Eleven Bats: A Story of Cricket and the SAS

Eleven Bats: A Story of Cricket and the SAS

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  • Create Date:2021-04-03 08:54:04
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Anthony 'Harry' Moffitt
  • ISBN:1760877840
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Summary

Anthony 'Harry' Moffitt spent more than 20 years in the SAS。 His decades of service and his multiple tours in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan made him one of the regiment's most experienced and respected figures。

Alongside the SAS, Harry's other lifetime love is cricket。 An improvised game of backyard cricket was often the circuit-breaker Harry and his team needed after the tension of operations。 Recognizing the effect of the game on his fellow soldiers, he began a tradition of organising games and matches wherever he was sent, whether it was in the mountains of East Timor with a fugitive rebel leader, or on the dusty streets of Baghdad, or in exposed Forward Operating Bases in the hills of Afghanistan。 Soldiers, locals and even visiting politicians played in these spontaneous yet often bridge-building games。 As part of the tradition Harry also started to take a cricket bat with him on operational tours, eleven of them in total across his career。 They'd travel with him, often go outside the wire with him, and end up signed by those he met or fought alongside。 These eleven bats have formed the basis for Harry's extraordinary memoir。 It's a book about combat, and what it takes to serve in one of the world's most elite formations。 It's a book about the toll that war takes on soldiers and their loved ones。 And it's a book about the healing power of cricket, and how a game can cross boundaries and break down borders even in the most desperate of circumstances。

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Reviews

Jennifer

An interesting memoir about an SAS officer framed around how cricket (among other things) assisted him in keeping his mental health。

Jared Hansen

A solid memoir that goes into quite a bit of satisfying detail about the deployments into Afghanistan, and the torn feelings that the introspective author feels about the military world and their contributions。 There's a lot of great frankness, and some worthy criticism, along with a lot of heavily Strayan anecdotes。The book is largely sold as a cricket book, but this is largely a book about soldiering which uses the author's love of cricket as a frame。 There are very few stories about the actua A solid memoir that goes into quite a bit of satisfying detail about the deployments into Afghanistan, and the torn feelings that the introspective author feels about the military world and their contributions。 There's a lot of great frankness, and some worthy criticism, along with a lot of heavily Strayan anecdotes。The book is largely sold as a cricket book, but this is largely a book about soldiering which uses the author's love of cricket as a frame。 There are very few stories about the actual outcomes of games, for example。 Cricket is more of a social lubricant within the pages, and there is a lot more detail about the harrowing nature of certain missions, mishaps, and general SAS culture。The book is really more of a 3。5 star read, it's decidedly better than average, but the disparate elements don't come into anything exceptional。 It has the purity of the first time author, though。 Clearly a very personal book, and from a very considered person。 。。。more

Angela

Eleven Bats: A Story of Combat, Cricket and the SAS by Anthony MoffittSynopsis /Alongside the SAS, Harry's other lifetime love is cricket。 An improvised game of cricket was often the circuit-breaker Harry and his team needed after the tension of operations。 He began a tradition of organising matches wherever he was sent, whether it was in the mountains of East Timor with a fugitive rebel leader, or on the dusty streets of Baghdad, or in exposed Forward Operating Bases in the hills of Afghanistan Eleven Bats: A Story of Combat, Cricket and the SAS by Anthony MoffittSynopsis /Alongside the SAS, Harry's other lifetime love is cricket。 An improvised game of cricket was often the circuit-breaker Harry and his team needed after the tension of operations。 He began a tradition of organising matches wherever he was sent, whether it was in the mountains of East Timor with a fugitive rebel leader, or on the dusty streets of Baghdad, or in exposed Forward Operating Bases in the hills of Afghanistan。 Soldiers, locals and even visiting politicians played in these spontaneous yet often bridge-building games。As part of the tradition, Harry also started to take a cricket bat with him on operational tours, eleven of them in total。 They'd often go outside the wire with him and end up signed by those he met or fought alongside。 These eleven bats form the basis for Harry's extraordinary memoir。 It's a book about combat, and what it takes to serve in one of the world's most elite formations。 It's a book about the toll that war takes on soldiers and their loved ones。 And it's a book about the healing power of cricket, and how a game can break down borders in even the most desperate of circumstances。My Thoughts /’Like many Australian soldiers in that period, I have been shot at, blown up, busted and broken, mentally drained, socially dislocated and spiritually, ethically and morally challenged。’Right from the Dedication written in this book you know you are going to get honest and raw。 It’s my hope that anyone who reads this book will take away something positive。 Harry certainly has a way with words…。The Oxford English Dictionary has the definition of “war” as a Hostile contention by means of armed forces, carried on between nations, states, or rulers, or between parties in the same nation or state; the employment of armed forces against a foreign power, or against an opposing party in the state。 It can be applied poetically or rhetorically to any kind of active hostility or contention between living beings, or of conflict between opposing forces or principles。 Sounds awful [war] and it is, make no mistake。 I am reminded of a quote by G。 Michael Hopf - Decisions determine destiny。 We all make them and have to live with them – Harry is no different – he’s human, just like the rest of us。In times of anguish he is able to find a lighter side – or maybe it’s just come across that way in his storytelling。In one of our hides, we were discovered – by a herd of goats。 They wandered up and started eating the scrub we had picked from high up in a tree。 We had actually done the goats a favour, as they had already eaten all the low scrub。 To address the ongoing issue of being discovered by goats, scientists assisting Special Forces had created a spray, supposedly smelling of tiger piss, that we were directed to spray on our hides to ward off the hungry and curious animals。 The only problem was that the goats did not know what tiger piss smelt like – as they were no tigers in Afghanistan! Another brilliant idea from the boffins in the lab…This is not just a book about war, it’s also about Australians and Australian-isms, life, dreams and of course, cricket! You learn about all-rounders, bouncers, googly, pitch, innings and the bat (or Willow)。 The bats, all 11 of them, are used as links between each of the chapters, which coincided with different periods of deployment。 Each bat evokes different memories and is a poignant reminder of survival amongst horrifying conditions。 Harry is definitely a cricket fanatic and on deployment used it as a release; diversion; morale building and, more importantly, bridge-building。I dreamt of becoming a lot of things – a cricketer, a footballer, even an architect – but when I look back, I was only ever going to be a soldier。 Fish don’t know they’re in water。 You don’t understand the impact of your upbringing until you’re looking back。 When it comes to my destiny in life, I guess it was written。If you choose to read this book you will get the good, the bad and the ugly。 It is my hope that if you read this book you will do so with an open mind and heart – for which you will be justly rewarded。 。。。more

