Ranji

''To describe Alan Ross as a polymath does scant justice to the eclecticism of an extraordinary man . . . Ross was a war hero, poet, bon viveur, travel writer, incorrigible gossip, racehorse owner and brilliant magazine editor.'' Richard Whitehead, ObserverIndian prince, Sussex and England cricketer, K.S. Ranjitsinhji was unique in many ways. W.G. Grace predicted that there would not be another batsman like ''Ranji'' for a hundred years; arguably we are still waiting. His prodigious run-scoring ability alone assured his place in the annals of cricket, but his talents transcended statistics. His batting married subtlety and strength in a way that was quite new to the game, and he was a ''character'' and crowd-pleaser from his century-making test debut in 1896 to his withdrawal from cricket in 1907 after he was installed as Jam Saheb of Nawanagar. ''A splendid memorial... In Alan Ross, Ranji is perfectly matched with one of the best writers the game ever attracted.'' Guardian''A gem of a book.'' Yorkshire Post