Hockey History Books

[The Roy Of Ottawa]

Does Hockey Chronicle still get published every year? If not, what was the last year it was updated and released?

 

[JMCx4]

I want to do nothing but study hockey history, read old THN issues, share what I find on hfboards, attend SIHR meetings and participate in ATDs.

But to do that, I need to not have a job.

But to not have a job, I have to not need a job.

Currently I need a job, but I'm working hard on making that not the case. With some luck I will have over half my life left when I achieve this! And then I can finally do what I want to do with my life.

I, for one, am rooting for you. As long as "over half my life left" is 40+ years. Beyond that, things get a little iffy.

 

[seventieslord]

I, for one, am rooting for you. As long as "over half my life left" is 40+ years. Beyond that, things get a little iffy.

Well, I expect to live to 100, but I mean "over half of what statistics say my life will be".

 

[JMCx4]

Well, I expect to live to 100, but I mean "over half of what statistics say my life will be".

I haven't met a whole lotta centenarians whose longevities I envy. So I'm gonna keep reading like I won't make it there.

 

[sr edler]

Are there some good hockey books on WWI?

I wonder because I came over an interesting story of one W. Edgar Robinson of the Winnipeg Victorias who went down with his plane over the Mediterranean Sea and drifted on the ocean for about 8 days (survived by drinking water from the plane tank, I think) before he ran ashore near Tripoli, Libya and was taken POW by the Turks there. I think he sat POW for one and a half year or something before he could return home. I like stories like that, but they aren't necessarily directly hockey related. Winnipeg hockey had a lot of WWI recruits beyond the usual suspects (Frank Frederickson and Konrad Johannesson).

Another aspect is how the American Amateur Hockey League crashlanded in the face of the war.

 

[Killion]

Are there some good hockey books on WWI?

I wonder because I came over an interesting story of one W. Edgar Robinson of the Winnipeg Victorias who went down with his plane over the Mediterranean Sea and drifted on the ocean for about 8 days (survived by drinking water from the plane tank, I think) before he ran ashore near Tripoli, Libya and was taken POW by the Turks there. I think he sat POW for one and a half year or something before he could return home. I like stories like that, but they aren't necessarily directly hockey related. Winnipeg hockey had a lot of WWI recruits beyond the usual suspects (Frank Frederickson and Konrad Johannesson).

Another aspect is how the American Amateur Hockey League crashlanded in the face of the war.

Interesting. Had not heard that story before.... Not aware of any hockey book's written specifically about WW1 & that period however Conn Smythes biography, Stephen Harpers book along with Empire of Ice & others do touch on it.

 

[JMCx4]

Are there some good hockey books on WWI? ...

Not a book, but this NY Times piece is an interesting read on the subject. This more brief Hockey News article remembers four HHoF members who were KIA in The Great War. There's also this more scholarly 2005 article published in the International Journal of the History of Sport, which has ending citations of sources that might yield further reading opportunities: Skating to Armageddon: Canada, Hockey and the First World War.

 

[TheAngryHank]

He did manage to get a crap Islanders team to the post seasin.

 

[kaiser matias]

Not a book, but this NY Times piece is an interesting read on the subject. This more brief Hockey News article remembers four HHoF members who were KIA in The Great War. There's also this more scholarly 2005 article published in the International Journal of the History of Sport, which has ending citations of sources that might yield further reading opportunities: Skating to Armageddon: Canada, Hockey and the First World War.

Regarding academic articles, I have a few saved relating to hockey (possibly most of the ones written actually), including one that touches on Frank McGee:

"‘The Greater and Grimmer Game’: Sport as an Arbiter of Military
Fitness in the British Empire – The Case of ‘One-Eyed’ Frank Mcgee" by Nic Clarke, The International Journal of the History of Sport Vol. 28, No. 3-4 (March 2011): 604-622.

I can list the other articles here as well, and provide PDFs, for anyone interested. Topics include international hockey, several on the Kenora Thistles, violence in the early years, media coverage, an article on the life of Dan Bain, and a few MA theses (the development of the Soviet national team, the IPHL, and one about Dinamo Riga).

 

[Merya]

But you've since moved on to felony offenses?

The movie RED was based on my work.

 

[nabby12]

Are there some good hockey books on WWI?

I wonder because I came over an interesting story of one W. Edgar Robinson of the Winnipeg Victorias who went down with his plane over the Mediterranean Sea and drifted on the ocean for about 8 days (survived by drinking water from the plane tank, I think) before he ran ashore near Tripoli, Libya and was taken POW by the Turks there. I think he sat POW for one and a half year or something before he could return home. I like stories like that, but they aren't necessarily directly hockey related. Winnipeg hockey had a lot of WWI recruits beyond the usual suspects (Frank Frederickson and Konrad Johannesson).

Another aspect is how the American Amateur Hockey League crashlanded in the face of the war.

I wrote out the full story on W. Edgar Robinson tonight for those interested:

W. Edgar Robinson was born in Selkirk on December 8th, 1888. The son of a millionaire businessman and steamboat operator, Robinson was a noted player for the storied Winnipeg Victorias club and lived in a house on 712 Langside Street in Winnipeg. He participated in World War I as a pilot on a FBA flying boat. On July 8th, 1917, he was high in the air doing patrol duty with another aviator in the Mediterranean near Malta when suddenly his attention was directed to a French ship, which at that moment was being threatened by a German submarine. The two pilots went to assist the vessel, but later got lost in a heavy mist and ran into engine trouble before landing in the ocean.

For eight days the pilots spent their time trying to locate their whereabouts, spending the time drifting on the surface of the water with their planes, in the hope that they would soon see land. During this time, they lived on condensed food, which they carried, and their only source of drink was the exhaust water from their planes. Soon further misfortune came about when they drifted from each other. Finally, they were thrown up on the shores near Tripoli, Libya, and were left laying half-dead for several hours.

A local Turk walking along the sand one morning saw the aviators lying there and took them to a hut, where they were brought to consciousness and fed. Robinson tried hard to make the man understand who he was, but, after main vain attempts, came to the conclusion that at least this man was an ally. He was put on the back of a camel and conveyed about 40 miles inland. A starting surprise awaited him there, however, as he was immediately handed over to another group of Turks in charge of a German officer and became a POW for the remainder of the war.

Robinson was apparently well treated by his captors. He was even allowed to communicate with some bankers at the nearest town and they relayed information back to Canada to his parents to let them know that he was alright. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre on August 29, 1917 while still a POW. Robinson was finally released in January 1919 after 18 months as a POW.

Robinson lived most of his life in Vancouver once he returned to Canada, although he used to come back to Winnipeg and spend time at his parents’ home at 264 Roslyn Road during the summer months.

 

[Theokritos]

Thanks for the write-up. Just a little side note: Turks aren't Arabs and vice versa.

 

[nabby12]

Thanks for the write-up. Just a little side note: Turks aren't Arabs and vice versa.

Correct. I was reading different reports when writing it out and got it mixed up. It's edited now. Thanks!

 

[Habsfan18]

Apparently Jaromir Jagr has an autobiography (written with Jan Smid) that was released in 1997. I had no idea. Has anyone read it? Just ordered it, cheapest one I could find online was $20USD after shipping.

Just received Denis Potvin’s 1977 autobiography (signed) in the mail. Looking forward to reading that one. Added it to the growing list! Been reading a lot lately but only have so much time to do so in a day..

I think I have a problem. My collecting is getting out of hand. I am currently waiting on 21 books in the mail - and that’s after receiving 10 or so the past 2 weeks! Up to 450 books now, not counting my THN collection. I just love collecting, and I take pride in having a nearly endless supply of reading material on hockey’s history on display in the basement.

Think I might ask my wife to hold onto my credit card for awhile.

 

[Killion]

Apparently Jaromir Jagr has an autobiography (written with Jan Smid) that was released in 1997. I had no idea. Has anyone read it? Just ordered it, cheapest one I could find online was $20USD after shipping.

Just received Denis Potvin’s 1977 autobiography (signed) in the mail. Looking forward to reading that one. Added it to the growing list! Been reading a lot lately but only have so much time to do so in a day..

I think I have a problem. My collecting is getting out of hand. I am currently waiting on 21 books in the mail - and that’s after receiving 10 or so the past 2 weeks! Up to 450 books now, not counting my THN collection. I just love collecting, and I take pride in having a nearly endless supply of reading material on hockey’s history on display in the basement.

Think I might ask my wife to hold onto my credit card for awhile.

.... ..... yeah, collecting can get crazy.... check this guys basement out.. www.ultimateleafsfan.com .... you should be ok with books though if you start gravitating towards things like sticks, equipment, jerseys (a Dave Keon game worn #14 Rookie Jersey for example went for $72,000.00 + in an auction not long ago) & so on then ya.... youd best be cutting up your credit & debit cards.

 

[sr edler]

Think I might ask my wife to hold onto my credit card for awhile.

At our place I hold the credit card, or else my wife would spend all our money on kefir.

You should read that Jagr biography and come back with a review.

 

[Killion]

At our place I hold the credit card, or else my wife would spend all our money on kefir.

You should read that Jagr biography and come back with a review.

..... sprinkles it on everything does she?

 

[sr edler]

..... sprinkles it on everything does she?

Almost feels like it.

 

[Habsfan18]

.... ..... yeah, collecting can get crazy.... check this guys basement out.. www.ultimateleafsfan.com .... you should be ok with books though if you start gravitating towards things like sticks, equipment, jerseys (a Dave Keon game worn #14 Rookie Jersey for example went for $72,000.00 + in an auction not long ago) & so on then ya.... youd best be cutting up your credit & debit cards.

Damn, that’s impressive! I once got the idea that I was going to start collecting jerseys...until I looked into the prices and that dream ended just as quickly as it started!

At our place I hold the credit card, or else my wife would spend all our money on kefir.

You should read that Jagr biography and come back with a review.

Hah, the wife and I are actually complete opposites when it comes to money. She’s extremely careful with her spending and it borders on being flat out cheap (which I always pick on her for, but it’s actually a good thing) and I spend way too freely.

It’s no wonder our joint account ended a few years back and we went our “separate ways” in terms of bank accounts!

 

[Killion]

Damn, that’s impressive! I once got the idea that I was going to start collecting jerseys...until I looked into the prices and that dream ended just as quickly as it started!

Ya, mind blowing. Bunch of Baby Boomers, GenX'rs or whatever going head-head with money to burn for a jersey, sticks or whatever. Wow! Ya nutz? .... We have a member here who does that whole jersey collecting dealeo in an extremely novel fashion.... bought himself a loom.... goes out & buys period correct yarns.... manufactures his own "sweaters" detailed absolutely bang dead on to the originals including cresting & felt number font's that he outsources from crest mfg's, one-offs.... and I mean old school... Kenora Thistles.... Portland Rosebuds... Chicago Blackhawks striped version... WHA etc.... even things like the old Rangers, Bruins etc player, coach & trainer cardigans from the 50's on back.

 

[member 83027]

.... ..... yeah, collecting can get crazy.... check this guys basement out.. www.ultimateleafsfan.com .... you should be ok with books though if you start gravitating towards things like sticks, equipment, jerseys (a Dave Keon game worn #14 Rookie Jersey for example went for $72,000.00 + in an auction not long ago) & so on then ya.... youd best be cutting up your credit & debit cards.

It's one of the most amazing things I have seen in person. I have had the pleasure of being there on 4 different occasions. Every time I went I noticed things I missed seeing on my previous visit. The artifacts was one thing and then add in the details of the displays was incredible.

The best thing about the collection............. He has helped use it to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for numerous charities. He has hosted plenty of events there with all money raised donated. He just held an event on Jan 31st that raised over 25 thousand for a 3 year old boy.

Mike sold a lot of the collection late last year to the Canadian Museum of History.

Ultimate Leafs fan sells most of collection to Ottawa museum | Toronto Star

Now back to Habsfan18..... Now you know why I started doing what I did. The amount of room things started to take up go to be too much. The other problem was when you wanted to find something specific it took a bit to get at it.

The only problem my wife had with everything was the musty smell old paper gets. Once it's there you can;t get rid of it.

Keep the collection going while your wife saves for a bigger house.

 

[Habsfan18]

Here are the 22 books I have coming in the mail. The Flying Frenchmen, and the Jagr biography are the 2 I’m most looking forward to.

Should be lots of good reading here, and all great additions to the growing collection.

- The Flying Frenchmen: Hockey’s Greatest Dynasty - by Maurice Richard (Stan Fischler - 1971)
- Jaromir Jagr autobiography (1997)
- Jari Kurri autobiography (2001)
- Conn Smythe: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em In The Alley (1981)
- Bill Gadsby autobiography (Kevin Allen - 2003)
- The Great Expansion: The Ultimate Risk That Changed The NHL Forever
- All New Hockey’s 100 (Stan Fischler - 1990)
- Lords Of The Rinks
- Bad Boys (Stan Fischler - 1994)
- Who’s Who In Hockey (Stan Fischler - 2003)
- Pierre Pilote autobiography (2013)
- Glenn Hall: The Man They Call Mr. Goalie (2002)
- Darryl Sittler autobiography (1991)
- Gordie Howe unauthorized biography (Roy MacSkimming - 1994)
- Sheldon Kennedy: Why I Didn’t Say Anything
- King Clancy biography (Brian McFarlane - 1997 edition)
- Charlie Gardiner biography (2005)
- Dave Semenko autobiography (1989)
- Steve Montador biography (Ken Dryden - 2017)
- John Scott autobiography
- The McDavid Effect
- Unbreakable: 50 Goals In 39 Games (Mike Brophy/Todd Denault - 2016)

 

[Habsfan18]

Ya, mind blowing. Bunch of Baby Boomers, GenX'rs or whatever going head-head with money to burn for a jersey, sticks or whatever. Wow! Ya nutz? .... We have a member here who does that whole jersey collecting dealeo in an extremely novel fashion.... bought himself a loom.... goes out & buys period correct yarns.... manufactures his own "sweaters" detailed absolutely bang dead on to the originals including cresting & felt number font's that he outsources from crest mfg's, one-offs.... and I mean old school... Kenora Thistles.... Portland Rosebuds... Chicago Blackhawks striped version... WHA etc.... even things like the old Rangers, Bruins etc player, coach & trainer cardigans from the 50's on back.

I’d absolutely love to be able to do something like that, but unless we win the lottery (which is the plan of course ) I don’t think that’s in the cards.

How amazing would it be though to have a giant mancave room filled with vintage jerseys from each era on display. Damn!

And @STLBlueshistory I definitely can see why you went the digital route for archiving your collection. MUCH easier for researching purposes!

And the bigger house idea is actually a good one, especially considering we may have no choice as my collection continues to grow over the years.

 

[JMCx4]

... I think I have a problem. My collecting is getting out of hand. I am currently waiting on 21 books in the mail - and that’s after receiving 10 or so the past 2 weeks! Up to 450 books now, not counting my THN collection. I just love collecting, and I take pride in having a nearly endless supply of reading material on hockey’s history on display in the basement. ...

The "problem" is that reading material is not for putting on display; it's for reading. So unless you or your guests are plucking the books & other media off those shelves, they are simply taking up space in your house. And once you run out of "display" opportunities, you'll fall into the category of a hoarder. Get help, man, before you end up on a reality TV show.

 

[Habsfan18]

The "problem" is that reading material is not for putting on display; it's for reading. So unless you or your guests are plucking the books & other media off those shelves, they are simply taking up space in your house. And once you run out of "display" opportunities, you'll fall into the category of a hoarder. Get help, man, before you end up on a reality TV show.

When it’s a book collection being placed on book shelves in the mancave, it’s absolutely for display. But believe me, I also read the books. Just one at a time though. At least I’ll never run out of reading material.

THN published a little piece on my collection a few years back in their magazine (which has only grown since then) and it was appropriately titled “Hockey Hoarder.”