Jack Kelly

As the blurb hints, this isn't a 'war' story; it's much more flavoured and personally nuanced than that。 Eleven Bats is an insight into the mind of an Australian SASR soldier balancing the demands of duty, family, pitch and morality。 Harry begins as a fresh face in one of Australia's most demanding military positions。 Throughout his eleven deployments he revels, rues, and reconciles。Turning through the pages, Harry invites you over for a beer, and weaves a carpet of life stories that wield your As the blurb hints, this isn't a 'war' story; it's much more flavoured and personally nuanced than that。 Eleven Bats is an insight into the mind of an Australian SASR soldier balancing the demands of duty, family, pitch and morality。 Harry begins as a fresh face in one of Australia's most demanding military positions。 Throughout his eleven deployments he revels, rues, and reconciles。Turning through the pages, Harry invites you over for a beer, and weaves a carpet of life stories that wield your attention regardless of your interest in military and cricket。In light of the IGADF (Afghan Inquiry), which came out around the same date, these pages are well worth your hours as they inform the environments (mentally and physically) that we ask our serving citizens to perform in。 。。。more

Sophie

DNF at 58 pages。 I was recommended this book, but it just didn’t interest me。

Luke Richmond

A fantastic book written by a man with a wealth of knowledge, who along with a high level of emotional intelligence and a degree in psychology, describes the reality of war much better than the typical gun slinger。 Thank you for writing this book Harry。

Lorraine

ELEVEN BATS by Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt is published by Allen & Unwin October 2020Review by Lorraine ParkerI hesitantly stepped right out of my comfort zone to read Eleven Bats。 I am not an avid cricket follower, the SAS is far from my realm and, like many, war horrifies me。 However, history, humanitarianism, courage in the face of adversity and courage I can really relate to。 Moffitt’s compelling introduction alone is worth reading and drew me in。 The first chapter covers Harry’s first deploymen ELEVEN BATS by Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt is published by Allen & Unwin October 2020Review by Lorraine ParkerI hesitantly stepped right out of my comfort zone to read Eleven Bats。 I am not an avid cricket follower, the SAS is far from my realm and, like many, war horrifies me。 However, history, humanitarianism, courage in the face of adversity and courage I can really relate to。 Moffitt’s compelling introduction alone is worth reading and drew me in。 The first chapter covers Harry’s first deployment in Afghanistan, 2002/03 as member of the SAS。 So many snippets of humour such as; when hiding in a camouflaged area “the goats nibbled our cover away”。 He hissed。 “Get lost! But they didn’t speak English”, lighten their situation and also the grimness of even reading his account。 Moffitt also writes that, “if it weren’t for moments of humour, we’d have gone mad”。 Then there is the cricket and the bats。 Eleven bats are the links between each deployment (as well as chapters), and are the basis of this exceptional memoir。 Cricket was a release, it was morale building, it was a diversion, it was sanity and many times it was ‘bridge’ building。 Each bat was to become a reminder of what survival meant。 Training for the SAS in Perth was extremely tough。 A remarkable calibre was needed, both physically and mentally。 Moffitt has both qualities。 He has a healthy scepticism about authorities fortified by his witnessing first-hand the fractures of law and order between, for example, the navy and his combat team as in Timor-Leste 2006。Moffitt describes one of his most devastating, gory and brutal experiences in Afghanistan when innocent civilians were injured in a blast from a suicide bomber。 A surreal and confronting experience。 Cricket was yet again a panacea in the aftermath。Without his incredible wife, Danielle and children to return to, Moffitt may not have made it through the SAS as long as he did。 Bat XI or chapter 11 is a profound summation of his years of service and looking back, how he sees the situation of Afghanistan。 He has gathered so much insight through his humanitarian approach。Moffitt is now a Registered Psychologist and runs a human performance consultancy。Yes, it is a real man’s book but also a book for everyone。 I devoured it over several sittings。 。。。more