Turning Over the Pebbles: A Life in Cricket and in the Mind

by Mike Brearley

'If you carry on like this, you'll do nothing but play football and cricket all your life.'

These were the exasperated words of Mike Brearley's mother, as he once again trod mud into the family home after a long day playing outdoors. They were also an unwitting but half-accurate prediction, for Brearley would become one of the most successful sportsmen of his generation by playing cricket for Cambridge, Middlesex and then becoming one of England's finest captains. But for Brearley, cricket wasn't just a physical activity, it was also an intellectual game, offering the chance to bring closer together body and mind. When his cricketing career came to end - during his playing days he had had a hiatus as a philosophy lecturer - he eschewed sporting commentary for a career as a psychoanalyst.

In Turning Over the Pebbles, which he calls a 'memoir of the mind', Brearley reviews his life with its attendant emotions, tensions and moves. It is also a book of his second thoughts and reassessments, allowing him to understand more fully things that were obscure to him earlier. After all, he says, 'captaining ourselves, like captaining a team, requires a willingness to allow thoughts and feelings their space'.

Deeply thoughtful, erudite and elegantly framed, this book seamlessly blends all aspects of Brearley's life into a single integrated narrative. With wide-ranging meditations on sport, philosophy, literature, religion, leadership, psychoanalysis, music and more, Brearley delves into his private passions and candidly examines the various shifts, conflicts and triumphs of his extraordinary life and career, both on and off the field.

Genres: Biography, Psychology

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[Chandar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very different kind of memoir! Brearley 'turns over the pebbles', rambling along about his experiences in life, psychoanalysis (a lot of the book, including the somber last chapter) and cricket (not as much, starting off as late as the eighth chapter!) and much else, reminiscing and musing in an almost 'stream of consciousness' kind of writing.

This book is not for 'easy' reading. The chapters begin with anecdotes and observations picked seemingly at random, followed by more 'stray' recollections, but the narrative imperceptibly leads to the point he wants to make. Wafting effortlessly, he can connect carpentry to class distinctions, and broken vases with fractured minds!

Brearley made it to the England team rather late in life, didn't make too many runs, but was more celebrated as the 'thinking' captain and turned out to be amazingly successful at that. He was a qualified psychoanalyst. And enjoyed 'out-thinking' his opponents. Now in his eighties, he comes across as a forthright, sensitive, and emotionally intelligent person, the kind of friend one could cherish - a terrific sportsman and a gentleman.

[David Lowther · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled at first with this. Mike Brearley has written about the mind. Of course, cricket is mentioned, the author being one of England’s most successful test captains. But is mostly about Mike Brearley the psychoanalyst.
Once I got the hang of Turning Over the Pebbles, it was a riveting read, albeit frequently salutary. Just by steadily devouring the pages, I learned much about myself. It’s not a difficult book to read and well worth the effort.

David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War, The Summer of ‘39 (all published by Sacristy Press) and Ordinary Heroes (to be published by I M Books in October 2023)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir by Mike Brearley, renowned England cricket captain, although cricket enthusiasts should know, it is more about his education and life outside cricket, specifically classics, art, literature, music, philosophy and his career as a psychotherapist/analyst alongside and post his cricketing career. It was interesting to consider how his knowledge of classics and experience on the field fed into his analyst career and also how his interest in the mind/feelings must have contributed to his leadership as captain.

[FRS · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique book. Took me months of chipping away. Memoir, yes. Cricket, some. Psychoanalysis, a fair amount. He does not wear his learning lightly. A bibliography of Wittgenstein, Aeschylus, Tolstoy, Freud, James and alllll the rest. He’s a good, simple, personable writer. Self-aware. Deliberate digressions, well handled. Did I follow every section about psychoanalysis? I did not. But I quite enjoyed the challenge.

[Clare Boucher · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an odd book and I’m not sure what audience is intended. The subtitle is ‘A Life in Cricket and the Mind’ and we learn about the author’s education and professional development. However, the approach is scattergun and I prefer something more structured. The chapter I most enjoyed concerned Mr Brearley’s thoughts on novels.

[Blair Commin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking book, especially the second half, mainly about his post cricket career as a psychotherapist, his training and dealing with patients. The book details his education which has had a significant impact on his later career.

[Roo Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

As many have said, this is not a cricket book. It focuses more on Brearley’s life as a psychoanalyst and all the reading and training that he has done in training and learning for that career. A fascinating read, although quite hard going in places.

[Rajesh Manikoth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many TILs along the way. As Brearley takes one through the tug of war between the analyst and the patient, I too sat into understand my underlying compulsions, the past & the present and developing strategies and tactics for myself. A crucial read at an appropriate time.

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very thoughtful and reflective book.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent collection of essays but too dense on the psychoanalytic theory for the layman.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting memoir, although I might have preferred rather more cricket and rather less psychoanalysis, I guess others might differ.

[Kashif Umair · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not much about cricket. More about philosophy. As the author was captain of England cricket team in 1970s and also was professor of psychoanalysis.

[Hariharan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a curate's egg, it is an uneven read... flat and fascinating in turns... Rambling, focused, insightful, banal, poignant...