The Bradman Albums is widely regarded as one of the most important Bradman publications ever produced. Rather than a conventional biography, this two-volume work reproduces — in facsimile form — selections from Sir Donald Bradman’s own meticulously kept scrapbooks.
Across both volumes, the reader encounters an extraordinary primary-source record of Bradman’s career, comprising:
Contemporary newspaper clippings
Match reports and commentary
Personal letters, telegrams, and correspondence
Photographs from Bradman’s playing years
Ephemera preserved exactly as assembled by Bradman himself
The material is reproduced with minimal editorial interference, preserving the authentic texture and layout of the original albums. This approach gives the set a documentary quality unmatched by later narrative biographies.
Each volume includes an introduction by Sir Donald Bradman, lending the work both authority and intimacy.
Historical Scope
Volume I (1925–1934):
Bradman’s emergence, early Tests, record-breaking innings, and rise to global fame.Volume II (1935–1949):
The mature years, Bodyline aftermath, wartime interruption, post-war return, and the 1948 Invincibles farewell.
Together, the two volumes form a near-complete contemporary record of Bradman’s playing life.
This set occupies a unique position in cricket literature:
It is not interpretive, but archival
It draws directly from Bradman’s personal collection.
Complete sets in original slipcases are increasingly difficult to source in very good condition.
