I remember a mighty tome entitled Barclay's World of Cricket The Game from A to Z which I picked up many years ago. To me, it was the ideal book for a complete history of the game and included many player profiles, a history of counties and countries and much else besides. Interestingly, though, the book also mentioned cricket in countries many might be surprised to hear where the game is played. I have the third edition of this book which came out in 1986.

Since then, Tim Brooks has written books and championed the cause of some of the countries where it may, as I mentioned above, come as a surprise to find the game is played in. I remember enjoying one of Tim's previous books, Cricket on the Continent.

A Corner of Every Foreign Field charts the game from its very earliest days to what we see today. As someone who was fortunate to play on occasion at Broadhalfpenny Down, the cradle of cricket as it is often referred to, I have been corrected on a point or two of history by Tim's research into the earlier days of the game.

We learn about how the game started; its earliest days; interesting observations on where the first overseas game was played, and importantly, how the game has been run during the ages via the M.C.C. (and its foundation) and governing bodies. The imperial aspect is analysed in detail, and how Test cricket started with changes and additions to the programme along the way.

I especially enjoyed how player profiles have been interwoven into the story. This is a mighty story and to fit it so compactly into 320 pages is indeed an achievement. It is not just a history of the game but a book about how the game has had to adapt and compete with other sports.
It is fascinating reading how countries, from the humblest beginnings and, in cases, few facilities, have been able to take up the game, and the events which led to their formation. As an example, Norway is a country mentioned.

Tim Brooks's vision for the future in A Corner of Every Foreign Field makes for fascinating reading and will also act as a valuable reference book. It will also fit on a bookshelf more comfortably - for the shelf also - than the Barclay's tome.