Richie: The Man Behind the Legend is not a book of statistics or match reviews. Instead, it gets to the heart of 'Richie Benaud, the man'. Each chapter features personal recollections of various lengths from the people who knew Richie best. Among the contributors are members of Richie's family, childhood friends, cricket greats such as Neil Harvey and Alan Davidson, fellow commentators such as Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor, prominent identities from sport, politics, the media and business, from Australia, England, France, South Africa and the Caribbean. The book ends with a postscript by John Benaud. The book will feature colour and black-and-white photographs, including some from the private Benaud collection.

Author Biography

Ian Heads is the author or co-author of more than 40 sports books. He was managing editor of Rugby League Week from 1981 to 1987. In the years since, he has worked on books with many Australian sporting champions, including Mark Taylor, Jack Gibson, Arthur Beetson, Peter Sterling, Mark Taylor, rugby's Matthew Burke, swimming's Ian Thorpe and Des Renford, racing's Brian Mayfield-Smith, and track and field's Herb Elliott, Louise Sauvage and Nova Peris. Norman Tasker is a 40-year veteran of the sports writing craft. He covered his first rugby Test for the Sunday Telegraph at 19 years of age, made many major tours as travelling correspondent with Australian cricket and rugby teams, and became sports editor of the Sydney Sun. In 1988, Tasker moved into magazines as editor of Rugby League Week, launched the cricket magazine Inside Edge and its rugby counterpart Inside Rugby, and became publisher of ACP's sporting magazine division. Tasker is the author or co-author of a number of best-selling sports books, including three titles with Alan McGilvray. He also compiled a tribute to McGilvray, The Voice of Cricket, following the great broadcaster's death in 1996.