The first edition of ‘Sport and the British’ by Richard Holt was received to great acclaim in 1989, now a new edition has been published and Roy Hay presents a few thoughts about the latest edition of the book.
Almanac Books: ‘Sport and the British: A Modern History’ – Richard Holt
March 24, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Almanac Book Review: Kelvin Templeton’s ‘Collision’
February 16, 2026 by 6 Comments
Bulldogs supporter Mic Rees recognises the setting – the time and the place – of Kelvin Templeton’s debut novel ‘Collision’. But that’s not the main reason he thinks this book is well worth reading.
Almanac Book Review – Hanif Abdurraqib, The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2025
February 11, 2026 by 1 Comment
Braham Dabscheck previews ‘The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2025’ edited by Hanif Abdurraqib and is impressed with the quality of the writing and the stories of the featured sports and athletes contained in the book. Braham thoroughly recommends the book.
Book Review: ‘The Furphy Anthology 2025’ (reviewed by Antonella Townsend)
January 23, 2026 by 1 Comment
Read Antonella Townsend’s review, published in The Queensland Reviewers’ Collective. It seems Antonella appreciated the originality and humour in the stories of Dips O’Donnell and Emma Westwood.
Almanac Book Reviews: ‘New South Wales Australian Football Hall of Fame – Time On: Journal 2025
January 21, 2026 by 2 Comments
Braham Dabscheck provides an overview of the NSW Australian Football Heritage Society, and reviews their latest publication, ‘New South Wales Australian Football Hall of Fame – Time On: Journal 2025’.
Almanac Book Reviews: ‘Champions of Carlton’ – Miles Wilks
January 14, 2026 by 4 Comments
The ‘Old Blue Bagger’ Peter Fuller thoroughly enjoyed reviewing Miles Wilks’ book ‘Champions of Carlton’ reliving the exploits of many of the greats of Carlton and the past glories of the club.
Almanac Book Review: ‘Woke is Dead’ by Piers Morgan
December 17, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Daring to go where some may dread to tread, RagingBull offers his thoughts on Piers Morgan’s provocative book ‘Woke is Dead’.
Almanac Book Review: ‘On Our Selection: An Alternative History of Australian Cricket’ by Bernard Whimpress
November 28, 2025 by 3 Comments
‘It’s still three blokes deciding the future of a group of eager players who hope and pray they someday earn a baggy green.’ Barry Nicholls offers his insights into ‘On our selection: an alternative history of Australian cricket’ by Bernard Whimpress.
Almanac Books: Books in my life – A reluctance to read
November 14, 2025 by 14 Comments
Barry Nicholls was invited to speak to The Friends of the State Library of South Australia to talk about influential books in his life. Here is the speech he gave on Tuesday November 4 at the Hetzel Lecture Theatre.
Almanac (Book) Review: ‘The Hugamug Club’ by Andy Thurlow
November 11, 2025 by Leave a Comment
In his retirement years, Andy Thurlow initiated a couple of community-based groups in Tanunda. The Sprocket Rockets is, not surprisingly, a cycling group. The Hugamug Club is more about coffee, cake and caring. This book features the stories of five of its members, all very different from each other but all bound by a common thread – their faith.
Almanac Book Review – ‘Mark Waugh: the biography’ by James Knight
October 30, 2025 by 3 Comments
Cricket enthusiast Dan Hoban revisits the 2002 biography of Mark Waugh (since updated in 2023) which sets out to provide an insight into this enigmatic, wonderfully gifted player.
Almanac Book Reviews: ‘The Eye of the Dragonfly,: My Life Seeing the World Through Sport’ – Tracey Lee Holmes
October 1, 2025 by 2 Comments
Sports journalist and commentator Tracey Holmes has published a book looking at life through her career in sports, ‘The Eye of the Dragonfly: My Life Seeing the World Through Sport’. Roy Hay reviews Tracey’s book.
Almanac Book Reviews: ‘The Coping Stone – The First English Soccer Tour of Australia 1925’ by Paul Nicholls
September 30, 2025 by Leave a Comment
One hundred years ago the first English Soccer tour to Australia occurred. Paul Nicholls has written an account of that tour, ‘The Coping Stone – The First English Soccer Tour of Australia 1925’, and Roy Hay presents his review of the book.
Almanac (Book) Review: Australian Football’s 100-Year Club
September 24, 2025 by Leave a Comment
RagingBull offers his thoughts on Andrew Clark’s book ‘Australian Football’s 100 Year Club’.
Almanac Book Reviews: ‘Fagan’s Way: Tributes & Insights’
September 19, 2025 by 1 Comment
Kieran Fernandez reviews ‘Fagan’s Way: Tributes & Insights’ by Chris McLeod and Sam Harvey, a book that highlights ‘triumph comes to those who persevere’.
Almanac Book Review: Braham Dabscheck reviews Brandon Jack’s novel ‘Pissants’
August 13, 2025 by Leave a Comment
Braham Dabscheck reviews Brandon Jack’s frank and pointed novel ‘Pissants’ which focuses on a group of fringe players at a fictitious AFL club.
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