BOOK REVIEWS
Autobiography
A Clear Blue Sky
Jonny Bairstow & Duncan Hamilton
We Rate:
BOOK SYNOPSIS
As a young boy of eight, Jonny Bairstow was dealt a cruel blow. His father David Bluey Bairstow, the combative and very popular wicketkeeper and captain of Yorkshire, took his own life at the age of forty-six. David left behind Jonny, Jonny s sister Becky and half-brother Andy, and his wife Janet, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer at the time of his death. From these incredibly tough circumstances, Jonny and his family strived to find an even keel and come to terms with the loss of their father and husband. Jonny found his way through his dedication to sport. He was a gifted and natural athlete, with potential careers ahead of him in rugby and football, but he eventually chose cricket and came to build a career that followed in his father s footsteps, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the sport and breaking the record for most Test runs in a year by a wicketkeeper. Written with multiple-award-winning writer Duncan Hamilton, this is an incredible story of triumph over adversity and a memoir with far-reaching lessons about determination and the will to overcome.
OUR REVIEW
There are not many players who can consistently play across all formats of the game, but in Jonny Bairstow, England have had a consistent performer for close to a decade now and remains part of the greatest opening one day partnership for England that there has ever been and is seen as crucial on particular to both formats of the short forms of the game. Written before the 2019 Cricket World Cup triumph which would have no doubt played a big part in any book, a lot of the focus of this book looks at the circumstances surrounding his family life, namely his Father David Bairstow's death from suicide, himself a professional cricketer for Yorkshire and England and his mother's fight with illness and how it all impacted on his life growing up and facing these significant challenges along the way.
Facing up to these challenges, particularly when it is such a high profile life is explored throughout the book and links in with the pressure that comes with this high profile life they lead. Throughout the book there is contemplation, reflection and plenty of other emotions that one would expect from tragic circumstances and how they have impacted on his own, much more successful career and taking the lessons learnt from these experiences. Of course his time at Boarding School and becoming a very decent player is explored, as is his time with Yorkshire, which is heavily featured within the book, and its a fascinating insight into arguably the most complex County side within the game and how there are many unwritten rules that had to be observed to even turn out for the side, as well as growing up to try and emulate his father's very successful career in the game.
The book continues to look at his entrance into the England side in all formats off the game and looks back at certain matches in England as well as many tours that he has featured on, which as a professional cricketer, is the lifeblood of many anecdotes that come within the game. A mainstay of England sides over the last decade and with more years still to come, he reflects as well on the future and what it is to come and throughout the book, there remains a focus on his father and no doubt trying to make him proud. Don't think he needs to worry about that!A brilliant read, one of my favourite cricket autobiographies to have read so far. As with other books, my only gripe is that his career is far from over and I would have loved to have seen a book much later in his life when he could reflect across his whole career. However, as you will see from the rating, a really poignant and thoughtful book that is beautifully written.
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