After years of under-performance, the start of the 2001 cricket season saw a resurgent England team. Undefeated for five series they faced the might Australians with more hope and confidence than anyone could have expected two years before, when the teams last competed for the Ashes, the greatest prize in Test cricket.

After a disastrous one-day series and defeats in the first three Tests, that optimism was replaced by increasing awe at the strength of the touring side. A famous victory for England at Headingly, made possible by a brilliant innings by Mark Butcher, brought some comfort to the home dressing-room but by then the Ashes had already been lost and Australia had proven themselves again to be the best in the world. A further victory for them at The Oval in Michael Atherton's farewell performance drew further praise not just for the quality of the Australians' cricket but also for the way they played the game. The question was asked again and again: was this Australia team, with its fiercely competitive captain Steve Waugh, outstanding batsmen like his brother Mark and Damien Martyn, and world class bowlers in McGrath, Warne and Gillespie, one of the best cricket sides ever?

Christopher Martin-Jenkins, chief correspondent of The Times is one of the game's foremost commentators. In Men for All Seasons he presents not just a brilliantly perceptive and objective survey of this fascinating series but also the place of the 2001 Australian touring side in the canon of great cricketing XIs - and explores just how much further England have to go in order to compete with the best consistently. Full match reports and score cards combine with elegant pen portraits of the key players to form a unique celebration of the game's ultimate contest.

Following events both on and off the field, this is a record of England's 1998/99 cricket tour of Australia. Readers are taken behind the scenes to see what happened in dressing rooms, hotels, restaurants and bars, pubs and night clubs, hospitality suites, commentary boxes and umpires' rooms. Moving beyond cricket, the authors examine present-day Australia, as well as the Anglo-Australian relationship in 1999 - the year of the referendum on whether or not Australia should finally become a republic.

ISBN: 0 571 20145 8

An anthology of cricket writing which ranges from the game's origins in the Weald to the contemporary professional (and increasingly commercial) sport. The contributors include C.L.R. James, Mike Brearley, Stephen Fry and Edmund Blunden.

ISBN: 0 571 17349 7

Brian Johnston who died in January 1994, was one of the best loved figures on radio. When he died John Major referred to him as "a giant among commentators....summers will never be the same".

ISBN: 0 552 99631 9

A history of cricket broadcasting. It contains many hints on technique from broadcasters such as John Arlott, E.W.Swanton, Rex Alston, Brian Johnstone and Richie Benaud. This book also includes anecdotes from Test Matches in Australia, the West Indies, South Africa, India and Pakistan