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The Book of Fame
A glorious novel from the award-winning author of Mister Pip , now available as a trade paperback original from Vintage Canada.The Book of Fame is a lyrical semi-fictional account of the 1905 All Black rugby tour of Europe - a tour that shaped New Zealand's identity, from which the players returned to find themselves accorded almost god-like status. This remarkable, award-winning novel is both a tribute to some of the world's first sporting celebrities and an investigation into the curious workings of fame.Not just a book for lovers of sport, The Book of Fame is essentially a story about friendship and loyalty, and about a group of astonishing young men at the peak of their abilities.From the Trade Paperback edition.
178 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
11 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
Lloyd Jones
102 books149 followersLloyd Jones was born in 1955 in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, a place which has become a frequent setting and subject for his subsequent works of fiction. He studied at Victoria University, and has worked as a journalist and consultant as well as a writer. His recent novels are: Biografi (1993); Choo Woo (1998); Here At The End of the World We Learn to Dance (2002); Paint Your Wife (2004);and Mister Pip (2007). He is also the author of a collection of short stories, Swimming to Australia (1991).
In 2003, he published a children's picture book, Napoleon and the Chicken Farmer, and this was followed by Everything You Need to Know About the World by Simon Eliot (2004), a book for 9-14 year olds. He compiled Into the Field of Play: New Zealand Writers on the Theme of Sport (1992), and also wrote Last Saturday (1994), the book of an exhibition about New Zealand Saturdays, with photographs by Bruce Foster. The Book of Fame (2000), is his semi-fictional account of the 1905 All-Black tour, and was adapted for the stage by Carol Nixon in 2003.
Lloyd Jones won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book) and the Kiriyama Prize for his novel, Mister Pip (2007), set in Bougainville in the South Pacific, during the 1990s. He was also shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. In the same year he undertook a Creative New Zealand Berlin Writers' Residency.
In 2003, he published a children's picture book, Napoleon and the Chicken Farmer, and this was followed by Everything You Need to Know About the World by Simon Eliot (2004), a book for 9-14 year olds. He compiled Into the Field of Play: New Zealand Writers on the Theme of Sport (1992), and also wrote Last Saturday (1994), the book of an exhibition about New Zealand Saturdays, with photographs by Bruce Foster. The Book of Fame (2000), is his semi-fictional account of the 1905 All-Black tour, and was adapted for the stage by Carol Nixon in 2003.
Lloyd Jones won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book) and the Kiriyama Prize for his novel, Mister Pip (2007), set in Bougainville in the South Pacific, during the 1990s. He was also shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. In the same year he undertook a Creative New Zealand Berlin Writers' Residency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 21, 2020
This was an interesting reading experience for me. The first 80 pages flew by in one sitting, and then I found myself struggling. Some of it was merely that I had other things on my mind, so regardless of what book I had, my focus probably would have been the same. But there was something else too, which I only identified by the final two chapters of this book -- this is a rather sparse book, reading a lot like poetry at times. There are many beautiful words and images to be found. However, it wasn't a book I could get completely lost in either, which would have been better suited to my frame of mind at this time. I'm someone who can happily read a 1000+ page Stephen King novel and wouldn't sacrifice a word of it --- where others may claim a book is overblown or bloated, I find myself happily absorbed in every detail. So while I admired the prose of this book, and ultimately enjoyed it, I never quite loved it.
I did however, like it a lot. I Googled the 1905 All Blacks, and read a little about them, but not too much, as I was happy to fall into this version of events. As I mentioned, I hit a bit of a wall about midway through, but I got back into the swing of things, and am pleased I did. The way the novel came together, the structure of it and the unexpected emotion it squeezed out me in the final pages, made it well worth reading.
I did however, like it a lot. I Googled the 1905 All Blacks, and read a little about them, but not too much, as I was happy to fall into this version of events. As I mentioned, I hit a bit of a wall about midway through, but I got back into the swing of things, and am pleased I did. The way the novel came together, the structure of it and the unexpected emotion it squeezed out me in the final pages, made it well worth reading.
February 3, 2020
Lloyd Jones has written quite an unconventional book. It is a fictionalized account of the 1905 rugby tour by the New Zealand team to the British Isles and France. This team became known as 'The Originals' and they achieved legendary status both where they toured, and at home.
Those of you not familiar or interested in rugby, or sport in general, may as well move on now. No hard feelings.
Jones describes the fiction / non-fiction status of the book as follows:
The writing style is unconventional - the words are often sparse on the page, written almost as poetry - short lines of text, grouped in clusters. The words are from many people, some as reportage, some as the men themselves, some as the journalists and supporters.
There are pages which are lists of things, or events, or thoughts.
The whole book is probably the closest thing to poetry I have read in totality for many years (poetry and I don't mix).
I won't dwell much on the rugby, due to my negligible audience, but there are a few stats to pick out (these exclude the two games v British Colombia in New York):
Played 35 games - won 34, drew 0, lost 1
Points for 868, points against 47
This tour gave the NZ rugby team the name they are more commonly recognised as - The All Blacks
This tour made Dave Gallagher, Bob Deans & Billy Stead household names
And some statements!...
This tour was an excellent example of why neutral referees must be mandatory in sports (there were some outrageously poor refereeing decisions, mostly resorting to calling back many tries as forward passes, when the referee could not keep up with play).
The test against Scotland provided examples of the worst sportsmanship experienced, and the muttering of 'it wouldn't have happened at home', repeatedly.
The one game they lost (v Wales) was controversial. The NZ manager rejected all proposed referees, and the rules state another union be asked to appoint a referee. Wales asked Scotland (who were already off side with the tourists (pun intended)) who appointed a referee who penalised the NZ team at every scrum. Eventually, the NZ captain instructed his men to stop contesting the scrum. So obviously stories vary around the Bob Deans 'try'. The Kiwis claiming he placed the ball over the line and was dragged 3 yards back before the referee made it to the end of the field. The Welsh suggest he was short of the line. There were also a number of call backs for forward passes, called from well behind play. This is a Kiwi author, telling a Kiwi story, obviously! The reality is most people consider the All Blacks played poorly that day. They lost 3-0.
There is one really confusing detail around the scrum - the New Zealanders using a 2-3-2 formation which was not the norm for the home nations at the time. They also developed a wing-forward position, which was deemed controversial. These were only lightly explained in the book! I haven't found an explanation of how the scum rules worked at the time - and who determined the formation.
The other point to note was the scoring of the time. Very confusing in the general text, but a try is worth 3 points, a conversion 2 points, a field goal (drop kick) 4 points, and a penalty kick 3 points.
A hard book to rate with limited appeal to many.
4 stars ****
Those of you not familiar or interested in rugby, or sport in general, may as well move on now. No hard feelings.
Jones describes the fiction / non-fiction status of the book as follows:
The myth of the 1905 Originals precedes this novel, as do various match reports on the games played. Actual events outside of the matches, however, have been harder to come by and where obtainable not that interesting or even illuminating. This is where the imagination slips easily into the gaps. While this book is a work of the imagination, it is nonetheless bedded in research.
The writing style is unconventional - the words are often sparse on the page, written almost as poetry - short lines of text, grouped in clusters. The words are from many people, some as reportage, some as the men themselves, some as the journalists and supporters.
There are pages which are lists of things, or events, or thoughts.
The whole book is probably the closest thing to poetry I have read in totality for many years (poetry and I don't mix).
I won't dwell much on the rugby, due to my negligible audience, but there are a few stats to pick out (these exclude the two games v British Colombia in New York):
Played 35 games - won 34, drew 0, lost 1
Points for 868, points against 47
This tour gave the NZ rugby team the name they are more commonly recognised as - The All Blacks
This tour made Dave Gallagher, Bob Deans & Billy Stead household names
And some statements!...
This tour was an excellent example of why neutral referees must be mandatory in sports (there were some outrageously poor refereeing decisions, mostly resorting to calling back many tries as forward passes, when the referee could not keep up with play).
The test against Scotland provided examples of the worst sportsmanship experienced, and the muttering of 'it wouldn't have happened at home', repeatedly.
The one game they lost (v Wales) was controversial. The NZ manager rejected all proposed referees, and the rules state another union be asked to appoint a referee. Wales asked Scotland (who were already off side with the tourists (pun intended)) who appointed a referee who penalised the NZ team at every scrum. Eventually, the NZ captain instructed his men to stop contesting the scrum. So obviously stories vary around the Bob Deans 'try'. The Kiwis claiming he placed the ball over the line and was dragged 3 yards back before the referee made it to the end of the field. The Welsh suggest he was short of the line. There were also a number of call backs for forward passes, called from well behind play. This is a Kiwi author, telling a Kiwi story, obviously! The reality is most people consider the All Blacks played poorly that day. They lost 3-0.
There is one really confusing detail around the scrum - the New Zealanders using a 2-3-2 formation which was not the norm for the home nations at the time. They also developed a wing-forward position, which was deemed controversial. These were only lightly explained in the book! I haven't found an explanation of how the scum rules worked at the time - and who determined the formation.
The other point to note was the scoring of the time. Very confusing in the general text, but a try is worth 3 points, a conversion 2 points, a field goal (drop kick) 4 points, and a penalty kick 3 points.
A hard book to rate with limited appeal to many.
4 stars ****
February 28, 2015
I really liked this sparsely written little book- a mixture of lyrical prose, history and fiction. I am not interested in Rugby at all but this is an astounding account of the 1905 visit of the New Zealand All Blacks to the UK. Wonderful!
December 28, 2022
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the All Blacks.
Just like Wallace Stevens' poem, Lloyd Jones has linked together a series of vignettes into a vivid tapestry but rather than a blackbird we get the men in black; the 1905 Originals on their European tour.
If you want to know where the legend of the All Blacks started this is your answer.
Beyond the rugby this is a fascinating study of second generation, antipodean, colonial subjects returning to the "motherland" to realise for themselves why their parents left it in the first place.
While this book does not have the same universal appeal as Mr Pip, I enjoyed it a lot more.
Here, in the Tuileries, you saw how trees grew
wanting to do their best
You saw spires
and understood that where thoughts went to
was exactly the same place where ideas were fetched down.
Just like Wallace Stevens' poem, Lloyd Jones has linked together a series of vignettes into a vivid tapestry but rather than a blackbird we get the men in black; the 1905 Originals on their European tour.
If you want to know where the legend of the All Blacks started this is your answer.
Beyond the rugby this is a fascinating study of second generation, antipodean, colonial subjects returning to the "motherland" to realise for themselves why their parents left it in the first place.
While this book does not have the same universal appeal as Mr Pip, I enjoyed it a lot more.
Here, in the Tuileries, you saw how trees grew
wanting to do their best
You saw spires
and understood that where thoughts went to
was exactly the same place where ideas were fetched down.
April 29, 2016
I loved this book so much, when I was reading it I wanted to share quotations from almost every page. Every page of The Book of Fame is food for thought.
Ostensibly The Book of Fame is a book is about a rugby tour, but it’s about much more than that…
The Book of Fame is a meditation on celebrity, and how the ordinary blokes from a football team learned their strange new place in a world remote from everything they knew.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/04/29/t...
Ostensibly The Book of Fame is a book is about a rugby tour, but it’s about much more than that…
The Book of Fame is a meditation on celebrity, and how the ordinary blokes from a football team learned their strange new place in a world remote from everything they knew.
Outside Tussaud’s, we noticed that unless you were a Lord or Viscount or Admiral you worked hard to get your name in the newspaper. Something out of the ordinary pitched your name forward. For example, the woman who spent fifty-one years in bed after a mistaken diagnosis; or a much younger woman who died of apoplexy from laughter at a pantomime.
‘Shooting himself with a revolver, Baron Salomon de Gunsborg, formerly a banker, committed suicide in Paris, yesterday.’
‘Miss Morris, a teacher in high school in Chesterfield, Iowa, was lecturing on electricity when she was struck by lightning…’
‘The yacht Catarina, in which the absconding French bank clerk Galley sailed to South America, is due at Gospert in about a week’s time.’
So we were surprised when we found ourselves
in the Illustrated London News,
sharing the limelight with the Russian uprising,
portraits of Tolstoy,
the auctioning of Napoleon’s chair,
and a series of illustrations
demonstrating the Indian method
of using elephants
to crush offenders to death. (pp. 56-57)
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/04/29/t...
January 3, 2011
I borrowed this recently and greatly enjoyed it. It has the same (very) sparse prose style as his more recent books, used to great effect. I had avoided reading this as I thought it was a conventional treatment of the 1905 rugby tour of Great Britain, but while it clear Lloyd Jones knows his rugby, this is about the way the players, from colonial New Zealand, reacted to what they still called the motherland. None were professional athletes, and they came from diverse backgrounds, united by their combined joy of playing the game. Lloyd Jones shows us that even in 1905, a New Zealand character had emerged, and that these tourists were among the first young kiwis out on their overseas experience, now almost a compulsory rite of passage. Much of this is lists which show how the players were received, what they discovered and what they missed from New Zealand. Lists can be an effective narrative-Rabelais is perhaps among the first to use this. Here Lloyd Jones builds word pictures of precision and life in his lists. Read this, even if you are not interested in sport or rugby.
October 20, 2021
Al di là del mio amore per la palla ovale, che gli ha fatto guadagnare un un posto speciale nella mia libreria del cuore, è comunque un gran bel libro. Epico, divertente e a tratti perfino poetico. Più che un libro sullo sport è un libro sugli esseri umani
July 12, 2025
great concept, didn't love it
December 20, 2015
“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” ― Margaret Mead
I have never before used the word "unique" to describe a book. I know every book is somehow different from the millions of others composed since the development of cave painting (even plagiarists apply their own own fingerprints to stolen letters). Yet every book I have read has somehow developed, grown from obvious previous roots since before Ovid wrote the Ilead. Sometimes we see a new genre - did Sherlock start detective fiction? Who invented forensic criminology as a sub genre? Yet always there is a thread to previous work.
I have given 5 stars to this book not because it is great in any way except it passes my litmus test question - "Did this book change the way I think? - in this case about writing style, which in this case is unique.
Lloyd Jones's little book apparently fits into the historical fiction category because it tells a story about real people carrying out historically correct actions in a realistic recreation of the time. In this case it is the story of the party of 29 young men who left New Zealand in 1905 to travel to Great Britain and play all comers at Rugby Union - the first All Blacks. The story is well worth the tale. A team of nobodies took on the world. They played a total of thirty-five matches, which included five Tests, and only lost once—a controversial defeat by Wales 3 nil. They scored 830 points and conceded only 39, inventing a truly new form of rugby football. They then played the first ever Test in France and games against Canada, before returning home heroes to New Zealand.
The story is more than that though because as the title suggests it is largely about that apparently modern idea of FAME. This was not invented by performers mobbed by the masses like Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and Justin Bieber. Instead this collection of farmers, boot makers builders and the like closed down entire towns when they played, dominated the press for months and attracted the attention of the very first groupies, willing to do anything to get "attention" from these young men.
To the writing then. Its only about 160 pages and is a melange of writing forms. It is often straight out description from the viewpoint of someone not named but who knows the thinking of all the players as they react to the strange new world they find them in. It's a class bound world which cannot cope with these antipodeans destroying their teams - a picture of the societal revolution that would come less the 10 years later with war. A The author sees them as part of this revolution in this lyrical passage.
Einstein and Matisse caused a stir
that year
Freud came later
They bought to the surface
hitherto unseen worlds
Dreams, inner truth
the essence of things
and, applied to them-
names
colour
formulae
The book is also filled with lists, menus from dinners, players and how they earned their living in an amateur age, Dance Cards, injury lists and many other apparently random details which actually complete the picture. There are also chunks of dialogue carrying out the same function.
There are chunks in poetic form like this recognition of the first signs of fame.
By now, we'd moved from the world of ordinary men.
we were the stuff of the shop window
What children's birthdays are made of
We were Christmas
The bubble in the [pop
The jam on the bread
We were the place smiles come from.
People flocked to see us
as the did the African pigmies
sword swallowing Moroccans
the bloated Japanese carp
and Annette Kellerman
at the London Hippodrome
We who had come to discover
found ourselves discovered
and, in the process, discovered
ourselves-
I am sure these rugby boyos would not have had the lyricism and sense of the place in history that author Jones does when he puts them in the place of other conquerors as in:
The walk along the chalk cliffs
the snare of history
in the whitish air
No one talking, and
because of it
quite naturally our thoughts
turning to
Vikings.
I am a rugby fan, although not an All Black lover but I appreciated this for more than the football but the insight into the nature of fame. These 27 footballers saw more than the allocated 15 minutes with accomplishments that changed a their country place in the world and the nature of the game they played. I think many an athlete would benefit from considering "One by one we tapped on the shoulder by our Maker.
I have never before used the word "unique" to describe a book. I know every book is somehow different from the millions of others composed since the development of cave painting (even plagiarists apply their own own fingerprints to stolen letters). Yet every book I have read has somehow developed, grown from obvious previous roots since before Ovid wrote the Ilead. Sometimes we see a new genre - did Sherlock start detective fiction? Who invented forensic criminology as a sub genre? Yet always there is a thread to previous work.
I have given 5 stars to this book not because it is great in any way except it passes my litmus test question - "Did this book change the way I think? - in this case about writing style, which in this case is unique.
Lloyd Jones's little book apparently fits into the historical fiction category because it tells a story about real people carrying out historically correct actions in a realistic recreation of the time. In this case it is the story of the party of 29 young men who left New Zealand in 1905 to travel to Great Britain and play all comers at Rugby Union - the first All Blacks. The story is well worth the tale. A team of nobodies took on the world. They played a total of thirty-five matches, which included five Tests, and only lost once—a controversial defeat by Wales 3 nil. They scored 830 points and conceded only 39, inventing a truly new form of rugby football. They then played the first ever Test in France and games against Canada, before returning home heroes to New Zealand.
The story is more than that though because as the title suggests it is largely about that apparently modern idea of FAME. This was not invented by performers mobbed by the masses like Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and Justin Bieber. Instead this collection of farmers, boot makers builders and the like closed down entire towns when they played, dominated the press for months and attracted the attention of the very first groupies, willing to do anything to get "attention" from these young men.
To the writing then. Its only about 160 pages and is a melange of writing forms. It is often straight out description from the viewpoint of someone not named but who knows the thinking of all the players as they react to the strange new world they find them in. It's a class bound world which cannot cope with these antipodeans destroying their teams - a picture of the societal revolution that would come less the 10 years later with war. A The author sees them as part of this revolution in this lyrical passage.
Einstein and Matisse caused a stir
that year
Freud came later
They bought to the surface
hitherto unseen worlds
Dreams, inner truth
the essence of things
and, applied to them-
names
colour
formulae
The book is also filled with lists, menus from dinners, players and how they earned their living in an amateur age, Dance Cards, injury lists and many other apparently random details which actually complete the picture. There are also chunks of dialogue carrying out the same function.
There are chunks in poetic form like this recognition of the first signs of fame.
By now, we'd moved from the world of ordinary men.
we were the stuff of the shop window
What children's birthdays are made of
We were Christmas
The bubble in the [pop
The jam on the bread
We were the place smiles come from.
People flocked to see us
as the did the African pigmies
sword swallowing Moroccans
the bloated Japanese carp
and Annette Kellerman
at the London Hippodrome
We who had come to discover
found ourselves discovered
and, in the process, discovered
ourselves-
I am sure these rugby boyos would not have had the lyricism and sense of the place in history that author Jones does when he puts them in the place of other conquerors as in:
The walk along the chalk cliffs
the snare of history
in the whitish air
No one talking, and
because of it
quite naturally our thoughts
turning to
Vikings.
I am a rugby fan, although not an All Black lover but I appreciated this for more than the football but the insight into the nature of fame. These 27 footballers saw more than the allocated 15 minutes with accomplishments that changed a their country place in the world and the nature of the game they played. I think many an athlete would benefit from considering "One by one we tapped on the shoulder by our Maker.
September 15, 2014
1905: i più forti a rugby sono già loro, ma il mondo non lo sa. Inglesi, scozzesi e francesi, una alla volta tutte le squadre hanno la loro lezione (ogni regola trova la sua eccezione, però). La gestione del successo planetario, lo sport come grande equalizzatore sociale, la purezza dell'agonismo ruvido ma leale, il cameratismo virile, lo stupore del viaggiatore davanti alle meraviglie della vita.
February 5, 2017
Entre el 3,5 y el 3,75
October 2, 2012
I really enjoyed this novel about the 1905 tour of the All Blacks rugby team. The sparse, poetic storytelling gave the novel a scrap book quality which perfectly suited the story. It was a little difficult to connect with the narrator who was the collective team rather than an individual. A great book though, I would recommend it whether you like rugby or not.
March 30, 2015
AMAZING !! Have you never read this??? You'd think a book about old school rugby would be so so boring (unless you were me and loved rugby) but this is kinda magical. Lyrical, meditative, funny and insightful. Makes you respect our long rugby tradition AND love the arts even more than you thought you already did.
October 21, 2010
All about the 1st All Black tour of England, Wales, Scotland and France in 1908. Based on fact with an interesting story of what it might have been like, from the 6 week boat journey to their overwhelming experience of fame.
You don't have to be a rugby fan to enjoy this book.
You don't have to be a rugby fan to enjoy this book.
August 28, 2011
I loved this amazing book. Somewhere between poetry and prose, this is a story of the legendary All Blacks rugby team that dazzled Britain by its astonishing play in 1905. I enjoy Lloyd Jones' writing so much.
July 23, 2008
As with Mister Pip, this was one book that made me surf the net for hours looking for more information on its story.
September 29, 2019
Set in the time of New Zealand establishing its nascent identity, a rugby team shot off on a quick nine month tour and swept almost all before them. This made them a touch famous both here and overseas and truly established rugby as our national game.
What was interesting was that at that time many New Zealanders saw Britain as home; this was the first experience for these players to see that there was a good reason many people emigrated to New Zealand and never came back. Sure, there was a cultural richness to life in Britain, but the lifestyle in New Zealand was better. Britain was cold, the cities were dirty, the people parochial. How could it be 'home' when you were treated like a foreigner and a second-class curiosity?
Then there is the sport aspect. 27 players, one manager, 35 matches often with very short turnarounds. The players collected a gruesome catalogue of injuries but carried on playing against fresh teams because they had to. While the environment wasn't professional, the expectations were mercenary. The expectations on these sportsmen echo the demands on players today, except that today's players have better support. However, today's players might be bigger, fitter and be paid to train, so are their opposition. The physical rigours involved would fell lesser occupations. These players have sky-high ACC levies and their window of earning is comparatively short, yet the public perception is of cosseted show ponies who run into each other for our entertainment. These are the ones lucky enough to gain selection too. There are several tiers of players doing their utmost to make it and are only semi-professional. Their income is limited but they have to be ready to step into someone else's boots at short notice and play to exacting standards.
I have been involved with Tasman's second XV this year and had a privileged insight into this level. There are few occupations with such a cavalier and temporary treatment of occupational security. I am impressed by and sympathetic of these journeymen. They're almost luckier if they don't make it and learn themselves a trade.
The lads in this book also had trades.
While they lost six months of earnings, at least they had professions they could go back to.
This book is a beautifully constructed re-enactment of the tour and offers up several thoughtful insights into the effects it had on our national standing and mindset, our feeling toward sport and our identity.
Oh, and while a significant proportion of my heritage comes from the British Isles, fuck being British. You bastards can keep it.
What was interesting was that at that time many New Zealanders saw Britain as home; this was the first experience for these players to see that there was a good reason many people emigrated to New Zealand and never came back. Sure, there was a cultural richness to life in Britain, but the lifestyle in New Zealand was better. Britain was cold, the cities were dirty, the people parochial. How could it be 'home' when you were treated like a foreigner and a second-class curiosity?
Then there is the sport aspect. 27 players, one manager, 35 matches often with very short turnarounds. The players collected a gruesome catalogue of injuries but carried on playing against fresh teams because they had to. While the environment wasn't professional, the expectations were mercenary. The expectations on these sportsmen echo the demands on players today, except that today's players have better support. However, today's players might be bigger, fitter and be paid to train, so are their opposition. The physical rigours involved would fell lesser occupations. These players have sky-high ACC levies and their window of earning is comparatively short, yet the public perception is of cosseted show ponies who run into each other for our entertainment. These are the ones lucky enough to gain selection too. There are several tiers of players doing their utmost to make it and are only semi-professional. Their income is limited but they have to be ready to step into someone else's boots at short notice and play to exacting standards.
I have been involved with Tasman's second XV this year and had a privileged insight into this level. There are few occupations with such a cavalier and temporary treatment of occupational security. I am impressed by and sympathetic of these journeymen. They're almost luckier if they don't make it and learn themselves a trade.
The lads in this book also had trades.
While they lost six months of earnings, at least they had professions they could go back to.
This book is a beautifully constructed re-enactment of the tour and offers up several thoughtful insights into the effects it had on our national standing and mindset, our feeling toward sport and our identity.
Oh, and while a significant proportion of my heritage comes from the British Isles, fuck being British. You bastards can keep it.
December 20, 2025
Sugli scaffali della sezione sportiva della mia libreria abbondano due categorie: i testi para-calcistici ("Febbre a 90°", per dire, o quella piccola raccolta di vere meraviglie che è "Splendori e miserie del gioco del calcio" di Galeano, e tanti altri) ed una serie di libri sulla pallacanestro, tra cui gli imperdibili Black Jesus di Federico Buffa. Un libro sul rugby mi mancava.
Sorprendentemente, se ci penso a posteriori, perché è uno sport bellissimo, forse l'ultimo rimasto capace di coniugare modernità e tradizione. Il rugby vanta un trofeo dalla storia romanzesca e assegnato dal 1878 (la Calcutta Cup) , si impreziosisce di un club che è attivo dal 1890 e che non ha campo, sede sociale, tesserati, e di cui si diventa membri per invito e per tre/quattro incontri (i Barbarians) Il rugby vive innaffiando di sudore e fatica radici che superano i confini politici: è l'unico sport in cui l'Irlanda si presenta con una nazionale unica, persino l'inno suonato prima degli incontri ("Ireland's Call") è stato composto appositamente per la palla ovale, a sottolineare come fra mischie, passaggi e calci la storia venga superata, i confini abbattuti.
E poi, naturalmente, ci sono gli All Blacks, di cui "Il libro della gloria" racconta la prima tournée europea, nel 1905. Di più, è esattamente in questo tour che, partita dopo partita, nasce il mito dei neozelandesi, un gruppo di giovani impiegati, minatori, calzolai che - vestita la casacca nera e con una palla ovale in mano - entra nella leggenda. E ci entra quasi in punta di piedi, in dolce contrappasso con la ruvidezza delle mischie, la durezza dei placcaggi, la potenza scaricata nelle corse: l'autore compie una splendida operazione letteraria, nel far parlare quasi come un coro tutti i protagonisti, nel raccontarne lo stupore per le cronache delle partite - che finiscono per superare in ampiezza quelle di guerre, rivolte, terremoti - ed insieme la nostalgia di casa, di amori lasciati in attesa, di famiglie lontane.
Una narrazione meravigliosamente discorsiva, condita da momenti di pura poesia: poesia "canonica", con l'utilizzo di veri e propri convincenti versi, e poesia narrativa, nel racconto della prima haka sul ponte della nave, appena avvistate le coste inglesi, o nella storia di un giovane protagonista, immobile nella sala del telegrafo a cercare di afferrare piccole storie comuni. Un libro imperdibile, per appassionati di sport, certamente, ma anche per chi voglia semplicemente perdersi nella magia della parola, nella musicalità di una frase, nel sospiro di una emozione.
Sorprendentemente, se ci penso a posteriori, perché è uno sport bellissimo, forse l'ultimo rimasto capace di coniugare modernità e tradizione. Il rugby vanta un trofeo dalla storia romanzesca e assegnato dal 1878 (la Calcutta Cup) , si impreziosisce di un club che è attivo dal 1890 e che non ha campo, sede sociale, tesserati, e di cui si diventa membri per invito e per tre/quattro incontri (i Barbarians) Il rugby vive innaffiando di sudore e fatica radici che superano i confini politici: è l'unico sport in cui l'Irlanda si presenta con una nazionale unica, persino l'inno suonato prima degli incontri ("Ireland's Call") è stato composto appositamente per la palla ovale, a sottolineare come fra mischie, passaggi e calci la storia venga superata, i confini abbattuti.
E poi, naturalmente, ci sono gli All Blacks, di cui "Il libro della gloria" racconta la prima tournée europea, nel 1905. Di più, è esattamente in questo tour che, partita dopo partita, nasce il mito dei neozelandesi, un gruppo di giovani impiegati, minatori, calzolai che - vestita la casacca nera e con una palla ovale in mano - entra nella leggenda. E ci entra quasi in punta di piedi, in dolce contrappasso con la ruvidezza delle mischie, la durezza dei placcaggi, la potenza scaricata nelle corse: l'autore compie una splendida operazione letteraria, nel far parlare quasi come un coro tutti i protagonisti, nel raccontarne lo stupore per le cronache delle partite - che finiscono per superare in ampiezza quelle di guerre, rivolte, terremoti - ed insieme la nostalgia di casa, di amori lasciati in attesa, di famiglie lontane.
Una narrazione meravigliosamente discorsiva, condita da momenti di pura poesia: poesia "canonica", con l'utilizzo di veri e propri convincenti versi, e poesia narrativa, nel racconto della prima haka sul ponte della nave, appena avvistate le coste inglesi, o nella storia di un giovane protagonista, immobile nella sala del telegrafo a cercare di afferrare piccole storie comuni. Un libro imperdibile, per appassionati di sport, certamente, ma anche per chi voglia semplicemente perdersi nella magia della parola, nella musicalità di una frase, nel sospiro di una emozione.
September 22, 2020
This is a wonderfully human and observant semi-fictional account of a rugby tour. It might sound niche, but it is frequently deeply profound and universal. However a good grounding in rugby union vernacular would certainly be handy!
As a storyline, and the book is not just a story but nonetheless, it is repetitive. A team of rugby players travel from place to place, there are detailed commentaries on the matches played and the sights seen. New place, new game and new observations. Repeat.
We are told this is not a wholly non-fictional account which makes this so much more than the surface detail. It is therefore a historical document; a project from the author to draw together resources, contemporary accounts and inferred details. It is a time capsule - if perhaps very specifically ovoid in shape.
All of this is wonderful in the abstract, but it doesn't hide the fact it isn't always easy (or dare I say, enjoyable) to read as a piece of literature. There are tonnes of names on the tour and however many observations or reported remarks, it's just very hard to get under many of their skins. Some are bombastic, some are poetic; they are all great rugby players it seems and hold themselves to exceedingly high standards.
The gentle commentary on celebrity, perception, clamour feeding clamour, newspaper columns and expectations is perhaps the clearest take-away. As they travel, it's almost as though we are told about the birth of the phenomenon and the triumphs and struggles we know all too well anecdotally today.
Perhaps for the die hard rugby fan with knowledge of this trip or a deep investment in New Zealanders going out to export the national sport there is a more engaging through-line. As a fairly knowledgeable fan of the sport in recent times it just felt like a bit of a slog with some highlight witticisms, perceptive human condition observations and an admiration for the book as more than what appears on the page.
As a storyline, and the book is not just a story but nonetheless, it is repetitive. A team of rugby players travel from place to place, there are detailed commentaries on the matches played and the sights seen. New place, new game and new observations. Repeat.
We are told this is not a wholly non-fictional account which makes this so much more than the surface detail. It is therefore a historical document; a project from the author to draw together resources, contemporary accounts and inferred details. It is a time capsule - if perhaps very specifically ovoid in shape.
All of this is wonderful in the abstract, but it doesn't hide the fact it isn't always easy (or dare I say, enjoyable) to read as a piece of literature. There are tonnes of names on the tour and however many observations or reported remarks, it's just very hard to get under many of their skins. Some are bombastic, some are poetic; they are all great rugby players it seems and hold themselves to exceedingly high standards.
The gentle commentary on celebrity, perception, clamour feeding clamour, newspaper columns and expectations is perhaps the clearest take-away. As they travel, it's almost as though we are told about the birth of the phenomenon and the triumphs and struggles we know all too well anecdotally today.
Perhaps for the die hard rugby fan with knowledge of this trip or a deep investment in New Zealanders going out to export the national sport there is a more engaging through-line. As a fairly knowledgeable fan of the sport in recent times it just felt like a bit of a slog with some highlight witticisms, perceptive human condition observations and an admiration for the book as more than what appears on the page.
September 7, 2021
Sweet book. Poetically written, with sympathetic view of colorful characters.
Based on true life events, 1905 Rugby team from New Zealand, the "All Blacks", touring the UK, France, US.
Interesting first person plural perspective. Team perspective, sometimes evidently from a member of the team, other times from an amorphous gestalt identity.
Interesting narrative style, poetic line fragments / paragraphs of narrative / excerpts of contemporary newspaper accounts.
The perspective / world view of the players cracked open, but also interesting way they see the sites of the 'old world' let's us experience the novel perspective. In theory, their playing exposes the Rugby traditionalists to new understanding of the game, just as the traveling and fame exposed them to new understandings / changed them.
Based on true life events, 1905 Rugby team from New Zealand, the "All Blacks", touring the UK, France, US.
Interesting first person plural perspective. Team perspective, sometimes evidently from a member of the team, other times from an amorphous gestalt identity.
Interesting narrative style, poetic line fragments / paragraphs of narrative / excerpts of contemporary newspaper accounts.
The perspective / world view of the players cracked open, but also interesting way they see the sites of the 'old world' let's us experience the novel perspective. In theory, their playing exposes the Rugby traditionalists to new understanding of the game, just as the traveling and fame exposed them to new understandings / changed them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2020
This was the semi fictional account of the first All Blacks international rugby tour in 1905. Interesting to a point for a non rugby fan, it is also an interesting social experience. Fascinating to realise that their only view of England was from their parent/ grandparents who had emigrated to New Zealand years before and of course, never returned due to cost and distance. Yet these players seemed to know of so many things to look out for in England, which in reality had changed a lot since their parents/ grandparents had been there. One forgets how small our world is today through google, social media ,tv etc. The actual match reports were tedious for me, but enjoyed the rest of the book.
May 8, 2017
Recreación de la gira de 1905 del equipo neozelandés de rugby que supuso el inicio de la fama de los legendarios "All blacks", con 830 puntos a favor y únicamente 39 en contra y el asombro de todo el mundo por el apabullante juego de los "All blacks" y la fascinación por la haka. Destaca el estilo narrativo escogido por Lloyd Jones, una mezcla entre crónica periodistica y prosa poética, conjugando con acierto los hechos acreditados y documentados con la imaginación.
April 25, 2022
One of the great sports novels and a rare example of a literary novel (in my experience, at least) that deals with rugby union. Jones writes lyrically in first person plural about the 1905 New Zealand rugby tour of the British Isles and France that created the legend of the invincible All Blacks. It can feel slightly repetitive in places, but the unique narrative style is beautiful to read.
April 25, 2025
I didn’t enjoy this one bit. There was zero plot and it was basically a piece of sports journalism which isn’t my area of interest. Perhaps my fault, but I was incredibly bored. Not giving it one star as well written I guess. But NOT for me.
August 22, 2020
Paints characters Van Gogh did landscapes - vivid brush strokes capturing the essence
March 21, 2021
A metà tra realtà e finzione, a metà tra poesie e racconto, un meraviglioso libro che non parla tanto di rugby, o di sport, ma di persone.
October 7, 2024
Superb clever yarn
August 8, 2025
Few questions:
- Why'd you write it
- How'd you come up with the names
- Are the characters based of someone
- why'd you call it the book of fame
- How much money has it made you
- Why'd you write it
- How'd you come up with the names
- Are the characters based of someone
- why'd you call it the book of fame
- How much money has it made you
June 11, 2022
Desde Nueva Zelanda al universo de los amos del rugby. Esta novela contiene la narración sobre como nació el mito de los All blacks, los mejores jugadores de rugby del mundo. Unos chicos trabajadores se meten en un barco rumbo a lo desconocido para empezar a forjar la leyenda de los campeones.
Un librazo para los amantes de este deporte y, en particular, de los All Blacks y su Haka.
Un librazo para los amantes de este deporte y, en particular, de los All Blacks y su Haka.
January 17, 2024
A truly charming book. Beautifully written, all about fame and how people perceive others and events. More fiction than non fiction and all the better for it.
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