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Hockey: A People's History
Now in paperback, updated with a new final chapter!
Lavishly illustrated, beautifully designed, impeccably researched, and wonderfully written, A People’s History is the altogether irresistible companion book to the CBC-Television series of the same name, airing in Fall 06. A must-have for every fan!
Hockey is not just Canada’s national game, it is part of every Canadian’s psyche, whether we like it or not. Watching it, playing it, coaching it, and talking about it are up there with eating on the list of the top ten things Canadians do most. In the first half of the last century it mirrored our increasing confidence as a nation and in the last years of the 1900s, which saw an aggressive but unsettling expansion of the game south of the border, it reflected our growing wariness of American influence on Canada.
A People’s History , like the ten-part CBC series it accompanies, tells the story of this breathtakingly fast game from its hotly contested origins, and the surge in its popularity after 1875, when it was first taken inside, through the rise and fall and rise again of women’s hockey, the sagas of long-lost leagues, such as the Pacific Coast Hockey League and, more recently, the World Hockey Association, to the present day and the first-ever lockout of players by the one remaining league. In that time, while play has changed only slightly (every generation of Canadians has complained about the growing violence of the game) hockey itself has been transformed from a rough and ready winter sport to a business worth many billions of dollars, played by millionaires.
But A People’s History is not a business story, rather, it is the story of the men and woman who helped make the game what it is today.
It also tells the story of all the great moments in not just the unforgettable 1972 victory against Russia, but victories no less glorious at the time, such as the Leafs’ previously unheard-of third consecutive Stanley Cup in 1949. Through its lavishly illustrated pages skate the players, the coaches, the owners, many of them still legendary, too many of them almost forgotten. They are the reason why Canadians have stayed true to the game.
Lavishly illustrated, beautifully designed, impeccably researched, and wonderfully written, A People’s History is the altogether irresistible companion book to the CBC-Television series of the same name, airing in Fall 06. A must-have for every fan!
Hockey is not just Canada’s national game, it is part of every Canadian’s psyche, whether we like it or not. Watching it, playing it, coaching it, and talking about it are up there with eating on the list of the top ten things Canadians do most. In the first half of the last century it mirrored our increasing confidence as a nation and in the last years of the 1900s, which saw an aggressive but unsettling expansion of the game south of the border, it reflected our growing wariness of American influence on Canada.
A People’s History , like the ten-part CBC series it accompanies, tells the story of this breathtakingly fast game from its hotly contested origins, and the surge in its popularity after 1875, when it was first taken inside, through the rise and fall and rise again of women’s hockey, the sagas of long-lost leagues, such as the Pacific Coast Hockey League and, more recently, the World Hockey Association, to the present day and the first-ever lockout of players by the one remaining league. In that time, while play has changed only slightly (every generation of Canadians has complained about the growing violence of the game) hockey itself has been transformed from a rough and ready winter sport to a business worth many billions of dollars, played by millionaires.
But A People’s History is not a business story, rather, it is the story of the men and woman who helped make the game what it is today.
It also tells the story of all the great moments in not just the unforgettable 1972 victory against Russia, but victories no less glorious at the time, such as the Leafs’ previously unheard-of third consecutive Stanley Cup in 1949. Through its lavishly illustrated pages skate the players, the coaches, the owners, many of them still legendary, too many of them almost forgotten. They are the reason why Canadians have stayed true to the game.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2006
5 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Michael McKinley
19 booksMichael McKinley is an author, filmmaker, journalist, and screenwriter. A Vancouver native, he was educated at the University of British Columbia, and then at the University of Oxford. As a journalist, he has written for publications on both sides of the Atlantic, and has won national newswriting awards. He has produced several television shows for CNN, History, and the CBC, and is the author of several books, among them Codebreakers: The Secret Intelligence Unit that Changed the Course of the First World War (with James Wyllie) and Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery, the companion book to the CNN TV series he created with David Gibson. He lives in New York City.
https://www.amazon.com/Michael-McKinl...
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https://www.amazon.com/Michael-McKinl...
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 5, 2018
This book was very informative, extensive, and I do recommend it for hockey fans. However, since contemporary hockey had its origins in Canada, the author emphases Canadian hockey, and in discussions about the foundation and expansion of the National Hockey League (NHL), he discusses it in terms of how it affected Canada. The author writes extensively about many Canadian star players, including, of course Wayne Gretzky. Full of illustrations and many examples of hockey history, this book includes the advancement of women's hockey, safety, and rules and regulations that have changed through the years, and the ever growing popularity of the sport.
April 10, 2019
This is a wonderful series.
July 21, 2019
provides a great history from a Canadian perspective.
January 19, 2014
Michael McKinley's Hockey: a People's History does seem a lot more focused on the history of the sport from the perspective of people, Canadian people in particular. While the early history and development of the game is of particular interest, I found my attention wavering on occasions as so much was often packed into a chapter without a lot of real depth. Some historical folk that continually appear (usually for good reason, but also, I think, because the author likes them so much) are Conn Smythe, Clarence Campbell, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard. While I enjoyed hearing about their contributions to the game and how important they are, I would have liked a little more focus on specific additions to the game such as helmets, padding, rule changes, as well as the American side of the hockey. Usually rule changes and equipment were supposed to be understood with the exceptions of goalie face masks and a sentence here or there about forward passing and blue/red lines.
