Rob Key’s first book is highly recommended.

Read the full review here

Cricket Web

★★★★★
Excellent read giving insight into International and Domestic Cricket. Says what he thinks. Very amusing easy read. Index at back of book very well laid out. Highly recommended.

Amazon Customer, September 2020

★★★★★
Top read. He is a funny bloke and it comes across in the book. I cracked up laughing when I read it.

Amazon Customer, August 2020

[Kindle]
★★★★★
If you love cricket and Rob Key you'll love this. Great insight into one of English crickets best minds. Excellent.

Amazon Customer, July 2020

★★★★★
Virtually no negativity in a book which is full of interesting anecdotes about his playing and commentating colleagues. Highly recommended and one of the most enjoyable sports biographies I’ve encountered. Key tells it like it is...and he knows what he’s talking about.

Amazon Customer, July 2020

★★★★★
I have grown to enjoy Rob Key and his amusing sarcastic put downs on the telly, his cherubic jowls shuffling around like a badly made quilt as he lambasts the present day generation of coaches and over-developed cricketers. For Mr Key, modern life is too much, and he yearns for the day when cricket was all about beer, curries and bellies - a time that he so aptly describes in his autobiography. Key is not afraid to speak out and his eventful nights on the town with the likes of Fred and Harmy, his natural soul-mates, are enjoyable to read. I reckon he must make good company on such evenings, with his put downs being English to the core. Although a relatively small book, it is still good value due to the natural wit on display.

Amazon Customer, July 2020

★★★★★
There's nothing better than an intelligently written cricket book and Rob Key has vaulted straight to the top of this field. Tell it like it is mate. Fantastic read.

Amazon Customer, July 2020

★★★★
An entertaining read with lots of anecdotes and a few well informed opinions. His style is easy to read and he has shown on TV that he has the makings of becoming one of the very best pundits.

Amazon Customer, July 2020

★★★★★
Rob Key always come across as a man who loves cricket in its fullest sense. This book shows that more than ever. He is honest throughout and you feel his love for the game the traditions and his admiration for the characters within the game.

Amazon Customer, June 2020

★★★★★
Very interesting take on a cricket career from a man who should’ve played for England a lot more than he did.

It’s full of detail around the county grind, but then a lot of stuff about moving to the other side of the mic afterwards too.

If you’re a cricket fan, this is well worth picking up and if you’re a Kent supporter then its probably a compulsory purchase!

Amazon Customer, June 2020

★★★★★
Fantastic insight and anecdotes from an oft-overlooked and under appreciated cricketer. A true legend of Kent cricket, Rob delivers a terrific tale of his journey and the colourful personalities inside the game. A must-read for cricket fans.

Amazon Customer, June 2020

★★★★★
Very enjoyable read as you would expect from Rob Key. Husband says he would recommend it.

Amazon Customer, June 2020

★★★★★
Whether you know or even like the man himself, I do, this book is crammed full of well written, personally delivered, knowledgeable, stories about all sorts. Obviously we are mostly getting the PG version of some, but not all, but you can't blame a guy for holding some of the more delicious back for "after dinner speeches" and such. It's an eclectic mix of both tales and opinions and comes across as refreshingly frank. It's very readable so could be devoured in one go but, as with other books of this ilk, can also work well as a dipper to read between other books.

Amazon Customer, June 2020

Different from the usual cricketer memoirs in that Richard Key often gives centre stage to fellow cricketers. Plenty of tales are told, although nothing too revelatory as what goes on whilst on tour stays on tour!

Key is now in punditry and with his easy storytelling style you can see why he is popular.

One for cricket fans to add to their bookshelves.

NetGalley, Jason Ritchie

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Extremely interesting read, especially to any that follow cricket. Showed a whole new side to a player and person.

