Shane Warne, Bodyline and the World Series breakaway … The touchstones of the Ashes loom large in the consciousness of two proud and competitive nations. This book joins the dots in a comprehensive account of the Ashes Tests, from their informal beginnings in the 1860s to the mightly battle of 2005 when England reclaimed the urn to Australia’s 5–0 whitewash in 2007. The book reviews each decade with a feast of lively anecdotes and fascinating eyewitness accounts, highlighting legends of the game from Jack Hobbs to Dennis Lillee, as well as those unfortunately (or best) forgotten. Packed with argument-busting statistics and handsomely illustrated, this definitive volume tracks the development of cricket’s ultimate contest from a money-making exercise to one of the world’s most enduring and feisty sporting rivalries.