After attending King's College School, Wimbledon, Mason entered the civil service, working most of his life in the estate duty office, employed in the collection of death duties. He also had a career as a writer, beginning as a novelist of modest success before devoting his energies to cricket books. After the Second World War he completed a first-class honours degree in English from the University of London, studying externally.[1]
He had trouble getting his first cricket book, Batsman's Paradise: An Anatomy of Cricketomania, published, until he sent it to Errol Holmes, the former Surrey captain, who recommended it to a publisher.[2] His cricket books were "marked by a genuine affection for the subject as well as a flowing style".[3]
Mason and his wife Peggie had two sons (one of whom, Nick, was a journalist for The Guardian) and a daughter.[1]
Prose styleedit
Mason was a master of the long sentence. Here, in Batsman's Paradise, he describes in two sentences a rare appearance in higher company for the Surrey stalwart Tom Shepherd, in a Test trial at Lord's in 1927:[4]
That he proceeded to engage with Leyland in a stand of over 200, driving beautifully and seeming never for a moment at a loss with the wiliest bowlers in the kingdom, never surprised me for a moment; that his innings of 90 or so was very correctly singled out as one of the gems of the match was entirely right and proper and to be expected. That the selectors would never do anything about it, or that he would never get his chance to appear in any other representative matches of any kind, was almost as inevitable a corollary; and Tom Shepherd from that time forth obediently and I do not doubt quite contentedly continued to bat and bowl at the Oval, where he was known and honoured and knew his way about.[5]
Booksedit
Novelsedit
Timbermills (1939)
The Gold Garland (1939)
The House of the Living (1946)
Cold Pastoral (1946)
Non-fictionedit
The Spirit above the Dust: A Study of Herman Melville (1951)
Batsman's Paradise: An Anatomy of Cricketomania (1955)
Jack Hobbs: A Portrait of an Artist as a Great Batsman (1960)
Ashes in the Mouth: The Story of the Bodyline Tour of 1932-33 (1982)
Referencesedit
^ abEvans, T. F. (10 August 2001). "Obituary: Ronald Mason: Civil servant who became an acclaimed cricket writer". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
^Suresh Menon, "Portraits of heroes". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
^"England v The Rest 1927". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
^Ronald Mason, Batsman’s Paradise: An Anatomy of Cricketomania, Hollis & Carter, London, 1955, p. 70.
April 13, 2024
ronald, mason, cricket, writer, ronald, charles, mason, 1912, august, 2001, english, writer, novels, biographies, literary, criticism, cricket, books, contents, life, career, prose, style, books, novels, fiction, referenceslife, career, editafter, attending, k. Ronald Charles Mason 1912 5 August 2001 was an English writer of novels biographies literary criticism and cricket books Contents 1 Life and career 2 Prose style 3 Books 3 1 Novels 3 2 Non fiction 4 ReferencesLife and career editAfter attending King s College School Wimbledon Mason entered the civil service working most of his life in the estate duty office employed in the collection of death duties He also had a career as a writer beginning as a novelist of modest success before devoting his energies to cricket books After the Second World War he completed a first class honours degree in English from the University of London studying externally 1 He had trouble getting his first cricket book Batsman s Paradise An Anatomy of Cricketomania published until he sent it to Errol Holmes the former Surrey captain who recommended it to a publisher 2 His cricket books were marked by a genuine affection for the subject as well as a flowing style 3 Mason and his wife Peggie had two sons one of whom Nick was a journalist for The Guardian and a daughter 1 Prose style editMason was a master of the long sentence Here in Batsman s Paradise he describes in two sentences a rare appearance in higher company for the Surrey stalwart Tom Shepherd in a Test trial at Lord s in 1927 4 That he proceeded to engage with Leyland in a stand of over 200 driving beautifully and seeming never for a moment at a loss with the wiliest bowlers in the kingdom never surprised me for a moment that his innings of 90 or so was very correctly singled out as one of the gems of the match was entirely right and proper and to be expected That the selectors would never do anything about it or that he would never get his chance to appear in any other representative matches of any kind was almost as inevitable a corollary and Tom Shepherd from that time forth obediently and I do not doubt quite contentedly continued to bat and bowl at the Oval where he was known and honoured and knew his way about 5 Books editNovels edit Timbermills 1939 The Gold Garland 1939 The House of the Living 1946 Cold Pastoral 1946 Non fiction edit The Spirit above the Dust A Study of Herman Melville 1951 Batsman s Paradise An Anatomy of Cricketomania 1955 Jack Hobbs A Portrait of an Artist as a Great Batsman 1960 Walter Hammond A Biography 1962 Sing All a Green Willow 1967 Plum Warner s Last Season 1970 Warwick Armstrong s Australians 1971 Ashes in the Mouth The Story of the Bodyline Tour of 1932 33 1982 References edit a b Evans T F 10 August 2001 Obituary Ronald Mason Civil servant who became an acclaimed cricket writer The Guardian Retrieved 27 January 2015 Suresh Menon Portraits of heroes Cricinfo Retrieved 28 January 2015 Wisden 2002 p 1585 England v The Rest 1927 Cricinfo Retrieved 8 July 2021 Ronald Mason Batsman s Paradise An Anatomy of Cricketomania Hollis amp Carter London 1955 p 70 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ronald Mason cricket writer amp oldid 1218063882, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
