Fantastic cricketer, great bloke, brilliant book!

This book is a must-read, not only for cricket lovers around the world, but for fans of any sport. Of course, I have known of Shane Warne since the early 1990s, especially when he burst onto the Ashes scene at Old Trafford in June 1993 with his first ever delivery on English soil, the famous 'Gatting ball', and I certainly shared the sentiment of the Oval crowd on that great day in September 2005 when we finally got the Ashes back after 18 long years; in what was to be Warnie's last ever test appearance in England, the chant "We wish you were English!" rang out - with good reason! Widely regarded as the best leg spinner ever to have played the game, Shane Warne was, it could be argued, also the best bowler of all time; 708 test wickets in a career spanning nearly 15 years, during which he put the fear of God in most opposing batsmen, not to mention many fans, would seem to lend weight to this claim (though Muttiah Muralithian may have something to say about that)! Had Shane Warne been on our side, I don't think we would have had to wait so long to get that little urn back.

This work gives us many fascinating insights into Warne's cricketing philosophy, his burning desire to win, some of the great and not so great matches throughout his career (he did get smashed all over the park by Ravi Shastri during his test debut at Sydney in early 1992), exchanges with teammates and opponents both on and off the field, and there is even a detailed and pretty challenging chapter on the art of leg spin, the 'flipper', the 'leg-break', the 'wrong'un', explanations of how and where to position the ball in the hand, how the fingers should be spread, what to do with the wrist and what the rest of the body should be doing when the ball is released.

Yet we learn much more about Shane Warne the man, the husband, the father and the friend. Like the rest of us, he is flawed, and he is brutally honest about his weaknesses throughout. The book presents an image of an impulsive man who lives life to the full, sometimes on the edge, though not outside the law. He doesn't always consider the consequences of his actions, and this gets him into trouble at times. However, I don't think the media always treated him well, a view I held even before reading this. His fierce loyalty comes through in the book, towards his family, his teammates and his friends, and I definitely see Warnie as a decent and fun guy I'd love to go out and have a beer with.

The narrative style is direct! He tells it like it is, occasionally using some fairly robust language to do so. Mark Nicholas was quite right not to remove it all, though he did feel the need to tone it down a bit, as he says in his introduction. I also absolutely love the humour in the book; his claim that "I want to finish bottom of the Fair Play League and top of the IPL!", not to mention his hilarious account of his one and only (monumentally unsuccessful) attempt at using autocue when called upon to read the sports news one morning on national television in Australia were, for instance, quite literally 'LOL' moments for me.

I was totally hooked on this autobiography, from start to finish! I have always had a great deal of respect for Warnie anyway, both as a cricketer and a pundit on Sky Sports, and I now know more about him as a human being, a great bloke! A brilliant read, highly recommended! As people like Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Glen McGrath or any of the other Aussie cricketers used to say to him immediately after a really good delivery:

"Nice, Shane!"

4 people found this helpful

Honest & Frank

Really hoped it would be great and wasn't disappointed. I loved the raw honesty. The guy says it how it is. Great Listen Warney!

3 people found this helpful

Excellent, let down by not being author narrated

Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Shane has lived a really full life and discloses so much of it here. My only criticism would be that he didn't narrate it - the narrator was good but mispronounced most of the sub-continental players names which was jarring.

3 people found this helpful

Good but narration could’ve been better

Shane Warne is a cricketing legend & this book is a great insight into both his sporting & personal life.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book & recommend it to any cricket fan.
I do have one criticism. If you are going to narrate a book which contains names of individuals from foreign countries or people you obviously have never heard of, it would be a really good idea to actually research the correct pronunciation of those names before you record the narration.
The mis-pronunciations could & should have been avoided with a little bit of fact checking & effort. In fact, at times it made the narrator sound stupid & ignorant. Shame really.
Other than that, I recommend the book.

2 people found this helpful

Shane’s skill at gripping the reader parallels his skill at gripping a cricket ball!

A truly fun, thought provoking and informative read. There’s few books that make you think, smile and reflect in equal measure, but this gripping autobiography has it al. Of course as a cricket fan, Shane’s account of his rise to become one of five “cricketers of the twentieth century” was what drew me to this book and his account of his meteoric rise is indeed riveting .
But this autobiography is so much more - probably the most honest sports autobiography I have ever read regarding the struggles of a sporting genius, and ultimately Shane’s commitment to himself to become a better person as well as a better cricketer.
Thanks Shane for weaving the fun with the profound and allowing us into a world of cricket and so much more!

1 person found this helpful

Be Warned

The greatest test bowler since WW2 but I am afraid he comes across as a very selfish individual on and off the field, with a massive chip on his shoulder against certain team mates.

The book is meant to come across as a conversation between two mates, but it doesn’t work as an audio book.

1 person found this helpful

Must read for any cricket fan…very good book!

One of those books that make you feel like you know the person that you’re reading about.

Very down to earth and honest. World class cricketer but also somebody that you would have a pint with down the pub!

Tells it as it is and the story flows well.

1 person found this helpful

Spinning yarns

Shane Warne undoubtedly one of the greatest every bowlers in history. A loud proud Aussie, who lived by the sword, and often was cut down by events and fame. This compelling Autobiography really proves the adage, you can’t keep a good man down. Like most great sportsman, the spotlight and fame arrives uninvited & largely unprepared for. Shane’s navigation through all his highs and lows, shows us what kind of a man Shane was, and is. His honest, his drive, and his appetite to improve all everything he does, is what makes him. Genuine loyal, generous and kind. If you love cricket, this book opens up a rare window, from a compelling view point. If your a Warne fan, you’ll soak up every word, it’s classic Warne. If your not really a Warne fan, then this will without doubt bring you along side. Thoroughly engaging, highly entertaining, with some great stories. Just like the man himself either on the field
in the commentary box, Shane Warne is an ultimate entertainer. This is a great insight in to a sporting great, who tells it as it is warts and all, and that’s No Spin.

1 person found this helpful

Interesting and engaging

Honest account of his life and constantly engaging. Recommend it although certainly no work of art

1 person found this helpful

number 1

typical warne first rate kept me interested All the way through a fantastic story