A Load of Old Balls cover art

A Load of Old Balls

The QI History of Sport

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Load of Old Balls

By: James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski
Narrated by: Anna Ptaszynski, James Harkin
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $32.99

Buy Now for $32.99

About this listen

Previously published as EVERYTHING TO PLAY FOR: THE QI BOOK OF SPORTS

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CHARLES TYRWHITT SPORTS BOOK AWARDS

'Top Bins! A personal best, a lap record and a hole in one for when rain has stopped play.' ALAN DAVIES

'The trivia book of the season . . . magnificent.' SPECTATOR

Hop, skip and jump into this wonderfully curious grand tour of the world of sports, brought to you by QI Elves James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski.

From sport's weirdest rules to its most unlikely heroes, via comically large cricket bats, pole-vaulting priests, creative football chants and exploding billiard balls, each chapter of A Load of Old Balls is brimming with surprising facts and intriguing stories.

Even if you've never asked yourself what David Attenborough has to do with yellow tennis balls, why Victorian doctors feared the outbreak of 'bicycle face' or what led ancient Egyptian athletes to have their spleens removed, this book will give you the astonishing answers - and plenty more besides.

**

For more from the team behind QI's hit TV show, check out the QI FACTS series of books, @qikipedia, their weekly podcast at nosuchthingasafish.com or visit qi.com

©2023 James Harkin (P)2023 Faber & Faber
All stars
Most relevant  
If you like No Such Thing As A Fish you’ll love this. Very funny interesting tid bits about the history of sports. Listened on x1.4 in a day. Great stuff.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Having watched QI and listened to the No Such Thing As a Fish podcast, and having listened and read other books such as The Audiobook of the Year and Funny You Should Ask …. I bought this book without hesitation and I definitely enjoyed it. But I it missed the friendly banter of the podcast in this as it’s not in that style. Very good though. They really research well and know their stuff.

Really enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Not super into sports... but this was interesting! Worth a go for sure. Good narration, entertaining and funny.

Surpringly interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.