Record-breaking England cricketer, wartime RAF hero, Tottenham Hotspur footballer, and husband to five wives... this is the captivating life of one of England's most remarkable yet often overlooked cricketing heroes.

571 first-class matches from 1934 to 1958. 36,985 runs. 29th on all-time lists. Bill Edrich was regarded, along with Denis Compton and Len Hutton, as one of the most exciting cricket discoveries of his generation. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the 1940 and played association football for Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur during the 1930s.

In the first biography for 30 years, award-winning writer Leo McKinstry distils the measure of Edrich's exceptional courage as a cricketer and RAF pilot. Rising to the rank of Squadron Leader, Edrich's flying skills earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his part in a daring daylight raid over Cologne in August 1941.

After surviving the war, Edrich's lifestyle became notoriously hectic and devil-may-care. A gutsy batsman, his buoyancy and charm brought him to a total of five marriages; while his restless spirit also brought him into conflict with the cricket hierarchy. His omission from the tour of Australia in 1950-51 was, according to Sir Pelham Warner, 'a very costly error'. Finally restored to favour, Edrich played a major role in the winning back of the Ashes in 1953 and in retaining the trophy in his last tour of Australia in 1954-55.

A history of cricket victories, wartime glory and a life lived to the fullest, this compelling biography reveals the story of one of cricketing's greatest characters.