A striking summer: when the 1926 Ashes series united a divided nation In an extract from his new book Stephen Brenkley explains the fervour and political intrigue stirred by Australia’s tour.
In his new book, A Striking Summer, Stephen Brenkley captures the drama of the series, delves into the characters of the players and shows how in such troubled times the game of cricket briefly united the nation.
The following extract charts the extraordinary level of excitement that accompanied the Australians’ arrival in England and how, despite the many grave challenges facing the country, the impending Ashes found its way to the forefront of the national conversation.
Against this backdrop Australia’s cricketers arrived to defend the Ashes that they had won decisively in all three series since the war.
Millions of workers across many industries were sacked or locked out, and coal mining came to a standstill.
