Comments on: The ashes of the air http://airminded.org/2006/11/23/the-ashes-of-the-air/ Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:25:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/11/23/the-ashes-of-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-8887 Brett Holman Thu, 23 Nov 2006 17:11:07 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/11/23/the-ashes-of-the-air/#comment-8887 Dan: No, I completely forgot it! For everyone playing at home, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Miller" rel="nofollow">Keith Miller</a> was another Australian cricketing great and Ashes stalwart, as well as a Mosquito pilot in the Second World War. When asked about on-field pressure, he replied that 'Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not.' Alan: <blockquote>Silly game, in which no-one even kicks the ball so much as once</blockquote> That's one of the things I like about it -- we have four major codes of football in this country, and my tolerance for them ranges from limited to none whatsoever. But at least none of them is gridiron! Dan:

No, I completely forgot it! For everyone playing at home, Keith Miller was another Australian cricketing great and Ashes stalwart, as well as a Mosquito pilot in the Second World War. When asked about on-field pressure, he replied that ‘Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not.’

Alan:

Silly game, in which no-one even kicks the ball so much as once

That’s one of the things I like about it — we have four major codes of football in this country, and my tolerance for them ranges from limited to none whatsoever. But at least none of them is gridiron!

]]> By: Alan Allport http://airminded.org/2006/11/23/the-ashes-of-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-8864 Alan Allport Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:08:54 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/11/23/the-ashes-of-the-air/#comment-8864 Since I assume Auspex is initially referring to the disastrous 'rhubarb' strategy, perhaps the whole thing is an analogy for English cricket. (Or whatever. Silly game, in which no-one even kicks the ball so much as once). Geoffrey Wheatcroft has some acerbic, and possibly relevant, comments to make about Englishness and cricket <a href="http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7002" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Since I assume Auspex is initially referring to the disastrous ‘rhubarb’ strategy, perhaps the whole thing is an analogy for English cricket. (Or whatever. Silly game, in which no-one even kicks the ball so much as once).

Geoffrey Wheatcroft has some acerbic, and possibly relevant, comments to make about Englishness and cricket here.

]]> By: Dan http://airminded.org/2006/11/23/the-ashes-of-the-air/comment-page-1/#comment-8851 Dan Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:26:46 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/11/23/the-ashes-of-the-air/#comment-8851 There might be another Bodyline parallel, in terms of reportage and belief at a distant. From my memory of Douglas Jardine's biography, it was as much the barracking of the Australian fans during the previous Ashes series (so out of character with then restrained English crowds) which upset the English and encouraged English papers to report the Bodyline Tour in terms of Australian whinging rather than English gamesmanship. Can't quite believe that you managed not to mention Keith Miller in this context - were you trying to avoid the cliche? There might be another Bodyline parallel, in terms of reportage and belief at a distant. From my memory of Douglas Jardine’s biography, it was as much the barracking of the Australian fans during the previous Ashes series (so out of character with then restrained English crowds) which upset the English and encouraged English papers to report the Bodyline Tour in terms of Australian whinging rather than English gamesmanship.
Can’t quite believe that you managed not to mention Keith Miller in this context – were you trying to avoid the cliche?

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