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Broadly Speaking
Stuart Broad is the ultimate competitor - someone addicted to the pressures of Test cricket, the big occasions and being thrust into the heat of battle. For over seventeen years, he's left it all on the field. A multiple Ashes winner and Wold Champion, Broad was integral to some of the greatest England teams of all time. His awards and achievements, however, don't tell the whole story. He has always been a cricketer of more than mere numbers. Broad's passionate and spontaneous behaviour has mad him a fan favourite. No other player feeds off the crowd quite like he does. In his autobiography, Broad shares the moments from the game which have made him and those that almost broke him. What's clear, however, is his unwavering belief in his own ability to become one of the best ever. Candid, entertaining, and refreshingly honest, this book reveals the personal side of a true cricketing great.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2023
101 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 11, 2023
This was a pleasant enough listen over a covid-y weekend. But, my god, professional sportspeople are so fucking dull these days.
January 5, 2024
Sadly, this was pretty meh. 50% of the book was just a retelling of the 2023 Ashes series but with very little additional detail beyond what we all saw on TV. He didn’t really take you into dressing room or reveal the minutiae of what being in a team is really like. I didn’t really learn much about what went on behind closed doors aside from long sections about how to build positive mentality. In that sense, it was more an exploration into the Key/McCullum/Stokes psyche than anything else.
What’s more, a lot of the book has a somewhat smug, self-congratulatory feel to it. There are strawmen set up for Broady to knock over left, right and centre. 10 minutes waxing about Warner’s technique is just build up to remind everyone how he had Warner in his pocket from 2019 onwards. Broady is constantly reminding us of his best stats, even when it doesn’t really aid the storytelling. On that score, it did feel Partridge-y at certain points. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he said “I’ve bounced back” after being recalled following Broad getting dropped for the 2022 West Indies series.
To balance things out, I did enjoy the start and end of the book - both in terms of how his Mum’s approach to sport significantly shaped his approach at the start of his career and how his relationship with Mollie did so at the backend of it.
What’s more, a lot of the book has a somewhat smug, self-congratulatory feel to it. There are strawmen set up for Broady to knock over left, right and centre. 10 minutes waxing about Warner’s technique is just build up to remind everyone how he had Warner in his pocket from 2019 onwards. Broady is constantly reminding us of his best stats, even when it doesn’t really aid the storytelling. On that score, it did feel Partridge-y at certain points. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he said “I’ve bounced back” after being recalled following Broad getting dropped for the 2022 West Indies series.
To balance things out, I did enjoy the start and end of the book - both in terms of how his Mum’s approach to sport significantly shaped his approach at the start of his career and how his relationship with Mollie did so at the backend of it.
October 11, 2024
I'm pretty disappointed in this.
Stuart Broad was and is a fabulous cricketer and will be an amazing journalist and commentator, but my god, this was dull
It felt like a piece of ECB propaganda.
No drama, no real opinions cast and just pages of the "company line"
It also gets caught between being an autobiography and a recap of his last ashes series
This is a miss
Stuart Broad was and is a fabulous cricketer and will be an amazing journalist and commentator, but my god, this was dull
It felt like a piece of ECB propaganda.
No drama, no real opinions cast and just pages of the "company line"
It also gets caught between being an autobiography and a recap of his last ashes series
This is a miss
August 23, 2025
What a literary masterclass in self-congratulation. Every page drips with England’s favorite bedtime story: that their version of the “spirit of cricket” is holier than everything. Devoted an entire chapter to explaining why Bairstow’s brain-fade stumping at Lord’s was the crime of the century.
The rest of the book is a Bazball propaganda pamphlet. According to Broad, Bazball is not just a cricketing style, it’s an unstoppable force that apparently had Aus on their knees in the 2023 Ashes. Forgetting the tiny detail that England didn’t actually win the series and were unable to regain the Ashes yet again, the Aussies were apparently “mentally broken” and “chasing shadows.” It’s almost cute how delusional it reads.
And of course, he spends plenty of time polishing up his refusal to walk after that blatant edge in 2013, assuring us that “99% of players” would have done the same. Right, mate. If 99% jumped off a cliff, you’d call it elite decision-making too.
It is less an autobiography and more a sermon about England’s eternal cricketing superiority. If you ever wondered what it feels like to be trapped in a dressing room with the English team lecturing you about how they invented morals, cricket, and probably oxygen, you’ll find it here.
