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99: Gretzky: His Game, His Story
Published with Wayne Gretzky's cooperation, this is the definitive biography of the greatest player that hockey has ever seen.
From the time Wayne Gretzky began playing organized hockey at the age of six, his genius was evident. He scored one goal in his first season and 378 in his fifth. With the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s and later with the Los Angeles Kings, he was virtually unstoppable. He won nine Hart trophies as the leading scorer, and four Stanley Cups. Later, with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, he continued to show leadership, finesse, and grace both on and off the ice.
Based on thousands of hours of conversations with Gretzky, including new interviews, 99 details Gretzky's move to L.A., his role as player and coach for Canada Cup and Olympic teams, and career highlights such as his greatest goal and greatest game. Gretzky also discusses with Strachan the challenges in his career--the truth about the gambling "scandal" and the behind-the-scenes negotiations before his trade to the St. Louis Blues.
In this revealing, insightful, and definitive biography, Al Strachan takes readers on a most remarkable journey and details the life of Wayne Gretzky as it has never been told before.
From the time Wayne Gretzky began playing organized hockey at the age of six, his genius was evident. He scored one goal in his first season and 378 in his fifth. With the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s and later with the Los Angeles Kings, he was virtually unstoppable. He won nine Hart trophies as the leading scorer, and four Stanley Cups. Later, with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, he continued to show leadership, finesse, and grace both on and off the ice.
Based on thousands of hours of conversations with Gretzky, including new interviews, 99 details Gretzky's move to L.A., his role as player and coach for Canada Cup and Olympic teams, and career highlights such as his greatest goal and greatest game. Gretzky also discusses with Strachan the challenges in his career--the truth about the gambling "scandal" and the behind-the-scenes negotiations before his trade to the St. Louis Blues.
In this revealing, insightful, and definitive biography, Al Strachan takes readers on a most remarkable journey and details the life of Wayne Gretzky as it has never been told before.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
21 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 30, 2015
Some interesting stories, but it reads half like a love letter to Gretzky and half like Strachan pointing out over and over again that he and Gretzky are friends.
September 14, 2015
Al Strachan knocks it out of the park again with his outstanding knowledge and connections within the game. His friendship with Gretzky make this the most in depth writing about my favourite hockey player ever. Well worth the read.
October 15, 2023
Ťažko dať menej ako 5 hviezd knihe o najdominantnejšom športovcovi aký kedy chodil (korčuľoval) po Zemi. Kniha predstavuje nielen jeho športovú kariéru, ale aj jeho súkromie, a myslím, že by sa nemusel hanbiť ani v dnešnej dobe, keď je každý krok slávnych ľudí sledovaný na sociálnych sieťach.
May 3, 2017
Nuorena seurasin tiiviisti NHL:aa ja olin kiinnostunut erityisesti Edmonton Oilersin 1980-luvun dynastiasta, jossa vaikutti myös silloinen suosikkipelaajani Jari Kurri. Luin myös paljon aiheeseen liittyviä kirjoja, ja muun muassa Gretzky - omaelämäkerta (1991) tuli kahlattua läpi useampaan kertaan.
Nyt palasin vähän nostalgiamielessä näihin vuosiin ja luin veteraanikiekkotoimittaja Al Strachanin kohtalaisen tuoreen "99: Wayne Gretzkyn tarinan" (Minerva, 2016). Nopealukuisessa elämäkerrrassa käydään läpi kaikkien aikojen parhaan lätkäjampan vaiheet kiekkokaukalossa ja aivan hiukkasen sen ulkopuolellakin.
Kyseessä on sinänsä ihan onnistunut urheiluelämäkerta, jota kuitenkin vaivaa täydellinen kritiikittömyys. Strachanilla on ollut kirjoittaessa ruusunpunaiset fanilasit silmillä, eikä hän löydä kohteestaan mitään negatiivista kerrottavaa; ilmeisesti miehet ovat ystäviä myös siviilissä.
Lukiessa oli mahdollista tajuta myös oma ikääntymisensä: muun muassa Naganon olympiaturnaus vuonna 1998 on ehtinyt muuttua jo pölyiseksi kiekkohistoriaksi, vaikka ihan äskenhän Dominik Hasek niitä rangaistuslaukauksia torjui...
Nyt palasin vähän nostalgiamielessä näihin vuosiin ja luin veteraanikiekkotoimittaja Al Strachanin kohtalaisen tuoreen "99: Wayne Gretzkyn tarinan" (Minerva, 2016). Nopealukuisessa elämäkerrrassa käydään läpi kaikkien aikojen parhaan lätkäjampan vaiheet kiekkokaukalossa ja aivan hiukkasen sen ulkopuolellakin.
Kyseessä on sinänsä ihan onnistunut urheiluelämäkerta, jota kuitenkin vaivaa täydellinen kritiikittömyys. Strachanilla on ollut kirjoittaessa ruusunpunaiset fanilasit silmillä, eikä hän löydä kohteestaan mitään negatiivista kerrottavaa; ilmeisesti miehet ovat ystäviä myös siviilissä.
Lukiessa oli mahdollista tajuta myös oma ikääntymisensä: muun muassa Naganon olympiaturnaus vuonna 1998 on ehtinyt muuttua jo pölyiseksi kiekkohistoriaksi, vaikka ihan äskenhän Dominik Hasek niitä rangaistuslaukauksia torjui...
April 18, 2020
Great read
March 4, 2022
A great read on hockey's greatest player.
May 10, 2022
It's not an biography, rather the history of matches and celebration of Wayne's personality. I wanted to learn more about his training, life and motivations which I did not.
February 27, 2024
I am a hockey fan and was present during his career, but I still didn’t comprehend the level of superiority he displayed on and off the ice. Imagine what he would have accomplished in today’s game!
abandoned
March 16, 2017We listened to 99 for about 6 hours today and got about half way through it.
Fred says he "knew all that." In other words Gretzky doesn't reveal anything that isn't already public knowledge. The book isn't very personal.
And the narrator really got to us. Not Canadian, and doesn't know hockey. Just enough mispronunciations to really bug us. This just points out the importance of the narrator to enjoyment of audio books.
Fred says he "knew all that." In other words Gretzky doesn't reveal anything that isn't already public knowledge. The book isn't very personal.
And the narrator really got to us. Not Canadian, and doesn't know hockey. Just enough mispronunciations to really bug us. This just points out the importance of the narrator to enjoyment of audio books.
September 8, 2020
Strachan is not afraid to note he is a close friend of Gretzky, and this shows throughout the book. While Gretzky is indeed a great person, and hockey player, reading this one gets the impression that he could do nothing wrong, and that he is nearly perfect. A bit more nuance would have been good, as Strachan otherwise did a decent job of looking at Gretzky. However it also skips over large parts of his life, while placing emphasis on other events. Strachan also does not try to hide his dislike of Gary Bettman, and while Bettman can (and many would argue should) be criticized, this is not the place to do it. A good biography of Gretzky will come one day, but this is not quite there.
March 9, 2015
This book was not only about Gretzky’s hockey carrier and just how great and superior it was in comparison to many others; it was also about how great of a person Wayne was. This book tells many off-ice stories of Gretzky, whether the stories are of him signing hundreds of autographs everyday for his many fans, or various good deeds he did to help the community out through his undeniably wise and knowledge of hockey or his influence on young teens wanting to play the game of hockey, or any sport of that matter.
This book has many different themes throughout, such as greatness. As most of you may know, Gretzky’s nickname was “The Great One”. His superior athletic ability trampled over and demolished almost every record in hockey. For example, having a 100 point season in hockey is a benchmark of excellence. Wayne Gretzky not only got a 200+ point season, but he got four, 200+ point seasons. He’s the only NHL player to have ever had a 200 point season. Like I said earlier, about the off-ice life of Gretzky, it was also superb. “The Great One” was his hockey nickname, but as a quote from 99: Gretzky: His Game, His Story says, “Anyone who knows him always makes the same observation: no matter how great he might have been as a hockey player, he is every bit as great as a human being.” he was also a caring person. This is an example of how the theme of greatness shown throughout this book.
There was quite a bit that I enjoyed from this book. I loved the off-ice stories of Gretzky that reflect on who he was as a person. I believe that it’s easier to look up to or idolize someone, especially an athlete, when you know that he or she was a great person. Having the knowledge and surety that all of their talent and fame didn’t get to their head is assuring. I distinctly love the story the author told about Wayne buying and donating the 81 remaining tickets to the L.A Kings home opener game so that it sold out. I also valued the fact that the author told the stories his own personal experiences in meeting Wayne Gretzky. There wasn’t much that I disliked about the book or the writing style other than the absence of stories told by or referenced from Gretzky’s teammates. Gretzky was a very selfless person and hockey player, so I don’t imagine that his teammates would have any sort of dislike towards him, but I would have enjoyed hearing stories about him from the team’s perspective.
I would recommend this book to all people who have any interest in hockey. Whether you play the sport, used to, or just like to watch hockey, I think this is a great book for you. Although, if you’re not a hockey fan, I would not recommend this book to you.
This book has many different themes throughout, such as greatness. As most of you may know, Gretzky’s nickname was “The Great One”. His superior athletic ability trampled over and demolished almost every record in hockey. For example, having a 100 point season in hockey is a benchmark of excellence. Wayne Gretzky not only got a 200+ point season, but he got four, 200+ point seasons. He’s the only NHL player to have ever had a 200 point season. Like I said earlier, about the off-ice life of Gretzky, it was also superb. “The Great One” was his hockey nickname, but as a quote from 99: Gretzky: His Game, His Story says, “Anyone who knows him always makes the same observation: no matter how great he might have been as a hockey player, he is every bit as great as a human being.” he was also a caring person. This is an example of how the theme of greatness shown throughout this book.
There was quite a bit that I enjoyed from this book. I loved the off-ice stories of Gretzky that reflect on who he was as a person. I believe that it’s easier to look up to or idolize someone, especially an athlete, when you know that he or she was a great person. Having the knowledge and surety that all of their talent and fame didn’t get to their head is assuring. I distinctly love the story the author told about Wayne buying and donating the 81 remaining tickets to the L.A Kings home opener game so that it sold out. I also valued the fact that the author told the stories his own personal experiences in meeting Wayne Gretzky. There wasn’t much that I disliked about the book or the writing style other than the absence of stories told by or referenced from Gretzky’s teammates. Gretzky was a very selfless person and hockey player, so I don’t imagine that his teammates would have any sort of dislike towards him, but I would have enjoyed hearing stories about him from the team’s perspective.
I would recommend this book to all people who have any interest in hockey. Whether you play the sport, used to, or just like to watch hockey, I think this is a great book for you. Although, if you’re not a hockey fan, I would not recommend this book to you.
April 5, 2014
Gretzky: His Game, His Story is about his career in the NHL. Wayne Gretzky is definitely the greatest hockey player that there ever was, “He not only broke records, he shattered them” (5). Gretzky was a hero off the ice, “Gretzky gave away approximately seven hundred sticks a year…He signed approximately two hundred autographs a day” (7). There isn’t a theme to this story because it is a biography.
My favorite part about Wayne Gretzky is that he was extremely nice to everyone. He signed about two hundred autographs a day. To me that shows how much he cares about his fans. Too bad I never got to see him play. Also he bought Joey Moss (who has Down syndrome) season tickets to the Oilers games. This is my favorite part about Wayne Gretzky.
I really liked this book because it gave me information that I didn’t know about him. This is probably my favorite book I have read. I would only recommend this book if you like hockey or if you like Wayne Gretzky.
My favorite part about Wayne Gretzky is that he was extremely nice to everyone. He signed about two hundred autographs a day. To me that shows how much he cares about his fans. Too bad I never got to see him play. Also he bought Joey Moss (who has Down syndrome) season tickets to the Oilers games. This is my favorite part about Wayne Gretzky.
I really liked this book because it gave me information that I didn’t know about him. This is probably my favorite book I have read. I would only recommend this book if you like hockey or if you like Wayne Gretzky.
July 24, 2016
This was a strange book pick for me: as much as I’m afraid of having my Canadian passport revoked for admitting this, I’m not really a hockey fan. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t name a single player on the Leafs right now. I don’t even remember who won the Stanley Cup in 2013.
But I think it’s a testament to just how big of a name Wayne Gretzky is (especially among those in my age group) that I wanted to read this book anyway. Growing up in the 1980s, every boy I knew wanted to BE Gretzky. Living less than two hours outside Toronto, it’s sort of expected that you’re a Maple Leafs fan, but in the 1980s, everything was about the Edmonton Oilers.
Read the rest of my review here: http://cynthiahillbooks.com/2014/01/0...
But I think it’s a testament to just how big of a name Wayne Gretzky is (especially among those in my age group) that I wanted to read this book anyway. Growing up in the 1980s, every boy I knew wanted to BE Gretzky. Living less than two hours outside Toronto, it’s sort of expected that you’re a Maple Leafs fan, but in the 1980s, everything was about the Edmonton Oilers.
Read the rest of my review here: http://cynthiahillbooks.com/2014/01/0...
February 7, 2014
It was refreshing to get a perspective about the world of hockey that very few of us get to see. You better to learn about the politics of hockey then from the greatest who ever played the game.
It was interesting to read that even the Great one had periods that he doubted himself.
It was interesting to read that even the Great one had periods that he doubted himself.
December 26, 2014
It was alright. Went through his career. At times it feels like Strachan is just either standing up for or glowing about his friend. After watching his career he is obviously a great person and this book just bolds the statement.
April 26, 2015
First class tribute to a first class gentleman!
Really enjoyed this book. Great anecdotes and insights on the greatest NHL player that I've ever seen. Strahan told the story very well. MUST read for hockey fans.
Really enjoyed this book. Great anecdotes and insights on the greatest NHL player that I've ever seen. Strahan told the story very well. MUST read for hockey fans.
August 27, 2016
Once again another hockey book that was next to impossible to put down aside from sleeping. Great insight into the Great One and his life in the spotlight. Gretzky fans should read this book. Loved it.
Read
January 8, 2014if you are a gretzky fan. it is a definite read.
February 14, 2014
A must read for any Gretzky and/or hockey fan. Gretzky is truly the G.O.A.T.
November 17, 2014
A great recent book on Gretzky. Focuses a lot on his international play and his time in LA and St. Louis. Reveals some newer info.
February 28, 2025
Review for 99 can be found on Hockey Blog In Canada.
May 30, 2015
Great insight into the world of the Great One. Feeling glad to be done the play by play.
May 24, 2016
A very comprehensive and quite interesting (although hardly unbiased) look into the career of the most iconic hockey player in the world.
November 26, 2024
it was good
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews