Almanac Book Reviews: ‘On Sport: Reviews 1995-2023’ by Bernard Whimpress – Reviewed by Barry Nicholls

 

 

 

 

Book Review

 

On Sport: Reviews 1995-2023 by Bernard Whimpress

 

Bernard Whimpress has written with insight and intelligence about sports for over 50 years, and his pointers in his collection of reviews, On Sport:Reviews 1995-2023, show why.  Whimpress has drawn from his extensive experience as a historian, writer, editor, and teacher to create a comprehensive guide to writing and reviewing.

 

On Sport takes the reader through many books, from Martin Flanagan’s Southern Sky, Western Oval, published in 1994, to Eric Midwinter’s Lords of Mischief: Dan Leno and Clown Cricket, published in 2023. The breadth of coverage is impressive and provides a list of modern sports books to consider. Most importantly, there is a wealth of advice on writing and pitfalls to look out for.

 

When examining Christine Wallace’s Private Don, Whimpress notes that it is a worthy book, but ‘an annotated collection of letters in a slimmer volume with the present introduction would have yielded a better result. As it is, there is a lot that doesn’t matter.’ In other words, sometimes, less is more.

 

Whimpress writes widely about structure, emphasising the importance of a book’s architecture. On Matt Watson’s Fabulous Phil: The Phil Carman Story,  ‘This is a book with 55 chapters, and books with so many chapters usually see me casting them aside- they’re just too bitty. Yet the bits mostly work for the book is a compulsive page-turner.’

 

In Keith and Jennifer Booth’s Rebel with a Cause, the life and times of Jack Crawford Whimpress quotes David Marr from The Art of Biography: three personal rules of writing: ‘ I want the life, not the homework.’  The point is excessive quoting can do more harm than good. Whimpress writes that the overuse of quotes has him questioning the whereabouts of the author’s voice.

 

How often have you read books with endless quotes, where little context is added, where a book reads like a series of interviews instead of a well-structured narrative?

 

When analysing David Frith’s Bodyline Autopsy, Whimpress observes, ‘It is a masterful synthesis of mainly secondary sources, combined with the writer’s discussions at various times with leading participants, plus a keen reading of contemporary reports, including letters to editors and cartoons.’ In short, Whimpress provides a lesson on writing a compelling and informative history, balancing different perspectives, and effectively using appropriate sources.

 

A book I would probably never have read had it not been for inclusion in  this collection is Stephen Tate’s A History of the British Sporting Journalist 1850- 1939: James Catton, Sports reporter.

 

Whimpress notes: ‘Don’t misjudge a book by its title. It savours of a reworked PhD, and the academy gone mad, but anyone opening the book couldn’t be more wrong.’

 

The book’s evocative opening is revealed, and the structure is explained. Roughly half of the book is devoted to Catton’s life and career, and the other half to developing sports journalism as a trade. The respective chapters often alternate, and there is an overlap between the two themes.

 

In Malcolm Knox’s  Bradman’s War, balance is critical.  Or, in this case, seen to be lacking.  Although the book was short-listed for many prestigious literary awards, Whimpress rightly points out, ‘Bradman is in the defendant in the dock, and the roll call of witnesses is long… Knox is a one-eyed barracker’. Observations are also made about sources and how they are used. A reliance almost solely on secondary literature had Whimpress wondering why Knox, such a well-credentialed author, hadn’t used more contemporary press reports or more of his own voice.

 

Whimpress examines John Maynard’s Aboriginal Stars of the Turf: Jockeys of Australian Racing History. His focus is on the book’s makeup, which explores complex topics. ‘The book uses short thematic essays on the horse’s arrival in Australia, racism and Aboriginal women in racing.’ This brief observation explains the text’s readability.

 

For those writing local sports history, the review of Denis Brien’s All the Kings’ Men: A History of Hindmarsh Cricket Club 1857 to 1897 emphasises the relationships between club and community and the need to put flesh on bones on personalities and the political dimensions of working men’s clubs battling the silver tails from across town. What better guide to begin examining local history than through a broader lens?

 

While a productive contributor, Whimpress has quietly worked behind the scenes, gently encouraging writers (including this one) and advising them on improving their craft. He has given enormously to the sports writing community and running the South Australian sports history branch. His advice is always frank and well-intended. He can be a stern taskmaster, but his feedback comes from a compassionate place and he wants to see people learn and improve.

 

Whimpress’ On Sport Reviews 1995-2023 is essential reading for anyone interested in sports writing. It offers invaluable insights and practical advice and would be a valuable text for history and sports writing university courses.

 

There is indeed gold in these pages.

 

You can purchase Bernard’s book Here.

 

You can read more from Barry Nicholls Here

 

 

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