Beyond a Boundary

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Beyond a Boundary is an autobiographical memoir on cricket written by the Trinidadian writer CLR James [1]. It mixes social commentary, particularly on the place of cricket in the West Indies and England with commentary on the game and is famous for the phrase "What do they know of cricket who only cricket know".

He recounts the role cricket played in his family's history and his meetings with such early West Indian players as George John, Wilton St Hill and the great batsman George Headley and all rounder Learie Constantine. James argues for the importance of sport in general in history, referring back to its roots in the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece and the primacy of W.G. Grace in the development of the modern game. He approaches cricket as an art form but discusses its political impact as well, particularly the role of race in early West Indian cricket.

The book is widely recognised as one of the best, and most important, books on cricket ever written.