography, behind the charismatic, exuberant mask lay a far less self-assured man - terrified even that his new dog wouldn't like him - and whose version of his bucolic upbringing bore no relation to the gritty and impoverished South Yorkshire mining community where he actually grew up.
'Now (Trueman) has been brought to life in this wonderful new biography by Chris Waters. It is one of the finest sports books of recent years: well-researched, highly readable and packed with anecdotes.' - Leo McKinstry Mail on Sunday
'Thorough and well-judged biography. This book's strength is that, with the heavy assistance of Truemann's surviving family, it fleshes out his early life in south Yorkshire.' The Sunday Times
'A trenchant portrait of its subject...a thorough and judicious book. Trueman's flaws make it an uncomfortable read for devotees but to his credit the author has been as true to his trade as he is to his subject.' - Rob Bagchi The Guardian
'Chris Waters deserves extremely high marks for his welcome, authentically honest new biography of Fred Trueman' - Frank Keating - SPORTS BOOKS OF THE YEAR The Guardian
'Perceptive biography...Waters has done a good job in disentangling the man from the myths, many of which were eagerly promoted by Fiery Fred himself.' Independent on Sunday
'His multi-coloured life is given sharper focus by the meticulous research and unforgiving anecdotes of Chris Waters. The strengths of the book lie in the breadth of insights from those closest to Trueman, along with Waters' own sharp conclusions.' The Cricketer
'A brilliant account of a remarkable life. There is a whole load of new information about (Trueman). Waters deserves a lot of credit for this book.' Englandcricket.net
Author
About Chris Waters
Chris Waters was born in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, in 1973 and raised and educated in Lincoln. He entered journalism in 1995 at Berrow's Worcester Journal before returning home to start his sports writing career on the Lincoln Chronicle. In 1999 he became cricket correspondent of the Nottingham Evening Post and, since 2004, has been cricket correspondent of the Yorkshire Post. He is the author of a biography of Fred Trueman, published by Aurum.