NetGalley, Matt Dormer

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Cricket Books Australia, Ken Piesse, August 2020

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

If you like cricket, sport in general, anecdotes and fun & frolics on and off the sports field then this is probably the book for you. Whether you know or even like the man himself, I do, this book is crammed full of well written, personally delivered, knowledgeable, stories about all sorts. Obviously we are mostly getting the PG version of some, but not all, but you can't blame a guy for holding some of the more delicious back for "after dinner speeches" and such. It's an eclectic mix of both tales and opinions and comes across as refreshingly frank. It's very readable so could be devoured in one go but, as with other books of this ilk, can also work well as a dipper to read between other books. Oh and it's not an autobiography by the way, just in case that's what you are looking for. It does however spell out his journey through cricket and the opinions and indeed friends he has made along the way.

NetGalley, Kath Brinck

This is a refreshing open and frank look at cricket whilst the author was playing for Kent and England and discusses himself and his closest friends in the game and the people who influenced him and even goes into his Sky sports career as well. the reason why its refreshing as its an alternative cricket book more cricket then the actual how I grew up etc. this book would appeal to the general cricket fan.

NetGalley, Stephen Hutchison

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


A great read about the game of cricket that I think will appeal to all.

Informative, interesting, almost a fly on the wall read about life in the game. Great to get some snippets about life in the dressing room/on tour/snippets about players/reminders of some classic cricketing moments – Butcher’s 173 not out at Headingley, Steve Waugh and the red handkerchief, to more recent times (the World Cup victory last year) and life as a commentator.

Key’s perspective on the game, players, the science behind the game, just fascinating. I expected this book to be a warts and all expose on Rob Key and his cricketing achievements but instead it was a light hearted read that gave me a really interesting insight and perspective on the game.

I loved it! And I’m sad that I’ve finished it. I hope we get a Book 2!

NetGalley, Mina Searle

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Rob Key has produced a very entertaining and enjoyable memoir about his time playing, watching and commentating on cricket.

This isn’t the usual sports biography but more Key’s take on the sport based on his vast experience. There are also a number of very amusing tales using involving his mates Fred & Harmy.

Key is now an excellent pundit on Sky Sports and he brings his wit and insight to this book which is highly recommended.

NetGalley, Lee Carson

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I loved Rob Key as a cricketer he was someone who I always felt was giving his best and was slightly harshly treated by the England selectors. I enjoy listening to Rob Key on commentary or analysis on Sky Sports always feeling that whatever he has to say is worth saying he isn't a man to waste words simply to say something.

The book itself is really a memoir of his time in cricket, I wouldn't classify it as an autobiography as such in that there is very little of his early life, very little about his home life or anything like that in it and why would there be? The book doesn't lose anything for that.

It starts off with Rob avoiding a pointless run set out by his coach, moves through Rob trying to avoid doing as many pointless things as possible all while trying to score runs for Kent and then for England and then back to Kent again.

The main strong points of the book are the warmth and wit, there were a few times when I genuinely burst out laughing at some of the things he, Flintoff and Harmison got up to on tour. Throughout the book there is a real warmth in relationship that Key speaks of between those three but also really between most of the people Key mentions in the book. There are some good insights as well into people that may be surprising, Murali as the worlds nicest man may not shock too many folk but Shane Warne as equally nice might. I enjoyed Key's perspective on pressure and suspect that whatever level of cricket folks play we can all fall into the trap of believing this is the most important thing in the world even if it is Laurelvale III v Carrickfergus IV.

A great read for any cricket fan, you wont be disappointed.

NetGalley, Trevor Kane

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been impressed by Rob Key's contributions on Sky V's crocket coverage fro some time now. he's knowledgeable, well informed, listens well and doesn't seem to take himself too seriously.

His book reinforces this view as he has produced an excellent overview not just of his career but of life behind the scenes as both a cricketer and broadcaster.

I learned a lot about the dynamics of both leading and being a member of a team and enjoyed what I read very much indeed.

An excellent book indeed.

NetGalley, Greville Waterman