The fifties: Bradman's wars of words

Abstract

Bradman had always been a contentious figure amongst cricketers and journalists. After the war, a debate emerged on the source of Bradman's greatness and his legacy to the game. All agreed Bradman was the greatest batsman, numerically, the game had seen. There may have been better batting stylists, but none could match Bradman's statistics. Questions, however, were raised about both his character and win-at-all-costs attitude. This chapter surveys the anti-Bradman literature and, drawing on his private correspondence with Edmund ‘Chappie’ Dwyer, details his responses. The chapter contends Bradman's memoir, ‘Farewell to Cricket’ and his 1958 work ‘The Art of Cricket’ were written in response to this criticism and controversies, such as the Syd Barnes affair, which challenged his authority and credibility. As the chapter argues, ‘The Art’ was Bradman's claim to being the game's most knowledgeable mind on the game.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.