About the Author

Jonathan Davies was a scholar of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge where he read history, before progressing to a career in teaching. He has spent the last forty years mostly teaching medieval and Tudor history as well as leading a medieval/Tudor reenactment group. He has written extensively on a wide range of historical subjects both civilian and military, including a book on the navy in the reign of Henry VIII. He has extensive first-hand experience in the handling of weapons from slings to swords, pikes to trebuchets and bronze cannons to crossbows. His latest project involved the design and casting of an octagonal bronze cannon barrel fitted with a matching field carriage, for his reenactment group. He has written about, conducted workshops and lectured on the understanding of the past through practical experience. He has followed the route of the First Crusade in an ancient ex-ambulance and has most recently completed a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela on foot. He brings a lifetime of practical and academic experience to the subject, providing new insights into a topic which has often been little regarded.

Reviews

The raison d’être of this beautifully produced volume is encapsulated in the opening blurb: every four years, rugby enemies become comrades as the top internationals of the home nations combine to take on the giants of the southern hemisphere. But who are the greatest of the great? Who better than Jonathan Davies to attempt to answer that question? A legend both on and off the field, he examines the bragging rights of Lions who occupied the various positions. In an illuminating foreword, Peter Jackson reminds us of the way Davies was deprived of being the No. 1 fly half for the 1986 series against the Springboks, following the four home unions’ decision to boycott South Africa in view of its apartheid regime. Those who missed out played in a match organised against the Rest of the World XV. But Davies was injured. Then came his decision to head north. Davies, together with Alun Wyn Bevan, examines the candidates' position by position. He makes a valid point in his introduction, noting that he, not having been a Lion, may lend a greater objectivity to his selections. He bases his choices on individual performances and ultimate success achieved in a Lions jersey. A chapter is dedicated to each position. Full-backs, he claims, are a different breed today. Wingers are individuals with their own special tricks. As for centres, so endless was the list of superstars that he could have commissioned a volume consisting only of midfield players. As for the No. 10 position, Davies accepts that he is pretty well-placed to venture an opinion. Who would argue? As for the scrum half position there is no contest. One stands out. And so we come to the props. Davies concedes that for an outside half to pass judgement on a front-row forward demands some cheek! As for the hooker, he is, says Davies, different from all the rest. Choosing the second row pair is another headache chapter, he admits. As for the next position, rugby fans all seem to know what it takes to be a great No. 8. Then the wing forwards. Davies admits that he spent his union career trying to escape them. This book is a must in both content and presentation for any discerning rugby fan. I have deliberately refrained from naming Davies’s chosen XV. Enough to note as a taster that six of them are Welsh.
*Lyn Ebenezer @ www.gwales.com*