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Twelve Summers
Cricket fans, where were you during the disaster that was the 2013 Ashes? Adam Zwar was making a documentary about bodyline and filming a stunt that involved Brett Lee bowling bouncers to him while he wasn't wearing a helmet. Matthew Hayden warned him not do it. But the cameras were set up. What was he going to do - say no?
How about when Australia A nearly upset Australia in the 1995 World Series Cup and the players were rebelling against officials? Adam was working as a driver for an escort agency in Melbourne.
Or Australia v India in 2001? That was when Adam was stuck in a hotel with AC/DC.
For all the significant moments in Adam's life, cricket was in the background - or foreground. And you don't need to be a fan of cricket to be able to relate, because we all remember where we were when something important happened, whether that's a cricket test, an album release or a TV show ending. Twelve Summers is hilarious, moving and thought provoking. Even if you aren't a fan of cricket, you'll find a lot to love in this book.
How about when Australia A nearly upset Australia in the 1995 World Series Cup and the players were rebelling against officials? Adam was working as a driver for an escort agency in Melbourne.
Or Australia v India in 2001? That was when Adam was stuck in a hotel with AC/DC.
For all the significant moments in Adam's life, cricket was in the background - or foreground. And you don't need to be a fan of cricket to be able to relate, because we all remember where we were when something important happened, whether that's a cricket test, an album release or a TV show ending. Twelve Summers is hilarious, moving and thought provoking. Even if you aren't a fan of cricket, you'll find a lot to love in this book.
- GenresNonfictionAutobiography
304 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2023
5 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 19, 2022
I loved this and devoured it.
December 3, 2021
Brilliant read, or listen, and you don’t have to love cricket!
I bought the audio book for driving but I ended up finishing this walking around the house with my phone tucked in my pants and finally on the bedside table when I went to bed.
I enjoy Adam’s work in all his different mediums, but I’m not a cricket fan as such.
None the less there were many laugh out loud lines from the book stemming from both the tales of Australian cricket and Adam’s life as an underdog.
If you watched his TV show Lowdown, you’ll laugh when you recognise stories from Adams life as plot lines.
I thought perhaps after the chapters of shared boarding house experiences, I may lose momentum, but instead finished the book within a day and half.
Going to my first ever Ashes game soon I feel I’ve had the perfect speed course on the recent history of Australian Cricket, told by one of Australia’s most talented and amusing storytellers.
Adam is clearly a Cricket nut of the highest order, however he has made this book relevant and enjoyable to a wide audience.
I bought the audio book for driving but I ended up finishing this walking around the house with my phone tucked in my pants and finally on the bedside table when I went to bed.
I enjoy Adam’s work in all his different mediums, but I’m not a cricket fan as such.
None the less there were many laugh out loud lines from the book stemming from both the tales of Australian cricket and Adam’s life as an underdog.
If you watched his TV show Lowdown, you’ll laugh when you recognise stories from Adams life as plot lines.
I thought perhaps after the chapters of shared boarding house experiences, I may lose momentum, but instead finished the book within a day and half.
Going to my first ever Ashes game soon I feel I’ve had the perfect speed course on the recent history of Australian Cricket, told by one of Australia’s most talented and amusing storytellers.
Adam is clearly a Cricket nut of the highest order, however he has made this book relevant and enjoyable to a wide audience.
July 2, 2022
From the time I listened to the FOFOP episode with Adam Zwar I couldn’t wait to escape from the desert and get down to Adelaide to buy a copy of this book.
The concept appealed to me immediately. Despite identifying as more of a cricket enthusiast than a cricket tragic (admittedly, I’d be hard pressed to even correctly identify every fielding position) and having competing interests which overshadow cricket, many of my major memories seem to be somehow tied up with the game. And like Zwar, I can’t think of a better way to chart the through-line of my progression from childhood to the present day than with cricket.
So unsurprisingly, I loved every page and devoured it in a single innings😉 but not just because of the approach or the subject matter or even the warm recollections it stirred.
There is something so fresh and honest and sweetly ordinary about Zwar’s storytelling that is missing from most books in this genre. The mix of autobiographical and biographical dovetail nicely and I would love to see Zwar extend this treatment to the player/partnership/series biographies that I genuinely hope he intends on writing in the future.
The concept appealed to me immediately. Despite identifying as more of a cricket enthusiast than a cricket tragic (admittedly, I’d be hard pressed to even correctly identify every fielding position) and having competing interests which overshadow cricket, many of my major memories seem to be somehow tied up with the game. And like Zwar, I can’t think of a better way to chart the through-line of my progression from childhood to the present day than with cricket.
So unsurprisingly, I loved every page and devoured it in a single innings😉 but not just because of the approach or the subject matter or even the warm recollections it stirred.
There is something so fresh and honest and sweetly ordinary about Zwar’s storytelling that is missing from most books in this genre. The mix of autobiographical and biographical dovetail nicely and I would love to see Zwar extend this treatment to the player/partnership/series biographies that I genuinely hope he intends on writing in the future.
December 28, 2021
Picked this up based on a tweet from Adam Zwar promoting his book. Read it in one sitting after watching Australia demolish England in under 2.5 days.
Thoroughly enjoyable read, the mix of cricket and personal anecdotes was fantastic, the way that Adam writes about cricket with such passion of a true fan makes this enjoyable to read. You don't even have to enjoy cricket.
Thoroughly enjoyable read, the mix of cricket and personal anecdotes was fantastic, the way that Adam writes about cricket with such passion of a true fan makes this enjoyable to read. You don't even have to enjoy cricket.
December 22, 2022
Twelve Summers (2021) by Adam Zwar is an outstanding memoir that I devoured in a half-week of effortless and enjoyable reading.
The premise is simple: Adam Zwar is born in 1972 and becomes a lifelong fan of the Australian cricket team. His memoir alternates between descriptions of his own life's events, contrasted against the exploits of the Australian cricket team during each period of his life.
The book begins with the infamous Trevor Chappell underarm bowling incident of 1981, and concludes with the retirements of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in 2007. Between these bookends are ten chapters about the heroic efforts of Australian players such as Allan Border and Steve Waugh. Particular attention is paid to colourful oddities, such Dean Jones' superhuman double-century innings, scored in Madras in 1986 in 45°C heat; as well as the ACA's decision to run an 'Australia A' side in direct competition to the Australian ODI side in the 1994/95 season.
Adam writes with a deft touch. He finds succinct and accessible ways to drop readers into the sporting action, without bogging things down with the full details of the batting and bowling cards. The personalities of the players rise to the surface, painted with Adam's sparkling sentences.
As much as I enjoyed Adam's cricket descriptions, the memoir of his own life proved equally interesting. He describes life as a cub reporter on the newspaper's music beat, with memorably trainwreck interviews with celebrities such as Sting and Billy Idol. He supplements his income by working as the driver for an sex worker, while living in a fleabag hostel in Melbourne. And he works towards his dream of a career in film and television, by creating the short film Wilfred, later developed into a series by SBS Television.
Cricket serves as the drumbeat that sits underneath the first thirty-five years of Adam's life. Key moments of Adam's career and family life unfold with cricket in the background. Men in yellow and green Australian uniforms are on the screen throughout Adam's mum's terminally illness. A newsroom of reporters fall silent watching a Steve Waugh career-on-the-line test innings at the SCG in 2003. And, adorably, cricket proves the key bond between Adam and his future wife Amanda Brotchie, when they first meet at a party.
Twelve Summers by Adam Zwar comes highly recommended for anyone nostalgic for the lost Australia of the eighties, nineties and naughties. Brilliant in concept and execution, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The premise is simple: Adam Zwar is born in 1972 and becomes a lifelong fan of the Australian cricket team. His memoir alternates between descriptions of his own life's events, contrasted against the exploits of the Australian cricket team during each period of his life.
The book begins with the infamous Trevor Chappell underarm bowling incident of 1981, and concludes with the retirements of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in 2007. Between these bookends are ten chapters about the heroic efforts of Australian players such as Allan Border and Steve Waugh. Particular attention is paid to colourful oddities, such Dean Jones' superhuman double-century innings, scored in Madras in 1986 in 45°C heat; as well as the ACA's decision to run an 'Australia A' side in direct competition to the Australian ODI side in the 1994/95 season.
Adam writes with a deft touch. He finds succinct and accessible ways to drop readers into the sporting action, without bogging things down with the full details of the batting and bowling cards. The personalities of the players rise to the surface, painted with Adam's sparkling sentences.
As much as I enjoyed Adam's cricket descriptions, the memoir of his own life proved equally interesting. He describes life as a cub reporter on the newspaper's music beat, with memorably trainwreck interviews with celebrities such as Sting and Billy Idol. He supplements his income by working as the driver for an sex worker, while living in a fleabag hostel in Melbourne. And he works towards his dream of a career in film and television, by creating the short film Wilfred, later developed into a series by SBS Television.
Cricket serves as the drumbeat that sits underneath the first thirty-five years of Adam's life. Key moments of Adam's career and family life unfold with cricket in the background. Men in yellow and green Australian uniforms are on the screen throughout Adam's mum's terminally illness. A newsroom of reporters fall silent watching a Steve Waugh career-on-the-line test innings at the SCG in 2003. And, adorably, cricket proves the key bond between Adam and his future wife Amanda Brotchie, when they first meet at a party.
Twelve Summers by Adam Zwar comes highly recommended for anyone nostalgic for the lost Australia of the eighties, nineties and naughties. Brilliant in concept and execution, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
August 23, 2022
Look I am a sucker really for any book about cricket and this one which virtually mirrors my own life experience of following the Aussies was a lay down misere. The tone is a bit unusual and some serious life experiences are mentioned and then quickly moved on which I found a bit frustrating but maybe that is more a reflection on the author..it is his memoir after all..really enjoyed it though and all the cricket memories and anecdotes were great..would I face Brett Lee with no gear ala Bodyline..not on your life..highly recommended for cricket lovers and children of the 70s
June 30, 2023
I'm not really a fan of sports so I can unashamedly say that when it comes to people recalling sports, i'm bloody lost. BUT. This isn't straight up cricket. Its someone recalling their life through the lens of cricket enthusiasm. I love Adam Zwar's work, if you've never checked out Lowdown, do it. Or Wilfred--EVERYONE knows Wilfred, the bongsmoking dog that emerged from Zwars' magic brain.
Anyway. I adore the magic brain and I'd drink with Mr Zwar. If he has one I'd even walk his dog, bong smoking or not.
Anyway. I adore the magic brain and I'd drink with Mr Zwar. If he has one I'd even walk his dog, bong smoking or not.
December 25, 2021
Nothing better than a great sports book over summer holidays and this was a very enjoyable read. Excellent sporting nostalgia as well as great stories from the author about his writing career. Strong recommend!
November 13, 2022
This was a great read if you've followed the ups and downs of the Australian cricket over the eighties to mid 2000s. It's a particularly good read if you are gen X - Adam brings back so many childhood memories and events happening in Australia. A great, light and fun read.
August 17, 2023
This was a great fun read, the author embellishing his personal memories of some big cricketing moments with some personal reflections. I really related to it having gone up at the same time. Perfect reading during breaks in the cricket.
January 2, 2022
Laughed out loud, couldn't put it down. A romp down memory lane for this cricket tragic. Thoroughly recommend to anyone who grew up watching and loving Australian cricket in the 1980s until now.
January 6, 2022
Loved it.
January 26, 2022
Great storytelling by a writer with a good ear for the right anecdote, and a cricket nerd's eye for detail. Funny, warm and celebratory.
May 24, 2022
A memoir on growing up in Queensland and adult life in Melbourne with the Australian men's cricket team as the cast of supporting characters (not literally)
September 25, 2022
Just a really enjoyable read, took me through my childhood
February 1, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this memoir told with cricket as context/background. I had started to lose my love of the game and this book re-kindled it, making we want to reach for other cricket based books. I enjoyed Adam's telling of his life story too, mostly told in snippets, it was poignant and comedic. Easy to read and worth my time.
January 8, 2024
A beautiful book for cricket lovers but also those who enjoy a human story.
September 2, 2025
In a genre that is in oversupply, this one was a little different
If you do like this you must read ‘The Gift of Speed’
😎👍📚✅
If you do like this you must read ‘The Gift of Speed’
😎👍📚✅
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews