chloejm13's review against another edition
5.0
They always say you should never meet your heroes and by reading this book I was worried that I would get to know one of my heroes too well and would be disappointed but I wasn't. Yes, James was honest reinforcing what I already deep down knew about him that he is not in fact perfect. Though he acknowledged his faults he didn't dismiss them but acknowledged them for what they were- mistakes that he had made. His compassion and kindness so often shined through in his book something I have so often witnessed already be that on a cricket field or in a commentary box. For KP (who I imagine can often be hard to sympathise with), Steve Smith or the doctors or strangers who did not handle situations as James would have liked.
I starting watching cricket in the Ashes Summer of 2015 so I actually knew and watched James as a player for a relatively short period. However, during that short time something about him obviously caught my eye. He was obviously a good player and those short leg catches were phenomenal but it was something more that made him my favourite player and a cricketer who I would root for. I can't even pinpoint what that was- something in his character. I remember when he dropped his bat in the South African Series and Bavuma (a man of similar stature) came and returned the bat. They both shared a laugh and it just seemed a remarkable moment of sportsmanship in some odd way. James is probably responsible for me picking Nottinghamshire as my county. I remember eagerly waiting for the season to start in 2016 so I could keep track of Taylor's form as I was hoping he would be picked for the England team for the start of the summer. Then I saw the news on his Instagram and I felt devastated (which thinking about it now is really selfish.) However, James' positivity throughout his journey meant that I could not be sad. James was being positive and therefore I could be nothing but the same. My respect for James has only grown over the last couple of years as I have seen him be successful whilst maintaining the character and compassion that first made me admire him. People talk about James being a 'good guy' and for me that's clear to see. He has such a positive influence on people's lives including mine, probably more than if he was still playing cricket. In the book he doesn't always present himself in that light but Jose describes James in the way I think many people see him.
Throughout the book we see Taylor battle with his lack of confidence and self image. His short stature seems to have been a concern for him perhaps compensating by his hard work in the gym. I was glad to hear that since his forced retirement he says he may no longer have the same confidence in his body but he is more confidence in himself as a person.
When I met James in the late summer of 2016 not long after his retirement I was 16 years old and fairly new to cricket. I asked for a signature (I was maybe hyperventilating a little) and he was all I had expected. Respectful and kind and a little introverted but that moment will stay with me forever. I am not tall for a teenage girl I'm about 5ft 2 and he probably was not that much taller but I did not notice. My respect and admiration for him was so great that I could never see him as a small man, however someone like KP I could definitely see as a small man.
I would recommend this book to anybody that likes cricket and has heard about James Taylor. His ordeal has became more clear to me whilst reading the book and has shown that its not just that he no longer can play cricket but is something that will constantly be with him. I look forward to seeing James in the future in his new role as England selector and whatever other roles he may pursue whether its in commentary or coaching or another field altogether. I am glad I got to know Taylor better in his book. Yes, my idealised image of him is a little dashed but I think that is probably a good thing. However, my respect for him has not wavered.
I starting watching cricket in the Ashes Summer of 2015 so I actually knew and watched James as a player for a relatively short period. However, during that short time something about him obviously caught my eye. He was obviously a good player and those short leg catches were phenomenal but it was something more that made him my favourite player and a cricketer who I would root for. I can't even pinpoint what that was- something in his character. I remember when he dropped his bat in the South African Series and Bavuma (a man of similar stature) came and returned the bat. They both shared a laugh and it just seemed a remarkable moment of sportsmanship in some odd way. James is probably responsible for me picking Nottinghamshire as my county. I remember eagerly waiting for the season to start in 2016 so I could keep track of Taylor's form as I was hoping he would be picked for the England team for the start of the summer. Then I saw the news on his Instagram and I felt devastated (which thinking about it now is really selfish.) However, James' positivity throughout his journey meant that I could not be sad. James was being positive and therefore I could be nothing but the same. My respect for James has only grown over the last couple of years as I have seen him be successful whilst maintaining the character and compassion that first made me admire him. People talk about James being a 'good guy' and for me that's clear to see. He has such a positive influence on people's lives including mine, probably more than if he was still playing cricket. In the book he doesn't always present himself in that light but Jose describes James in the way I think many people see him.
Throughout the book we see Taylor battle with his lack of confidence and self image. His short stature seems to have been a concern for him perhaps compensating by his hard work in the gym. I was glad to hear that since his forced retirement he says he may no longer have the same confidence in his body but he is more confidence in himself as a person.
When I met James in the late summer of 2016 not long after his retirement I was 16 years old and fairly new to cricket. I asked for a signature (I was maybe hyperventilating a little) and he was all I had expected. Respectful and kind and a little introverted but that moment will stay with me forever. I am not tall for a teenage girl I'm about 5ft 2 and he probably was not that much taller but I did not notice. My respect and admiration for him was so great that I could never see him as a small man, however someone like KP I could definitely see as a small man.
I would recommend this book to anybody that likes cricket and has heard about James Taylor. His ordeal has became more clear to me whilst reading the book and has shown that its not just that he no longer can play cricket but is something that will constantly be with him. I look forward to seeing James in the future in his new role as England selector and whatever other roles he may pursue whether its in commentary or coaching or another field altogether. I am glad I got to know Taylor better in his book. Yes, my idealised image of him is a little dashed but I think that is probably a good thing. However, my respect for him has not wavered.
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