Description
Discover the captivating story of Tom Wills, Australia's sporting icon and the first great cricketer who played a pivotal role in shaping Australian Rules football. This engaging biography, short-listed for the National Biography Award, takes you on a journey through Wills' life, from his tumultuous childhood at Rugby School in England to his rise as a sensational cricketer, loved by fans across the colonies. Learn about his personal struggles with authority, racial tensions, and the haunting tragedy of his family's past, including the massacre that shaped his views on Indigenous communities.
Author Greg de Moore skillfully captures Wills' complex character, revealing him as a flawed genius, fearless leader, and passionate advocate who dared to challenge the status quo both on and off the cricket field. In the latest updated edition of this bestselling biography, you will find new research that sheds light on the mystique and tragedy surrounding his life, including the trials that led to his untimely demise at just forty-four years of age.
This enthralling biography of Tom Wills not only preserves the legacy of one of Australia’s first sporting heroes but also invites readers to reflect on his enduring impact on Australian sports culture. Order now for delivery straight to your door, as we ensure prompt shipping on all purchases, bringing the story of Tom Wills to readers eager to explore a significant chapter in Australian history.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781761068546
Year: 2023
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Description:
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY AWARD
This is the story of Tom Wills - flawed genius, sporting libertine, fearless leader and agitator, Australia's first great cricketer - the man most often credited with creating the game we now know as Australian Rules football.
Sent to the strict Rugby School in England at fourteen, Tom returned as a worldly young man whose cricket prowess quickly captured the hearts of the colony. But away from the adoring crowds, in the desolation of the Queensland outback, he experienced first-hand the devastating effects of racial tension when his father was murdered in the biggest massacre of Europeans by First Nations people. Yet, five years later, Tom coached the first Aboriginal cricket team.
Tom Wills lived hard and fast, challenging authority on and off the field. But when his physical talents began to fade, the psychological demons that alcohol and adrenaline had kept at bay surged to the fore, driving him to the most brutal of suicides. He was forty-four and destitute.
Greg de Moore has carefully pieced together Tom's life, giving us an extraordinary portrait of one of Australia's first sporting heroes, a man who lived by his own rules and whose contribution to Australian history has endured for more than 150 years.
This updated edition of the bestselling and authoritative biography includes new research and addresses the most troubling of questions surrounding Tom Wills' spectacular yet tragic life.
'a towering figure [who] deserves de Moore's brilliantly written and researched book' - The Australian
'illuminat
Author Greg de Moore skillfully captures Wills' complex character, revealing him as a flawed genius, fearless leader, and passionate advocate who dared to challenge the status quo both on and off the cricket field. In the latest updated edition of this bestselling biography, you will find new research that sheds light on the mystique and tragedy surrounding his life, including the trials that led to his untimely demise at just forty-four years of age.
This enthralling biography of Tom Wills not only preserves the legacy of one of Australia’s first sporting heroes but also invites readers to reflect on his enduring impact on Australian sports culture. Order now for delivery straight to your door, as we ensure prompt shipping on all purchases, bringing the story of Tom Wills to readers eager to explore a significant chapter in Australian history.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781761068546
Year: 2023
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Description:
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY AWARD
This is the story of Tom Wills - flawed genius, sporting libertine, fearless leader and agitator, Australia's first great cricketer - the man most often credited with creating the game we now know as Australian Rules football.
Sent to the strict Rugby School in England at fourteen, Tom returned as a worldly young man whose cricket prowess quickly captured the hearts of the colony. But away from the adoring crowds, in the desolation of the Queensland outback, he experienced first-hand the devastating effects of racial tension when his father was murdered in the biggest massacre of Europeans by First Nations people. Yet, five years later, Tom coached the first Aboriginal cricket team.
Tom Wills lived hard and fast, challenging authority on and off the field. But when his physical talents began to fade, the psychological demons that alcohol and adrenaline had kept at bay surged to the fore, driving him to the most brutal of suicides. He was forty-four and destitute.
Greg de Moore has carefully pieced together Tom's life, giving us an extraordinary portrait of one of Australia's first sporting heroes, a man who lived by his own rules and whose contribution to Australian history has endured for more than 150 years.
This updated edition of the bestselling and authoritative biography includes new research and addresses the most troubling of questions surrounding Tom Wills' spectacular yet tragic life.
'a towering figure [who] deserves de Moore's brilliantly written and researched book' - The Australian
'illuminat