Bradman the Great is a classic mid-20th-century biography that reflects how Sir Donald Bradman was viewed within a decade of his retirement, at a time when his achievements were already passing into legend but were still within living memory.
 
B. J. Wakley presents a traditional narrative biography, charting Bradman’s rise from rural New South Wales prodigy to the dominant force in world cricket. Written in the authoritative, measured tone of post-war sporting literature, the book emphasises Bradman’s technique, temperament, and statistical supremacy, while also addressing the expectations and pressures placed upon him as Australia’s pre-eminent sporting figure.
 
Of particular note is the full-page portrait illustration by John T. Kenby, which adds visual and artistic interest to the volume and enhances its appeal as a display piece within a cricket library.
 
Published in 1959, this book occupies an important position between Bradman’s own memoirs and the later, more analytical biographies by writers such as David Frith and Roland Perry.
 
For collectors, the first edition with original dust jacket is increasingly difficult to find in sound condition. Even with wear, copies retaining the dust jacket are sought after, particularly by collectors building a chronological Bradman shelf.