Gilly

“In truth however the real surprise is just how long it has taken for a writer to decide to commit the Gilchrist story to paper, as even a moderate author would surely have been able to write a decent book on him. The fact that the man who eventually took on the task, Mark Peel, has a track record as an accomplished biographer is, effectively, a copper-bottomed guarantee that Gilly was going to be well worth reading… As far as the book itself is concerned it is one of those, relatively rare amongst cricketing biographies, that once picked up is difficult to put down. I suspect that come awards time Gilly will be on every long list, most short lists, and surely will come out on top somewhere. As cricket books go it is just about perfect… Gilly is a superb read, and highly recommended.”

-- Martin Chandler * Cricket Web *

"A compelling read... Peel’s biography reveals a typically exhaustive trawl through assorted books and local newspapers, while a phalanx of old league cricketers have been happy to share memories that enrich the many descriptions of crucial league matches."

* Association of Cricket Statisticians *
“I enjoyed the book immensely and it’s a cracking read. One of Mark Peel’s best... A player removed from Test and pretty much first-class cricket after some antics on the sub-continent. Written off as a sort of ignorant thug, it’s about time that someone looked afresh at a cricketer who was destructive on the field and self-destructive off it. Fortunately, Peel is just the kind of detached, intelligent writer to give us a more balanced and rounded view. It’s a tale that has more than a feel of Bruce Hamilton’s fictional account of a cricketer about it, with a story of a talented man from the wrong side of the tracks who finds success and then catastrophic failure with blame that can be apportioned to the player and many others, and happy endings in short supply.” * The Cricket Society Journal *

"Gilly, the turbulent life of Roy Gilchrist, is a rollicking, astonishing read."

-- Ken Piesse * Pavilion, the Australian Cricket Society Magazine *

"I enjoyed the book immensely and it's a cracking read. One of Mark Peel's best."

-- John Symons * The Cricket Society *

"In years to come cricket lovers will look back at the output of Mark Peel with gratitude. His stable produces books for our enrichment on a prolific basis. The author is clearly fascinated by Roy Gilchrist and that comes clearly through the book. Although he makes very few judgments in his narrative, what is written comes with a sense of fair criticism but also sympathy and understanding."

* Bulletin, The Cricket Society Journal *

"A sympathetic yet at times gritty account of the life and times of the former Caribbean paceman. Peel’s delicate handling of Gilchrist’s more human side is a tribute to his writing and perception of the human condition."

-- Barry Nicholls * Australian Cricket Dige