Retailers back publishers over Ashes books
<p>Retailers are anticipating an Ashes bonanza as publishers ready a flurry of cricketing tie-ins for the autumn. At least eight cricket titles will be released over the next few months—including those from Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flintoff. Many have been reworked to include details of the <br />England team's triumph over Australia during the summer.</p><p>Waterstone's sports buyer Joe Browes said: "People love sports heroes and Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss would be the opening pair for anyone looking to field the best team in cricket books."</p><p>Borders UK non-fiction buyer Sarah Cahill agreed: "Flintoff's book will probably see the best sales results for the autobiographies especially as he's retiring from Test cricket. Strauss' will be the most intelligent read."</p><p>A&C Black will reissue its <em>Wisden on the Ashes</em> book at the end of September to include the summer's Test series. Orion is bringing forward publication of its official Ashes tie-in to the end of September. The as-yet untitled book will be priced at £18.99 and feature contributions from the winning team plus colour photographs.</p><p>Hodder & Stoughton will add fresh material to its cricketing memoirs this autumn. The release date of winning captain Andrew Strauss' <em>Testing Times and Bringing Home the Ashes </em>has been brought forward to 17th September. The release date of Andrew Flintoff's <em>Ashes to Ashes</em> has also been shifted to 1st October. The paperback of Alastair Cook's <em>Starting Out</em> is published on 1st October and will include around 10,000 words on the Ashes.</p><p>Simon & Schuster is the first publisher to release an Ashes tie-in this autumn. <em>Atherton's Ashes</em>, by former England cricket captain Mike Atherton, will be published on 1st September, priced £18.99.</p><p>Aurum is rush-releasing its Ashes book by cricket journalist Gideon Haigh, titled <em>The Ultimate Test</em>, for publication on 17th September.</p>