Product details
- ISBN 9781836801627
- Dimensions: 144 x 222mm
- Publication Date: 07 Jul 2025
- Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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Through the prism of cricket and the transformative year of 1981, Ben Dobson explores how sport and popular culture can influence as well as reflect society. Taking an innovative approach, he considers the remarkable synergies between two of the era’s most iconic figures – Margaret Thatcher and Ian Botham.
From the author of the widely acclaimed Too Good to be Forgotten: Three Wise Men from Football’s Golden Era.
This compelling book:
- Examines the role sport plays in the mood of the nation and wider society
- Revisits the 1970s and 1980s eras of English cricket, and particularly the transformational summer of 1981
- Brings to life a fascinating period in the evolution of Britain’s politics and culture
- Tells the tale of two cultural giants – one political, the other a sporting icon – Ian Botham and Margaret Thatcher – and the intriguing parallels in their careers, fortunes, fundamental beliefs and how their character traits and achievements would impact the future of Britain and its people
- Shows how those times are mirrored in Britain’s current political landscape and national mood, giving the book a modern resonance
This engrossing book is a must-read for all cricket fans and anyone interested in social history. Journey back to a time when cricket helped shape our future.
Ben Dobson is an inveterate sports-follower who spent 30 years managing sports partnerships for Adidas. He has written for The Cricketer and other periodicals. His books examine the role sport plays in society and in the lives of those who suffer its vagaries as committed supporters. His previous tome, Too Good to be Forgotten, a study of the impact of three football managers in the 1970s, received widespread critical acclaim.
