Balls to Fly

Ricky Ellcock - an Autobiography

Ricky Ellcock

$49.99

Hardback

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English

Fairfield Books
20 November 2023

Cricket

With a burgeoning reputation as one of the

fastest bowlers in the land, Ellcock’s hopes of playing Test cricket for England were cruelly thwarted by

injury. Plunged into depression and forced to pursue another career, a childhood interest in aviation was

to be his salvation. Ellcock relocated to the USA and qualified as a commercial airline pilot, becoming

the first black captain with Virgin Atlantic.

Ellcock’s autobiography is unsparing and hard-hitting, revealing as it does a lifetime spent overcoming

biases, prejudices and racism, not to mention being saved from death by receiving four life-saving

brain operations in the space of eight weeks. Balls to Fly charts one man’s extraordinary story of

determination, endeavour and resilience.

The book is a fascinating journey through the ups and downs of Ellcock’s singular story, describing how • He used to be driven to school by the Prime Minister of Barbados • He rapidly went from bowling a cricket ball to his friends to earning a scholarship at one the UK’s

most prestigious public schools at just 15 years of age • The reaction of county team-mates when he turned up to make his first-class cricket debut whilst

wearing school uniform • The cruellest of luck with injury sabotaged his hopes of playing Test cricket for England • The dedication involved in retraining as an airline pilot and the pride in becoming Virgin Atlantic’s

first black captain, as well as being in US airspace just before the 9/11 terrorist attacks • How he was saved from death by four brain operations within eight weeks • Biases, prejudices and racism, Ellcock is often excoriating and unflinchingly honest

By: Ricky Ellcock
Imprint: Fairfield Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781915237323
ISBN 10: 1915237327
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 20 November 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ricardo Ellcock became an airline pilot after his career as a thrillingly fast bowler for Worcestershire and Middlesex was prematurely ended by recurrent injuries.

PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY

Balls to Fly

Ricky Ellcock - an Autobiography

Ricky Ellcock

$49.99

Hardback

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