For being largely a Canadian history of the game, it is certainly thorough starting with its origins of the sport and going through the abandoned 2004-05 NHL season. Large portions of later chapters cover the Cold War on Ice between Canada and the Soviets and then follow up with Canadian defeat and eventual victory in the Olympics. What largely goes unmentioned, somewhat to the detriment of the book, is the development and growth of the American side of the game. Usually the author reserves a certain disdain for American hockey saying essentially that the NHL is after money and that college hockey in the U.S. is better than that in Canada to detriment of Canadian development. So, basically, if you really want to know about Canada and hockey, great book. If you want a comprehensive volume, this starts out pretty good but since there is literally on sentence that acknowledges "The Miracle on Ice" and barely mentions American players (and no coaches? Herb Brooks deserves at least one name drop!), or good American contributions to the game, this doesn't cover it.
The historical record is great and the pictures are fun to just browse. Would have been even better with some documentation of where pictures/info came from. Still, despite the one sidedness and lack of resources, Hockey: A People's History is a good coffee table volume. For the serious hockey fan, it's almost a must have item.
For being largely a Canadian history of the game, it is certainly thorough starting with its origins of the sport and going through the abandoned 2004-05 NHL season. Large portions of later chapters cover the Cold War on Ice between Canada and the Soviets and then follow up with Canadian defeat and eventual victory in the Olympics. What largely goes unmentioned, somewhat to the detriment of the book, is the development and growth of the American side of the game. Usually the author reserves a certain disdain for American hockey saying essentially that the NHL is after money and that college hockey in the U.S. is better than that in Canada to detriment of Canadian development. So, basically, if you really want to know about Canada and hockey, great book. If you want a comprehensive volume, this starts out pretty good but since there is literally on sentence that acknowledges "The Miracle on Ice" and barely mentions American players (and no coaches? Herb Brooks deserves at least one name drop!), or good American contributions to the game, this doesn't cover it.
The historical record is great and the pictures are fun to just browse. Would have been even better with some documentation of where pictures/info came from. Still, despite the one sidedness and lack of resources, Hockey: A People's History is a good coffee table volume. For the serious hockey fan, it's almost a must have item.
Read
August 31, 2010The book returns frequently to hockey’s hallowed rivalry: the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens. Only the Yankees versus the Red Sox yarn can compare to that of the Francophone-beloved Canadiens and mercurial Conn Smythe’s scheming to make the Leafs their outranking Anglo analogue. Bouts of hand-wringing over the way American money threatens hockey’s Canadian identity punctuate the continuum as the book gives all the franchises and all the stars, from Cyclone Taylor to Maurice “Rocket” Richard to Wayne Gretzky, their due. Essential for general sports as well as hockey-intensive collections, but also a social history of two countries by telling the story of how a game became a sport.
June 27, 2012
This is an excellent coffee table book with wonderful photographs, short anecdotal biographies, and a broad overview of the history of the sport. In other words, it is exactly the kind of sports story that it is difficult for me to get invested in. You can't just give me a cross dressing turn of the century girl who just wanted to play on the boys team and then be completely done with her a page later. Not being the biggest sports fan ever, I need a bit more of a narrative than that. McKinley is a great writer, though, and I recommend this for anyone who wants a historical overview. Personally, I might be looking for something more like his biography of Mario Lemieux or Willie O'Ree next.
January 17, 2008
A wonderful book for those who love the game of hockey and want to understand its history as Canada's national game. While the contributions of the US to the game are not diminished in any way, the focus of the text is clearly Canadian (which makes sense as the book was created to accompany the CBC series of the same name). Special attention is given to events such as the 1972 Challenge Cup with the Soviet Union and of course the more recent triumph at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games, where a small coin became a focus of national pride.
A good read for sure, and not just for hockey die-hards.
A good read for sure, and not just for hockey die-hards.
November 21, 2009
Suffers from problems of organization. Some parts are interesting, things you won't see in any other hockey book. Others are the kind of thing you skip right through, either because you've seen it before or because it's not dealt with in an interesting way (or both).
The 19th C. picture of women playing hockey in dresses on a pond is pretty cool. (In general, this is a very good history of women in the sport.) So is the mention of the Pittsburgh Keystones and the Pittsburgh Bankers (early area hockey teams). Less cool is the lack of a list of sources.
The 19th C. picture of women playing hockey in dresses on a pond is pretty cool. (In general, this is a very good history of women in the sport.) So is the mention of the Pittsburgh Keystones and the Pittsburgh Bankers (early area hockey teams). Less cool is the lack of a list of sources.
March 28, 2012
Love this book. Not much non-fiction can get me choked up, but this one did, more than once. I'm sure loving hockey helps, but even if you don't already love the sport - it's a great book. Tons of pictures and interesting sidebars along with quality text. Plenty of fun factoids that'll come in handy next pub quiz.
January 6, 2009
Awesome read. It really gets into the history of the game (how it started) and the politics involved throughout the Cold War. The feeling about hockey in Canada is sooooooo much different than here in the states.
June 7, 2009
Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of hockey from its humble beginnings to SuperJoe Sakic
August 18, 2011
I learned so much about hockey from this book.
April 18, 2013
Well written narrative of the history of hockey; albeit from a distinctively Canadian perspective.Plenty of historical background and photographs.
January 2, 2015
I am amazed how much they put into one book. It's like a hockey history textbook. Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews