Hockey History Books

[ficohok*]

I must say I was impressed with Dave King's book : King of Russia ! Great recap of his one and half year in Russia with Russian powerhouse Magnitogorsk, diffirences in hockey and culture between NA and post-communist Russia. Great read !

 

[Nalens Oga]

Man hockey history books are overpriced, I was browsing and they're all $20-35 even for paperback. Glad I found some online for free and a few sales.

Anyways, found a $2 book plus this one on sale for $8 at Indigo/Chapters (regular price is $30). It's not bad, just a diary account but in a nice chronological one, good to have for any Leafs fan:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books...6369-item.html?ikwid=leaf's+diary&ikwsec=Home

 

[Killion]

Last night I purchased the book Gretzky's Tears by Stephen Brunt. I am going to sink my teeth into this book now. I was a big fan of Brunt's other books - Searching for Bobby Orr and The New Ice Age.

Yes, Stephen Brunt is a terrific writer, however I did have a bit of a "problem" with In Search of Bobby Orr; unauthorised as it was does make a great many assumptions that are either completely incorrect or at minimum shouldve' been reeled in a bit by the Editors. Tough call, but definitely an 'A' for effort.... Gretzky's Tears a good read, though the intimations far less than flattering for the Great One. It was well known that he was enamoured with "Celebrity", LA & stardom; and certainly his status subjectively in that regard opens up a Pandoras Box of speculation Brunt seems to enjoy lifting the lid on, perhaps a little too keenly. Crocodile Tears perhaps? The usual.

 

[JFA87-66-99]

The next book I want to get is the new book about the history of the PCHA. Can't wait to start reading that

 

[Nalens Oga]

You know, libraries in NAmerica have a tonne of ePub's online on their website. You can of course only download an ePub from your own library's site but if you remove the DRM protection from it (fairly easy), it can be shared.

Obviously we can't post those on HF but maybe we can get a hockey eBook group started via PM or something. There are already 26+ I know of. I've spotted several others from other library websites but I can't access them (not my own library).

 

[Nalens Oga]

I have around 7 physical books but these are the ones I have in digital format. If you have a digital book different from one of the ones on the list below then PM me and we can exchange.

Several issues of The Hockey News going back to 2009 (and specials like 100 Greatest Players, 100 Years of Mtl Canadiens, etc)
30 Years of the Game At Its Best - Joyce (ePub)
As The Puck Turns – Brian Conacher
Between The Lines – Ray Scapinello
Cornered – Ron MacLean (ePub)
Crossing The Line – Derek Sanderson (ePub)
Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey
Fever Season – Eric Zweig (ePub)
George Laraque: The Story of the NHL’s Unlikeliest Tough Guy (ePub)
History of Hockey – Brian McFarlane
Hockey Dad True Confessions of a Hockey Parent – Bob McKenzie
Hockey Dreams – David Adams (mobi)
Hockeytown – Jimmy Devellano
Hope and Hearbreak: Life As A Maple Leafs Fan (ePub)
J.R – Jeremy Roenick (ePub/mobi)
Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed The Face of Hockey (ePub)
Mario Lemieux (Overcoming Adversity) – Tim O’Shei
Martin Brodeur: Beyond The Crease
Over The Line – Al Strachan (ePub)
Playing With Fire – Theo Fleury (ePub)
Team Canada 1972 as told by the players (ePub)
The Best Seat In The House: Stories From Inside the NHL – Jamie McLennan (ePub)
The Big M: Frank Mahovlich (ePub)
The Game – Ken Dryden
The Goal of My Life – Paul Henderson (ePub)
The Greatest Game – Todd Danault (ePub)
The Greatest Players and Moments of the Philadelphia Flyers (ePub)
The Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs – Sportsnet Magazine
The New York Rangers: Broadway’s Longest Running Hit (ePub)
The Official NHL Illustrated History – Pincus
The Three Stars
Wayne Gretzky (Sports Heroes and Legends) – Matt Doeden
Wayne Gretzky’s Ghost (ePub)

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

"When the Rangers were Young"
Frank Boucher
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0396068529/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1362497769&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

"The Boys of Winter"
Wayne Coffey & Jim Craig
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Bo.../9781400047666/?itm=2&USRI=the+boys+of+winter

"Splendid is the Sun: The 5,000 Year History of Hockey"
George Robert Fosty
http://www.splendidisthesun.com/home.cfm?fuseaction=book.purchase

"Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925"
George Robert Fosty & Darril Fosty
http://www.blackicebook.com/blackice/index.cfm?fuseaction=book.purchase

 

[Bongo]

Haven't read a ton of hockey books but these are the ones I've enjoyed:
1. The Game by ken Dryden The best of the lot.
2. Open Net: A Professional Amateur in the World of Big-Time Hockey by George Plimpton Written back during his participatory journalism days; it's freaking hilarious. Those who have been to a game with me understand why I'm always yelling "STAND UP!" to the goalies after reading this. One of the most informative and funniest books I've ever read.
3.Cold War : The Amazing Canada-Soviet Hockey Series of 1972 by Roy MacSkimming. Great insight into the game and the politics of the era.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

mY favorite is The Game of OUr Lives by Peter Gzowski.

For fun, fast reads, the Esposito Book, the Tiger Williams one, etc are a good time. Some of the Gretzky books are okay, the Tim Horton one was pretty good. Cracked Ice was pretty good and I can't normally stomach Fishcler. I read one on Brian Spencer that was pretty good. Roy MacGregor wrote one about fathers and sons in hockey, that was engaging.

I will go off the mainline view on Dryden's The Game. I have said this before, but will say it again. It is the most self-absorbed piece of melancholia I have ever read. It tries so hard to be cereberal and poignant that it misses the story of one of hockey's great clubs that its bright goaltender could have spun..

I think (and I'm not trying to be obnoxious) that readers have heard for so long what a great book it is and what a smart guy Kend Dryden is, that they convince themselves it was some sort of revelation, when really it's just a bunch of hockey stuff turned into marshmallow when he tried to make it so damned smart. Just tell the story, folks. It's hockey.

The bolded is awesome. Definitely worth reading.

The Game by Dryden is good but I agree that it is overrated.

 

[nutbar]

"The Glory Barons" by Douglas Hunter is another good one. Covers the history of the Oilers from the WHA days to the late 90's. Very thorough.

 

[cam042686]

"The Game" by Ken Dryden is awesome.

I have received some nice reviews on my book about the 1974 Canada/Soviet summit. Here is a link to a thread about the series and book.

Craig Wallace

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=602474

 

[Killion]

The Gordie Howe Story

Not a book, a movie. The Gordie Howe Story airing on Hallmark Channel May 4th. Appears to be a dramatisation focusing in on his return to hockey at 45 in order to play with his sons in Houston.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...eils-its-2013-14-programming-schedule/174490/

 

[HuGort]

Haven't read a ton of hockey books but these are the ones I've enjoyed:
1. The Game by ken Dryden The best of the lot.
2. Open Net: A Professional Amateur in the World of Big-Time Hockey by George Plimpton Written back during his participatory journalism days; it's freaking hilarious. Those who have been to a game with me understand why I'm always yelling "STAND UP!" to the goalies after reading this. One of the most informative and funniest books I've ever read.
3.Cold War : The Amazing Canada-Soviet Hockey Series of 1972 by Roy MacSkimming. Great insight into the game and the politics of the era.

I have "The Game" book stored out in my barn somewhere, may dig it up and re-read it. Got it for xmas about 1980

 

[BamBamCam*]

Not a book, a movie. The Gordie Howe Story airing on Hallmark Channel May 4th. Appears to be a dramatisation focusing in on his return to hockey at 45 in order to play with his sons in Houston.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...eils-its-2013-14-programming-schedule/174490/

Speaking of movies like this: anyone see that movie put out years ago about the NHPLA and Ted Linsey? How Ted was punished and what they did to him while trying to form the NHLPA?

Anyone remember the name?

 

[Killion]

Speaking of movies like this: anyone see that movie put out years ago about the NHPLA...Anyone remember the name?

Sounds like your talking about the CBC movie Net Worth BamBam. Stars Aidan Devine as Ted Lindsay. Actually very well done. I love watching stuff like that. The old gear. No helmets. Tube skates. Wooden sticks. No rink board or on-ice ads. Made about 1995 and based on the book of the same name by Cruise & Griffiths and an excellent one btw. Must read. Traces the history of the NHL, players association etc. You can find clips of it on youtube, possibly the entire full length version. The Rocket another. The Don Cherry Story. The Summit Series.

 

[BamBamCam*]

Sounds like your talking about the CBC movie Net Worth BamBam. Stars Aidan Devine as Ted Lindsay. Actually very well done. I love watching stuff like that. The old gear. No helmets. Tube skates. Wooden sticks. No rink board or on-ice ads. Made about 1995 and based on the book of the same name by Cruise & Griffiths and an excellent one btw. Must read. Traces the history of the NHL, players association etc. You can find clips of it on youtube, possibly the entire full length version. The Rocket another. The Don Cherry Story. The Summit Series.

That was it, they put it on US tv very late night one night. And ye, it was very well done. Thanks for the name!

 

[Killion]

That was it, they put it on US tv very late night one night. And ye, it was very well done. Thanks for the name!

Welcome. A lot of movies available on youtube, though I couldnt seem to find this one when I went looking for it awhile back. Clips only. I know you can buy the dvd on-line but I dont generally "collect" movies... like, what for? Seen it, move on. But ya, would be nice to see it again.

 

[CHIP72]

"Battle on the Hudson" by Tim Sullivan, which provides an in-depth look at the classic 1994 Eastern Conference Finals series between the Rangers and Devils, is a very good read IMO.

True fact - I still have a copy of the famous 5/25/94 edition of the New York Post with Mark Messier's "We'll Win Tonight" guarantee. I grew up about 80 miles from NYC in eastern Pennsylvania, so the Post was (and is) readily available in the stores where I lived.

Messier's guarantee was THE sports guarantee for fans of my generation (people roughly 30-50 years old currently) IMO.

 

[HabsByTheBay]

I don't think hockey has ever been as important in New York as it was for that series.

 

[Nalens Oga]

There's a book called New York Rangers Broadway's Longest Running Hit which is floating online as an epub. It's a history of the Rangers.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Went to a couple used book stores (aka Value Village and Goodwill) to find some Hardy Boys books, picked up:

The Best of Original Six (Brian McFarlane book)
Don Cherry Hockey Stories and Stuff
Gretzky's Tears: Hockey, Canada, and the Day Everything Changed
(Stephen Brunt)

I think the Best of Original Six book is gonna be the one I go through first though I have a back log of hockey ebooks and another McFarlane book but I like those type because they're general hockey history books without focusing on a single player or team.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Which scouting book is better....The Art of Scouting by Malloy or Future Greats and Heartbreaks by Gare?

 

[Habsfan18]

Which scouting book is better....The Art of Scouting by Malloy or Future Greats and Heartbreaks by Gare?

I refuse to give Shane Malloy a single cent. He still owes me cash. Many older members (as in join date) know exactly what I'm talking about.

The Gare Joyce book was a fantastic read.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Oh yeah he was the guy that ripped people off on HF lol.

Tbh, neither book has good reviews but they're the only two I found on scouting. I don't think that it'll be written properly until a scout writes it and scouts are not the type of people to write books unless you get an optimistic and non-ncynical one somewhere.

Probably won't bother with a physical copy and will just grab it for cheap from ebookoid or somewhere.

 

[Nalens Oga]

I was at a thrift store today and finally found the Thunder & Lightning book by Phil Esposito as well as a Johnny Bower book. But I was confused when I saw another book called Thunder & Lightning. Looking through it, it looks like it was written by ex-Hab and coach John Ferguson along with Stan Fischler (http://www.amazon.ca/Thunder-Lightn...r=8-1&keywords=thunder+and+lightning+ferguson). Didn't buy it but might be interesting...looks like it has a lot of juicy info on fighters, didn't know it existed so I'll add it to this list of NHL biographies I know or have heard of so far (don't actually own much of these):

Winning, Nothing Else - Patrick Roy
The Devil & Bobby Hull
Thunder & Lightning - Phil Esposito
The Game - Ken Dryden
Beyond The Crease - Martin Brodeur
Straight Shooter - Brad Park
My Life In Hockey - Jean Beliveau
Cycle Taylor: A Hockey Legend
Playing With Fire - Theo Fleury
Eddie Shore & That Old Time Hockey
J.R - Jeremy Roenick
Jacques Plante - The Man Who Changed The Face of Hockey
Searching For Bobby Orr
Gretzky's Tears
Wayne Gretzky's Ghost
Lanny - Lanny McDonald
Brett: His Own Story - Brett Hull
Journeyman - Sean Pronger
As The Puck Turns - Brian Conacher
The Rocket
Our Life With The Rocket
Remembering The Rocket
Gordie: A Hockey Legend - Gordie Howe
The Big M - Frank Mahovlich
The Goal of My Life - Paul Henderson
The Best Seat In The House - Jamie McLennan
Crossing The Line - Derek Sanderson
Rayzor's Edge - Roby Ray
Jonesy Put Your Head Down - Keith Jones
Tough Guy - Bob Probert
Pavel Bure - The Riddle of the Russian Rocket
Triple Crown - Marcel Dionne
Pelle Lindbergh - Behind The White Mask
Mario Lemieux (Overcoming Adversity) - Tim O'Shei
Doug: The Doug Harvey Story
Forever A Blackhawk - Stan Mikita
Without A Trace - Bill Barilko
Sawchuk - The Troubles and Triumphs of Hockey's Greatest Goalie
Georges Laraque, The Story of the NHL's Unlikeliest Tough Guy
A Life In Hockey - Marcel Pronovost
The Third Best Hull - Dennis Hull
Fire On Ice - Eric Lindros (written in his 2nd or 3rd season not after retirement)
Boss: The Mike Bossy Story
The China Wall - The Timeless Legend Johnny Bower
The Hammer - Dave Schultz
Clear The Track - Eddie Shack
Bernie - Bernie Parent
Golly Gee It's Me - Howie Meeker
Lower The Boom - Bob Baun
Dit Clapper and the Rise of the Bruins
Thunder & Lightning - John Ferguson (also the name of the Esposito book)

Non-players
The Final Call - Kerry Fraser
Between The Lines - Ray Scapinello
Calling The Shots - Bruce Hood (referee)
Coach - Pat Burns
Don Cherry Hockey Stories
Gabby (Confessions of a hockey lifer) - Bruce Boudreau
Hockey Is A Battle - Punch Imlach's Own Story
The Road To Hockeytown - Jimmy Devellano's Year's in Hockey
Herb Brooks - Inside Story of a Hockey Mastermind
Roger's World - Roger Neilson
The King's Story - King Clancy
Cornered - Ron MacLean
The Instigator - Bettman