The rest of the book is a Bazball propaganda pamphlet. According to Broad, Bazball is not just a cricketing style, it’s an unstoppable force that apparently had Aus on their knees in the 2023 Ashes. Forgetting the tiny detail that England didn’t actually win the series and were unable to regain the Ashes yet again, the Aussies were apparently “mentally broken” and “chasing shadows.” It’s almost cute how delusional it reads.
And of course, he spends plenty of time polishing up his refusal to walk after that blatant edge in 2013, assuring us that “99% of players” would have done the same. Right, mate. If 99% jumped off a cliff, you’d call it elite decision-making too.
It is less an autobiography and more a sermon about England’s eternal cricketing superiority. If you ever wondered what it feels like to be trapped in a dressing room with the English team lecturing you about how they invented morals, cricket, and probably oxygen, you’ll find it here.
February 1, 2024
Great cricketer, but a poor book. There is not a great structure to the book. It is loosely based on the 2023 test series vs Australia with some autobiographical details thrown in, but it ends up being neither one thing nor the other. The chapters feel like a pause for breath, rather than for any purpose. Sadly this feels like rushing out a book to make the Christmas bookshelves immediately after the announcement of the author’s retirement. It’s not a hard book to read, but as a sporting autobiography it is at the bottom end of those I have read for quality.
August 26, 2024
Pretty good read but Broad is so Partridge. 3.5
July 24, 2024
Really enjoyed reading about an icon of the support I have enjoyed watching live and on tv.
Inspirational, real, and not afraid to be honest about himself and how he is. Difficult to follow at times as changes direction a few times.
Enjoyed overall.
Inspirational, real, and not afraid to be honest about himself and how he is. Difficult to follow at times as changes direction a few times.
Enjoyed overall.
December 7, 2023
Really enjoyed this autobiography. Lots of match detail and insights. An Audible listen part narrated by SB. Recommended.
January 8, 2024
Broadly Brilliant. Legend.
February 20, 2024
A very pleasant listen
March 4, 2024
Enjoyable read from an England legend. Thanks Broady! My daughter thought the title was lame though
August 21, 2024
I love Stuart Broad, he is my dad.
February 21, 2025
Reading this has brought back so many fond memories for me (particularly of Test cricket) of growing up watching Broady evolve and then excel for the national side. A fantastic cricketer and gentleman!
January 15, 2024
Love Stuart Broad having watched him playing cricket for years, one of my favourite players!
This book is a bit hit and miss. There are glimpses into the life and mindset of Broad but not prolonged. Each chapter about parts of his life is then sandwiched in between chapters around the 2023 ashes, I wish it focused more on his career as a whole and more about his personal life and some stories away from cricket.
This book is a bit hit and miss. There are glimpses into the life and mindset of Broad but not prolonged. Each chapter about parts of his life is then sandwiched in between chapters around the 2023 ashes, I wish it focused more on his career as a whole and more about his personal life and some stories away from cricket.
July 28, 2024
I have a new rule; if I get to 25% through a book and don't like it then I quit, as life's too short. I like SB as a cricketer and given his cheeky / mischievous nature thought that this may provide some funny insights behind the scenes, but found it very bland. And as others mention, there is not much structure and the timelines are confusing. Disappointed.
July 19, 2025
Decent enough quick read. I liked that this confirmed what I suspected Broad's personality to be like. Determined, quite a technical thinker on the game and fully, FULLY committed to the cause.
I liked the thought processes around things and him explaining how long it can take to develop certain tactics for certain opposition players, seeing where they score heavily and where they don't and extracting tactics from that info. It proves that cricket really is a thinking sport and more often than not, especially now with all the stats and help at the players/coaches fingers tips with IT, that barely anything is done off the cuff.
The book did skim through alot and it was really in need of a good editor. Especially the first few chapters. One paragraph you're talking about him playing for Leicestershire, then England's first team then the U19's. It was like having a conversation with someone reminiscing on a lot of things with a big lack of clarity. The book did suffer from that a fair bit I thought.
I put this down to the rush to get the book out after his quick retirement announcement and the end of The Ashes.
He didn't go into too much detail with alot of his team mates other than he had good mates and didn't like being dropped by Strauss. Which I thought was honest and a good indicator of his personality but something he'd already publicly.
Overall a decent fly through his career but on a personal note just wanted a bit more detail, structure and clarity in how the book was compiled.
