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Squeezing the Orange: Life's Great Adventure-And the Cricket Too!
Born in Norfolk and educated at Eton and Cambridge, Henry Calthorpe Blofeld, nicknamed Blowers by the late Brian Johnston, is best known as a cricket commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. His distinctively rich, cut-glass voice and his vividly eccentric observations of life on and off the pitch, have made him a household name, not only in Britain but around the world, wherever cricket is played. Blowers has been close the heart of the game for over fifty years, and his career has taken him to the far corners of the earth. Stuffed to the gunwales with delicious anecdotes, this autobiography brings his astonishingly colorful story bang up to date.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
Audio CD
First published September 26, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 23, 2019
Read with Omon Ra by Victor Pelevin
These books are as unlike each other as Winston Peters and an alcohol free day. One of these is a day of political duty and the other a night of impolitic drinking.
I love reading and reading should be an activity of harvesting disparate genres, opinions and activities and harvesting a snippet to help build your empathy, insight and appreciation of the masterminds, scions, instigators, commentators and participants in the world's events. You don't always have to agree with your narrator but you would be foolish not to listen.
Victor Pelevin creates an extraordinary 'what if' situation where, irrespective of whether you think the US landed on the moon or not, what if the USSR space programme was an exceptionally careful and brilliantly conducted hoax?
There are niggling questions left in the reader's mind about what could be real and what could be staged in the 20th century space race. So much political capital was invested in the results but do we have to believe anything those governments claim just because it was published on a broadsheet newspaper?
Henry Blofeld weaves a memoir of politically innocuous publishing that was real, recorded and seemed as absolutely important to its readers as any competitive happening in space. It just so happened that Blowers started every memorable spell by saying "Well my dear old thing..."
Some of us have a bizarre attachment to cricket. It is entirely inconsequential in the broader sphere of world events but I feel it gives a grounding in something that has a higher moral code than flimsy political promises - lessons that ANZAC Day should be rich in. Keep batting on; walk when you've nicked one through to the keeper and applaud your opponent in victory or defeat.
Blofeld ought to feature in anyone's list of fantasy dinner guests as a living treasure and as a vault of excellent anecdotes. He would also bring remarkable wine. Victor Pelevin should be invited to the dinner party for the darker political discussions and for when the vodka comes out of the freezer...
Blower will be up to drink the vodka and listen too.
These books are as unlike each other as Winston Peters and an alcohol free day. One of these is a day of political duty and the other a night of impolitic drinking.
I love reading and reading should be an activity of harvesting disparate genres, opinions and activities and harvesting a snippet to help build your empathy, insight and appreciation of the masterminds, scions, instigators, commentators and participants in the world's events. You don't always have to agree with your narrator but you would be foolish not to listen.
Victor Pelevin creates an extraordinary 'what if' situation where, irrespective of whether you think the US landed on the moon or not, what if the USSR space programme was an exceptionally careful and brilliantly conducted hoax?
There are niggling questions left in the reader's mind about what could be real and what could be staged in the 20th century space race. So much political capital was invested in the results but do we have to believe anything those governments claim just because it was published on a broadsheet newspaper?
Henry Blofeld weaves a memoir of politically innocuous publishing that was real, recorded and seemed as absolutely important to its readers as any competitive happening in space. It just so happened that Blowers started every memorable spell by saying "Well my dear old thing..."
Some of us have a bizarre attachment to cricket. It is entirely inconsequential in the broader sphere of world events but I feel it gives a grounding in something that has a higher moral code than flimsy political promises - lessons that ANZAC Day should be rich in. Keep batting on; walk when you've nicked one through to the keeper and applaud your opponent in victory or defeat.
Blofeld ought to feature in anyone's list of fantasy dinner guests as a living treasure and as a vault of excellent anecdotes. He would also bring remarkable wine. Victor Pelevin should be invited to the dinner party for the darker political discussions and for when the vodka comes out of the freezer...
Blower will be up to drink the vodka and listen too.
August 11, 2020
Very entertaining.
October 23, 2013
A wonderful, funny and brilliant book by one of a generation who use phrases like "my dear old thing! and remember seeing Bradman play at Lords.
I love TMS and find it interesting to get to know a bit more about the man behind the voice. Blowers didn't disappoint me in the least. Colourful, amusing, well thought out but with a cheekiness to it all that made me smile and got me ready for the ashes in November.
I love TMS and find it interesting to get to know a bit more about the man behind the voice. Blowers didn't disappoint me in the least. Colourful, amusing, well thought out but with a cheekiness to it all that made me smile and got me ready for the ashes in November.
April 8, 2014
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Blowers writing gets better the older he gets!
Having read a number of his books this is probably the most enjoyable to date. There is still a very obvious and deep love of cricket which runs through the book, but here is a more personal view of the multiple personalities that are on the periphery of the game.
Definitely one to be put on my 'must read again' list.
Having read a number of his books this is probably the most enjoyable to date. There is still a very obvious and deep love of cricket which runs through the book, but here is a more personal view of the multiple personalities that are on the periphery of the game.
Definitely one to be put on my 'must read again' list.
October 10, 2014
Love Blowers on TMS - and this biography is a brilliant read. Recommend to anyone who loves cricket and TMS!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews