A Clear Blue Sky cover art

A Clear Blue Sky

A Memoir

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A Clear Blue Sky

By: Jonny Bairstow, Duncan Hamilton
Narrated by: Paul Tyreman
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About this listen

WINNER OF THE WISDEN BOOK OF THE YEAR

As a young boy of eight, Jonny Bairstow was dealt a cruel blow. His father David ‘Bluey’ Bairstow, the combative and very popular wicketkeeper and captain of Yorkshire, took his own life at the age of forty-six.

David left behind Jonny, Jonny’s sister Becky and half-brother Andy, and his wife Janet, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer at the time of his death. From these incredibly tough circumstances, Jonny and his family strived to find an even keel and come to terms with the loss of their father and husband.

Jonny found his way through his dedication to sport. He was a gifted and natural athlete, with potential careers ahead of him in rugby and football, but he eventually chose cricket and came to build a career that followed in his father’s footsteps, eventually reaching the pinnacle of the sport and breaking the record for most Test runs in a year by a wicketkeeper.

Written with multiple-award-winning writer Duncan Hamilton, this is an incredible story of triumph over adversity and a memoir with far-reaching lessons about determination and the will to overcome.

©2017 Jonny Bairstow and Duncan Hamilton (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers Cricket Grief & Loss Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Sports England Marriage Inspiring Football

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Critic reviews

‘Incredible… outstanding… A Clear Blue Sky is not just the ‘cricket’ book of the year. It will become a very important reference point for anyone who has suffered like they have… It will be an inspiration to thousands’ Daily Mail

‘A Clear Blue Sky is far more gripping and revealing than most of its peers… The passages about love and loss are superbly orchestrated’ Daily Telegraph

‘Profoundly moving’ Sky Sports

‘Moving’ Sunday Times Books of the Year

‘An exceptional book in every way’ Daily Mail Books of the Year
All stars
Most relevant  
An absolutley fantastic book the best one I ever ever listened too excellent book Jonny Bairstow

Fantastic book best one I have ever listened too

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A must listen to for all England Cricket fans. An incredibly moving journey for all the Bairstow Family and close friends. Thank you Jonny and the people who worked on this book for sharing your amazing story with all of us

A poignant and enthralling Biography

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Great read, unbelievable story! Unthinkable to think someone could go through what he has and still become a great sportsman. Testament to yourself and your family. It’s great you’re sharing this for the wider public who may also be going through such a thing and to carry on plugging away.

Moving

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I was expecting to learn a bit more about Jonny’s career and what it’s like being a Yorkshire and England cricketer. Instead I got the most beautiful and moving tribute from a son to a dad. A must read for any Yorkshire or England cricket fan.

Beautiful Tribute

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Jonny Bairstow is an incredible young man, you don't get anywhere in this world with talent alone and he's shown an enviable determination to get to where he is now. A fantastic journey so far, I look forward to reading/listening to his next book when he recounts all of his ashes triumphs!!

inspiration

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If you like cricket this gives you a small insight to that world. Johnny discussed his fathers death very open and honestly, and the impact it has had on his life and his cricket. I felt I met a different Johnny than the one I see on my television screen. I thoroughly enjoyed the contents of this book - his passion for cricket, his family and Yorkshire is not hidden in any way

Insightful

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Amazing story read so well . Johnny saying it how it was from his heart as well as great stories about his Dad and the tragedy of his death.

Great audio book

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Thoughtful and moving, Johnny interweaves his cricket story with his dad’s. He talks about his dad’s suicide with honesty and an amazing lack of self-pity. It is an inspiring account of becoming ‘stronger in the broken places’ as he says. It appealed to me because I didn’t know much about his dad, and wanted to know more, as well as being curious about how the death of his father might have affected him.The human content re handling grief and loss would make the book appeal to more than just cricket lovers, though the compassionate cricket lover will appreciate it best. The co-writer seems to have add slightly flowery descriptive bits which Jonny may not feel is quite ‘him’, but don’t let that put you off!

Inspired!

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Jonny Bairstow has provided me with so many joyous cricket viewing moments and this book really is a love letter to cricket, his family and most of all his Dad. it often infuriates me how often his father's name is dropped in to all his major achievements by commentators, having experienced an immediate similar loss to Jonny I am too aware that suicide is a pain that is always raw and it's for us to say when we want to speak of it not for well meaning bystanders. Jonny has made his father real, he was more than one event and his own emotional maturity and the ethos he lives by is one we could all benefit from hearing. his current form is lightening and I suspect more will discover his book this summer.

more than worth a credit

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The over-flowery ghost written prose lets what is a compelling story down. I found it disappointing. Tyreman’s performance contains all sorts of mispronunciation and is placed emphasis.

If only this had been told in his own words

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