After the Applause: Ten NHL Greats and Their Lives After Hockey

by Gordie Howe, Charles Wilkins

Book by Gordie Howe, Charles Wilkins, Colleen Howe

Genres: Sports, Hockey

232 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Jeff]

Colleen and Gordie Howe went to writer Charles Wilkins with an idea. Track down ten Hockey stars from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, interview them and their wives and find out how they managed the transition from hockey stardom to retirement. The Howes secured the cooperation of the players and their wives, and Wilkins did the interviewing and writing. the result is an extremely interesting and insightful book into the lives of professional hockey players who "retire" before middle age and are forced to reinvent their lives. The players chosen for the book all have interesting and varied stories. What makes this book unique is the active inclusion of the players' wives. Their perspective is given as much weight as the husbands', showing the reader the human side of professional sports and the upheaval trades, injuries and retirement brings. I would have given it five stars except for a few errors that a full-time hockey writer would not have made, but on the flip side, Wilkins' writing is fluid and engaging. A great "Where Are They Now?" book with a human and family perspective.

[Teebz Hbic]

Review for After the Applause can be found on Hockey Blog In Canada.