Hockey Book Reviews.com

I got three hockey history titles from little known St. Johann Press today. St. Johann Press is a small publisher out of New Jersey that, amongst other things, specializes in sports history books, including the three hockey titles provided to me by president Dave Biesel. All three books are written by members of the Society for International Hockey Research . Hockey's Historic Highlights Glen Goodhand is out first with Hockey's Historic Highlights . Published back in May, his book is a collection of fascinating, unbelievable and downright strange stories from the hockey history. He specializes in the little-known and unknown stories while retelling stories of hockey heroes and characters. The best way to describe the book's approach? Think Brian McFarlane. And speaking of McFarlane, hockey's leading historian, here's what he was to say about the author, Glen Goodhand: "Hockey is his passion. His diligence and his curiosity has led to this chronicle ...

Today HockeyBookReviews.com is going to name the top hockey biography of 2010. The finalists are: Eddie Shore And That Old Time Hockey by C. Michael Hiam  Final Call by Kerry Fraser The Golden Jet by Bobby Hull with Bob Verdi  They Call Me Killer by Brian Kilrea with James Duthie  Tough Guy by Bob Probert with Kirstie McLellan Day And the 2010 HockeyBookReviews.com Hockey Biography of the Year goes to: Tough Guy by Bob Probert with Kirstie McLellan Day. Simply put, how can you not go with McLellan Day's latest effort. Last year she masterfully turned Theo Fleury's tragic story into a book that remains on the Canadian bestsellers list a year later. With Bob Probert's autobiography, she turns an almost equally tragic story into a book that is every bit the equal of Fleury's book. Fleury's book was named as the 2009 Hockey Book of the Year winner last year, thanks in large part to McLellan Day. She takes home the new title of 2010 Hockey Biography o...

Today HockeyBookReviews.com is going to name the top hockey coffee table book of 2010. First, let's take a look at the candidates: Canucks At 40 by Greg Douglas and Grant Kerr.  The Golden Jet by Bobby Hull with Bob Verdi  He Shoots . . . He Skewers by Roger Duncan  The Hockey Book by Sports Illustrated Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Goalies by HHOF The 2010 HockeyBookReviews.com Coffee Table Book of the Year goes to: The Golden Jet by Bobby Hull with Bob Verdi Trust me when I say this was no easy decision. Sports Illustrated is legendary for their book series, and they did not disappoint with their long await hockey title. Not picking them was hard. Similar comments go for the latest Hockey Hall of Fame tribute to goalies.The Canucks title is a real strong seller, while He Shoots ... He Skewers, admittedly not a coffee table book by the classic definition, is just a real fun book to flip through. But there is something about The Golden Jet that I just ...

The Hockey Hall of Fame has six books coming out in the next three years, including two in 2010. One of those titles is the very promising title Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Goalies Buy the book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com This beautiful hardcover title looks at every goalie who is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Profiles, memorabilia, essays, statistics and of course an endless collection of photographs that Hockey Hall of Fame books are famous for make this book a must see. All 33 goalies inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. From pioneer puckstoppers like Georges Vezina, Hap Holmes and Clint Benedict, to Original Six stars like Jacques Plante, Terry Sawchuk and Johnny Bower to modern greats like Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy and Vladislav Tretiak. Steve Cameron is the editor. Working with him are Michael Farber (Sports Illustrated), Bob Duff (historian), Chris McDonell (author), Brian Costello (The Hockey News), Matthew Manor (photographer) and Brian Hayward (fo...

Hockey is one of the fastest and most exciting team sports in the world, but the speed and hard-hitting contact so important to the game can lead to several different types of injuries. Many young hockey players have a false sense of security, believing wrongly that the protective equipment will keep them safe. Discover the game’s common injuries and read expert advice on avoiding them. Here, you will also find out how to treat injuries, when to consult a medical professional, and how to come back from injury as quickly as possible and stronger than ever. Read about: • The rules of the game. • Types of protective equipment. • Exercises and conditioning that help prevent injuries. • The importance of good nutrition. • The dangers of performance-enhancing drugs. The book is intended for young adult readers. The book is specifically being marketed to schools and public libraries in Canada and the US, although the book can be purchased by the public at Mason Crest's website .

Earlier I mentioned the new book Game's Greatest Goals where authors Don Weekes and Kerry Banks look at the top 100 goals in hockey history In similar fashion, author Eric Zweig's new book is Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals where he, rather obviously, looks at the top twenty goals in hockey history. Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Needless to say these two books directly compete against each other. If pressed, I would have to declare Zweig's title as the winner. Zweig is does not rank his top 20 goals like Weekes and Banks did, and I'm quite fine with that. I found ranking the top 100 goals to be an exhausting and almost silly exercise. Granted ranking the top 20 is far more manageable but I am quite satisfied with Zweig's chronological listing. Instead of spending time trying to rank these goals Zweig instead focuses on offering the most research possible on each of his top 20. Weekes and Banks went for quick capsules, while Zweig offers...

Here's the HockeyBookReviews.com Bestseller's List, as ranked by affiliate sales: Tough Guy by Bob Probert The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys by James Duthie    Don Cherry's Hockey Stories Part 2 by Don Cherry  The Hockey Book by Sports Illustrated Canucks At 40 by Greg Douglas, Grant Kerr Final Call by Kerry Fraser Best of the Best by Scott Morrison/Hockey Night In Canada Eddie Shore And That Old Time Hockey by C. Michael Hiam  The Greatest Game by Todd Denault They Call Me Killer by Brian Kilrea/James Duthie  Here is the Amazon.ca Hockey Bestsellers . And here is the Amazon.com Hockey Bestsellers list. I appreciate all of you who support this website by making online purchases via my affiliation links. I spend a lot of time reviewing hockey books here at HockeyBookReviews.com , all for free. Making your online purchases via my links offsets costs of running my free websites. Look at it this way: If you like my work, and you t...

The Society for International Hockey Research is proud to announce the release of Pucklore: The Hockey Research Anthology Volume 1 published by Quarry Heritage Books of Kingston, Ontario. The book is the first publicly available publication from SIHR and features selected articles taken from the annual Hockey Research Journal first published in 1993. Buy The Book:  Amazon.ca - Chapters   Compiled by James Milks, the collection features articles from twenty-two authors from Canada, the United States, Sweden and England and includes noted hockey writers J.W. (Bill) Fitsell, Kevin Shea, Eric Zweig, Paul Kitchen and Jim Mancuso. Pucklore authors celebrate the founder of the game, James Creighton, reveal the first 1,000 goal scorer, trace the evolution of the hockey net, recreate the trial of Allan Loney for murder on the ice, and present more fascinating stats and stories than you can sha...

Last year I featured a cute set of hockey books called Thanks To My Hockey Dad and I Love My Hockey Mom . The charming little books were written and illustrated by the 7 and 8 year old boys and girls on the Flyers Novice AE Team, with a little help from coach Jason Howell, teacher/hockey mom Jennifer Sutoski and the support of none other than Don Cherry! What a great idea, and what a great way to say thank you to mom and dad for all their efforts to let their kids play hockey. The books were a tremendous success, reaching bestseller status thanks to magnificent distribution and a low price point. At some point along the way the gang realized they forgot to say thank you to coaches and volunteers. So, the gang is back in 2010, this time with Thanks to My Hockey Coach . And they also decided to help out other young hockey players across the entire world with Advice for a Young Hockey Player . Let's take a look at the latter title here. Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chap...

The book's title is The Golden Jet: A Spectacular Career in Stunning Photographs . You already know Bobby Hull had a spectacular career. Let me assure you the photographs in this books truly are stunning. Consider this book is a coffee table autobiography. Countless photographs accompanied with Bobby's own captions brilliantly bring back to life the amazing career of one of hockey's true greats. The photos steal the show, but Bobby's commentary are the true jewels of this treasure chest. The book is also accompanied with a tribute DVD featuring exclusive interviews, archival footage and behind the scenes clips. This book is listed at $29.95 US/$34.95 CDN. (Apparently no one has told Triumph Books that the Canadian dollar is near par for a few years now.) For a book of this size loaded with so many rare and exclusive photos, that is a really reasonable price. And of course, many bookstores and online sources are selling it 30% less than the jacket price. I wish...

My first impression of Rick Buker's new book Total Penguins: The Definitive Encyclopedia of the Pittsburgh Penguins : Holy Frank Pietrangelo, Batman! (Actually my first impression contained a more distinct expletive, but this is a family website.) At over 700 pages, this is a really big book - a true encyclopedic history of the Pittsburgh Penguins. I think I equally floored at the low price for such a thick book - jacket price of just $29.95 US which means you can usually get it for just $20 bucks at most bookstores and online sources. Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com I immediately assumed this book must be overwhelmingly filled with endless statistical entries. Again, I was surprised to find that was not so much the case. I mean, there is a lot of stats presented here, but it is spread throughout, nicely complimenting a wealth of written history that makes this book a true must have for any Pittsburgh Penguins fan. The exhaustive encyclopedia includes: ...

I am in Vancouver for the weekend and I just learned of a whole new hockey book I never even knew about before: He Shoots... He Skewers! by Roger Duncan. It is a fascinating look at many years of hockey as told through the caricature pen of Duncan, who has had his cartoons featured in newspapers across Canada. Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters Here's more from the publisher, Summit Studios : Do you remember playing hockey in your backyard as a kid, dreaming of fame and fortune as you fished your wayward shot out of a snowbank? This book caricaturizes the guys who didn't miss ... at least not very often! Past meets present as today's superstars and legends of yore are immortalized in the funniest, weirdest and sometimes most absurd moments in the game we all love. See what Don Cherry would look like as a masked crusader, defending the NHL from dastardly Russian defectors. Find out what Alexander Ovechkin has in common with Paris Hilton. Learn the real reason S...

A couple of years ago Don Cherry released a new book called Hockey Stories And Stuff . English teachers everywhere shuddered, but publishers and bookstores celebrated as it was an incredible seller. That should come as no surprise. Neither should the news that Cherry and Random House have teamed up again to produce Don Cherry's Hockey Stories, Part 2 Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com - E-Book Cherry is back with more rollicking stories and controversial thoughts that make for entertaining book. Whether it be tales of Eddie Shore or Montreal Canadiens training camp or of Darryl Sly snoring through a coach's speech, this book is a lot of fun. But what I like best about Part 2 is that the better part of the second half of the book is told by daughter Cindy and son Tim. To have these two tell stories of their dad allows us an intimate look into the man who is really behind the flamboyant suits and big mouth. That alone makes me recommend Don Cherry's...

A little bit lost in the hype of his new release The Greatest Game , Todd Denault has another book on store shelves in 2010. It is the paperback release of his 2009 smash hit: Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey . Buy The Paperback: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Here's my original review of the hard cover release , although perhaps all you need to know about my thoughts on this book can be read on the back cover of the book: "After just a few pages into this book it was obvious Todd Denault had written an instant classic. I can not recommend this book enough." 

It is not often a book's prologue is entitled The Last Chapter. It is even less often those first 12 or so pages puts you through such an emotional roller-coaster that you may have to put the book down to catch your breath when you are done reading it! That's how Tough Guy: My Life On The Edge by Bob Probert with Kirstie McLellan Day, starts out. And it only gets better. Buy The Book -  Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com In that opening prologue Kirstie McLellan Day recreates Bob Probert's dying moments with such clarity it is as if you are right there on the boat too and it is happening all over again. The wide range of emotions I experienced while reading this passage was as amazing as any 12 pages I have ever read in any book. I was left bewildered and exhausted as she described the horrible and frantic moment. I was heartbroken for his wife. I was absolutely horrified at the thought of his children witnessing it all. I was angry with his friends who, try as the...

Kevin Slater, "a hockey fan with too much time on his hands," has made his first book available via various electronic mediums.  For just $5 Slater offers everything he has researched - an it is extensive - on the Ontario Professional Hockey League from 1908 through 1911. The ebook, Trolley League,  is available on eBay or directly through his email address, kslater1@cogeco.ca The Ontario Professional Hockey League was one of the first openly professional hockey leagues in Canada and during its brief history was regarded by many as the second best hockey league in the Dominion of Canada. This book provides detailed summaries and statistics for all 146 league games and four Stanley Cup challenges.  Further, it also examines the struggles of forming and running a professional hockey league in perhaps the most turbulent era the sport has ever seen and in a geographical area where the prevailing opinion of the media favoured amateurism in sport. This boo...

  Per-Henrik Gurth brings us the children's title Hockey Opposites in 2010. Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Also available in French Popular artist and best-selling illustrator Per-Henrik Gürth puts his winning team of lovable animals into play to demonstrate a wide range of opposites, including home/away, behind/ahead, win/loss and many more. The excitement of a hockey game and the bright, bold illustrations will keep the attention of children while they are introduced to the concept of opposites.   Per-Henrik Gürth is a graphic designer and illustrator who has illustrated more than a dozen children''s books in his native Germany. He now lives in Toronto, Ontario. Here's the specs: Format: Hardcover Dimensions: 24 Pages, 8.75 x 8.75 x 0.3 in Published: August 1, 2010 Publisher: Kids Can Press ISBN - 10: 1554532418 ISBN - 13: 9781554532414 Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Also available in French

Award winning author Susan Chalker Browne has a new kids book out: Freddy's Hockey Hero , illustrated by Hilda Rose: Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com From the Publisher When the Habs and the Leafs face off in an exhibition game, Freddy is beside himself with excitement. He has a secret mission to find Billy Binkle, the most famous hockey player of all time. Although Freddy''s dad gently suggests that Billy Binkle may not be at the game, Freddy is convinced. "He''s going to sign my stick, too!" he says. Is Billy Binkle really at the game? And will Freddy find him? This fast-paced adventure (with a surprise ending) will have thousands of fans cheering for our Freddy. About the Author Susan Chalker Browne is an award-winning writer, journalist and teacher. Hey Freddy! It''s Canada''s Birthday is her eighth book for children. Her other books include Marconi''s Secret, The Amazing Adventures of Captain Bob Bart...

Lorna Schultz Nicholson's The Next Ones: Hockey's Future Stars is a glossy, colorful, photo-laden look at the top players in junior hockey, specifically those who have had some connection with the Canadian national team at some level. Buy the book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com The book is somewhat geared towards younger readers, as that is Schultz-Nicholson's area of expertise. But that should not discourage interested older readers. This book should be considered by junior hockey fans of all ages; Canadian hockey fans looking for more information on players soon to be named for the popular World Junior Championships; and NHL fans looking to learn more about their favorite team's top draft choices. One of my favorite parts of this book is the Q&A inserts for each player. These rapid fire fun questions about favorite superheroes and rock bands somehow humanizes these hockey players that we will undoubtedly end up treating as bigger than life all too s...

Hayley Wickenheiser has a new book for 2010. In Gold Medal Diary: Inside the World's Greatest Sports Event the Canadian Olympic veteran offers a behind-the-scenes view of the world’s most exciting sporting spectacle. Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Wickenheiser recently gave a great interview with the Canadian Press concerning the book. Here's a few highlights from that interview about life with the Canadian women's hockey team: "There's a lot of ups and downs emotionally, both personally and from a team perspective. I tried to convey that as best I could and not just the good things, but the frustrations that come with it. I tried to make it as real a story as possible." Wickenheiser goes on to describe the book as "a book about hockey and the Olympic experience and life as an athlete versus my life. The focus of the book was to keep it on the team and the process." It is an interesting backstage look that Wick tries ...

 Here's the top things you did not know about the movie Slap Shot, as chosen by Jonathan Jackson, author of The Making of Slap Shot - Buy the book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com   * Al Pacino wanted the role of Reggie Dunlop and could have had it if he had played his cards right.   * Peter Strauss was considered to play Ned Braden but broke his leg during his audition. * Henry Winkler, aka The Fonz, was almost cast as a Hanson Brother.   * Allan Nicholls, who played Chiefs captain Johnny Upton, is the grandson of a Hockey Hall of Fame netminder Riley Hern. * The character Nick Brophy was originally to have been named Nick Fotiu, after the future New York Ranger whose pro hockey career began in the North American Hockey League, on which Slap Shot's Federal League was based. * Paul D'Amato also considers himself a pacifist who needed coaching and some unwitting inspiration from Bobby Schmautz of the Boston Bruins in order...

"Sweet Lou From the Soo" Lou Nanne has an autobiography out in 2010. I haven't seen this title yet, so here's more from the publisher, Triumph Books . The name Lou Nanne is synonymous with hockey in the state of Minnesota.  As an icon throughout the hockey world, Nanne shares his incredible stories from both on and off the ice in his brand-new autobiography, A Passion to Win. Nanne grew up in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, prior to his march through the hockey ranks.  Over the course of his 50 years in the sport, he sheds light on his greatest achievements and most heartbreaking disappointments.  Nanne shares many of these intriguing stories and the most memorable of his personal life, his years playing the game he loved and later his professional career, including: Playing and coaching at the University of Minnesota Leading the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in scoring as a defenseman His participation with Team USA and the Olympics Playing in 635 ...