Cirrus@Austlit

'Sporting autobiographies are the wildflowers of the book world. One minute they are blooming everywhere, thick on the Alpine slopes of the bestseller lists; the next, they are remaindered and forgotten, especially if the author-hero has faded from the limelight or fallen from grace. Steve Waugh’s massive memoir of his eighteen years in international cricket seems to aim at a longevity that would be exceptional for the genre. Its 801 pages -a number more than double the highest individual innings in Test match history -is perhaps a reflection of the doggedness that often characterized the author’s batting.' (Introduction)