the ashes: this thing can be done

The Ashes: the most ancient, most traditional and perhaps the most widely written about of all sporting rivalries.

And in spite of all that, this book is indeed one of its kind.

It tells the complete story of Anglo-Australian cricket, letting no facet remain untouched, pulling no punches, leaving no obscure detail unresearched, not really bothering about toeing any usual politically correct line.

Yet it is presented in a format that is accessible to all, using the sequential art of story-telling as in a graphic novel.

It has the depth to rival the most rigorous academic treatise, covering the cricketing excitement, touching upon the human element and essential - often uncomfortable - social history and geopolitical implications on and off the field.

At the same time the flavour of entertainment remains intact through a marathon of 1000-plus illustrations that appeals to a wide readership.

The illustrations tell the story of The Ashes in minute detail through the attention span barrier of the social media era, while remaining of supreme interest to serious cricket readers. They recreate the pre-camera and pre-video eras while adding multiple innovative layers to cricket in the more recent days.