I did love Chapter 10 though which is the confirmation of how Bazball is to be played. No draws!! "Why aren't you hitting the ball Jonny?" said it all and it was glorious.
I liked the thought processes around things and him explaining how long it can take to develop certain tactics for certain opposition players, seeing where they score heavily and where they don't and extracting tactics from that info. It proves that cricket really is a thinking sport and more often than not, especially now with all the stats and help at the players/coaches fingers tips with IT, that barely anything is done off the cuff.
The book did skim through alot and it was really in need of a good editor. Especially the first few chapters. One paragraph you're talking about him playing for Leicestershire, then England's first team then the U19's. It was like having a conversation with someone reminiscing on a lot of things with a big lack of clarity. The book did suffer from that a fair bit I thought.
I put this down to the rush to get the book out after his quick retirement announcement and the end of The Ashes.
He didn't go into too much detail with alot of his team mates other than he had good mates and didn't like being dropped by Strauss. Which I thought was honest and a good indicator of his personality but something he'd already publicly.
Overall a decent fly through his career but on a personal note just wanted a bit more detail, structure and clarity in how the book was compiled.
I did love Chapter 10 though which is the confirmation of how Bazball is to be played. No draws!! "Why aren't you hitting the ball Jonny?" said it all and it was glorious.
February 21, 2024
Stuart Broad. An all time England great, certainly in my view, and arguably from opposing teams.
This is the story of Broad’s rise to the top of his sport and his consistency in staying there.
I initially thought this was going to be a story of everything he has done, and whilst it touches on this, it does feel a little more focussed on the Ashes series of 2023.
Whilst there is nothing wrong with that as I am more than happy to relive a very fine cricket performance, it did leave me leaving a little more.
Otherwise it’s a solid four out of five. Interesting, focused and somewhat of an insight in to the legend that is Stuart Broad.
This is the story of Broad’s rise to the top of his sport and his consistency in staying there.
I initially thought this was going to be a story of everything he has done, and whilst it touches on this, it does feel a little more focussed on the Ashes series of 2023.
Whilst there is nothing wrong with that as I am more than happy to relive a very fine cricket performance, it did leave me leaving a little more.
Otherwise it’s a solid four out of five. Interesting, focused and somewhat of an insight in to the legend that is Stuart Broad.
July 12, 2024
All Round Performer
I love cricket and have always liked Broad. This book made me like him even more.
It is recent history but it also expands quite honestly into the story of English Cricket in the last 2 decades. It gives a view of a talented and often mercurial performer and then shows his increasing maturity both on and off the field.
His involvement and retelling in the Lord's Test in 2023 was brilliant and compared favorably with the Amazon Aussie Test perspective shown earlier this year. A good read.
I love cricket and have always liked Broad. This book made me like him even more.
It is recent history but it also expands quite honestly into the story of English Cricket in the last 2 decades. It gives a view of a talented and often mercurial performer and then shows his increasing maturity both on and off the field.
His involvement and retelling in the Lord's Test in 2023 was brilliant and compared favorably with the Amazon Aussie Test perspective shown earlier this year. A good read.
January 28, 2025
Extremely well written, and I flew through it. However, there were only eleven chapters (which weren’t even titled), so finding a specific point in his career would be almost impossible. The narrative also skipped backwards and forwards quite a lot, so I sometimes lost track of what point/year I was supposed to be reading about. Strangely, some massive moments and events weren’t even mentioned (such as his only Test hundred), and Kevin Pietersen seems to have been left out of the book altogether! Definitely not as comprehensive as I’d expected.
December 26, 2023
Sports autobiographies can be very hit or miss, you really rely on the subject being willing to share above and beyond what is already common knowledge, and thankfully Stuart does exactly that. With a decent chunk of the book dedicated to “behind the scenes” on the 2023 Ashes series which i watched with cult like commitment, it was fascinating to get a sense of the mood within the dressing room as the drama unfolded. A book I would indeed recommend to cricket fans.
May 13, 2024
Broad is evidently elite, an exceptional athlete & fierce competitor. Unfortunately this book is haphazard. Timelines are so here and there it's difficult to follow. I think the idea was to alternate between a detailed account of the Ashes 2023 series and earlier events but at times it was disorienting!
The accounts of the contentious/significant moments were worth a read (Yuvraj Singh/not walking/Varun Aaron/being dropped/YJB stumping).
