First impression from the cover, the man himself with that expression and raised eyebrow, this is going to an amusing quirky book. On this score I was not disappointed.

I'm not a fan of authors reading their own work, narration is a talent or skill that is better left to the professionals. Here though it is one of those exceptions, I would go so far as to say that I don't think anyone could have done it any better. Mark Wood is a true original and that comes through on the audiobook, where there is a sense of mischief and fun, especially where he reads the comments of friends and colleagues. There is one piece where he is quoting Joe Root and he can barely do it without sniggering and snorting, here is a man having too much fun, but it is infectious.

It is autobiographical in essence but is more anecdotal than settling out his life in a linear progression. There are also interludes, comments by his family, friends and colleagues which add to the fun, prick his bubble, or keep him in is place. A foreword by his international captain Ben Stokes and an epilogue by comedian and podcast collaborator (Middle Please, Umpire) Miles Jupp book end it perfectly and are heartfelt tributes. In a world of sports superstardom, it is great to see such a sincere and grounded individual, a man proud of his background and family.

Cricket is still an incredible amount of downtime to fill amongst all the action. Football and rugby players experience this boredom during World Cups, which last only four or five weeks, but when on tour cricketers are away from home for months on end. In professional cricket there are long periods of inactivity even within matches, such as when your team is batting or long days in the field. Non cricket fans may recall that a few years ago one cricketer even pretended to have an invisible pet horse with him on the outfield, yes that was this Mr Wood and a very entertaining story it turns out to be.

Time on their hands (there is a whole section on how to kill time) still leads to a bit of mischief which you can read about, and it also breeds superstition. This explains why someone would be sat on top of a washing machine in the laundry room during a World Cup final.

Most damaging of all though is the effects this has on a young family, the periods of separation and missing out on children growing up. Things may have got a little easier as families are allowed to join the tours at certain points and new technology with Zoom, but it is still a big sacrifice. This was really brought home during the Covid bubble period when cricket was restarted. Here we can see into the diary of a man who appreciates the rewards and sacrifice trade off and is trying to navigate it the best way he can and enjoy the journey.

I really enjoyed the audiobook - Mark Wood has always seemed to come across as a funny, down-to-earth bloke and this book backed that up completely.

Really like the fact he's not afraid to just be himself and is proud of his working class roots, and I love the honest parts of the book about mental health and anxiety.

I must admit it did take me a little while to get used to the Geordie - sorry, no, Northumbrian! - accent on the audiobook but I think it added a lot him reading it himself and was much the better for it.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, delighted I can say that this one was a mint listen!