The accounts of the contentious/significant moments were worth a read (Yuvraj Singh/not walking/Varun Aaron/being dropped/YJB stumping).
June 19, 2024
As a Cricket Lover, I enjoyed this book, beginning and ending with his last Test before retiring. His knowledge of the game and the experiences of his career, the memories of the events were good. I think in my view some of his recollections and views would not be shared by others, but that’s life!
Would it be good for non Cricket fans, probably not! His respect for Stokes and McCaullum are very clear and the enjoyment he got from that period of his career. As I said I enjoyed it.
Would it be good for non Cricket fans, probably not! His respect for Stokes and McCaullum are very clear and the enjoyment he got from that period of his career. As I said I enjoyed it.
August 5, 2024
This book should have been called Board’s 23 Ashes as most of it focused on those 5 games. I found it fragmented as it jump backwards and forwards in time and it didn’t give enough of his history for me.
There is nothing about the fundraising he does for MND and the fire at the pub he owns was not mentioned at all.
The book is not as Broad as the title would lead you to believe but if you want to know about the 23 Ashes from the inside and you’re a Broad fan this is the book for you.
There is nothing about the fundraising he does for MND and the fire at the pub he owns was not mentioned at all.
The book is not as Broad as the title would lead you to believe but if you want to know about the 23 Ashes from the inside and you’re a Broad fan this is the book for you.
February 5, 2025
I thought it would cover his whole career not just mainly the 2023 Ashes but it still brings good insights on Bazball and Broads mentality. Its a different autobiography and I love Broad but something about this wasn't as interesting as other cricket autobiographies I've read. My first bowlers perspective so I thought I'd relate a little bit more to an international cricketer but It didn't seem to go that way alas.
November 22, 2025
As with most sportsman's books, the author was clearly aided in writing this.
In this case, it seems pretty clear that Stuart was interviewed and then what he said was written down.
As a result, it feels reasonably authentic, but it's a bit haphazard, there's limited structure and the focus is very much on triumphs.
Nonetheless, (as an English cricket fan, who was actually at the Oval for his final day) I quite enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed seeing some of his performances on the field.
In this case, it seems pretty clear that Stuart was interviewed and then what he said was written down.
As a result, it feels reasonably authentic, but it's a bit haphazard, there's limited structure and the focus is very much on triumphs.
Nonetheless, (as an English cricket fan, who was actually at the Oval for his final day) I quite enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed seeing some of his performances on the field.
November 5, 2024
Very disappointed with this . Stuart Broad comes over as a very articulate, analytical and knowledgeable pundit on cricket and has made the transition from top class player to analyst with ease. This book , unfortunately, does not demonstrate the same sort of insight - whether it is the way it is written or not showing much originality I'm not sure .
February 5, 2025
Enjoyable but lightweight.
Detailed run through of the 2023 Ashes which I enjoyed having gone to 3 games and been there on the last day at the Oval to see his final wickets.
There was some discussion of growing up and career highs and lows but overall he's been continuously successful and clean cut so there's not much for him to get his teeth into.
Nice bloke but slightly dull book.
Detailed run through of the 2023 Ashes which I enjoyed having gone to 3 games and been there on the last day at the Oval to see his final wickets.
There was some discussion of growing up and career highs and lows but overall he's been continuously successful and clean cut so there's not much for him to get his teeth into.
Nice bloke but slightly dull book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2025
As a cricket lover, I was keen to read this book and was not disappointed.
The pacing was good where it weaved his last Ashes test series with his career in chronological order.
He spoke of the highlights and controversies of his career and provided his opinion on a variety of cricket topics that he had been a part of.
Excellent read.
The pacing was good where it weaved his last Ashes test series with his career in chronological order.
He spoke of the highlights and controversies of his career and provided his opinion on a variety of cricket topics that he had been a part of.
Excellent read.
September 18, 2025
Scattergun approach to writing what could have been a really good book. Dates all over the place. Zero structure. Read like Broad was just trying to tell us everything all in one go. A shame. Below average read. In the end whilst he says he retired at the right time I think he knows he could have done at least a year or two more.
December 27, 2023
A really enjoyable read. Broad’s love for cricket runs through the whole book. But it is not just a story about cricket, it is one of life, love and loss as well. He has given every England fan so many fantastic memories and I will miss him immensely.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews