Summer Reading: The Greatest Game

Every summer I escape hockey and the computer by going camping and hiking. The escape from hockey is never far for me. I always carry a few hockey books for evenings of sitting around the camp fire. It is a great way to forget about the daily aches and blisters acquired while chasing waterfalls and mountain tops.

On my most recent outing I found myself staying up far later than I should have. I needed the rest for a full next day of outdoor activity, but I was far too immersed in Todd Denault's The Greatest Game.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com - E-Book

The book is about the famous New Year's Eve clash between the Montreal Canadiens and the Soviet Red Army team back in 1975. My favorite parts of the book are the historical build up to the game. Denault explores the rise of the likes of Anatoli Tarasov, Sam Pollock, Ken Dryden and Vladislav Tretiak. It is a must read text for any fan of the Habs or the Soviets.

Denault is as thorough a hockey researcher as you will find, yet he presents his findings with the gift of a storyteller. It is a magnificent book. Here is my original book review.

The book is being released in paperback
in the fall of 2011. As soon as I found out about additional material I will pass it along.

The Greatest Game

It is simply known as "The New Year's Eve Classic." Any good hockey fan knows exactly what game that refers to - the 3-3 tie between the famed Montreal Canadiens and famed Soviet Red Army on December 31st, 1975. So many people also refer to it as the greatest hockey game ever played.

What made this mid-season exhibition game so important? Why has it remained such a touchstone for so many people? What effect did have on the future course of the sport?

That is the focus of Todd Denault's new book  The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com - E-Book

This is Denault's follow up title to his inaugural book/instant classic Jacques Plante: Man Who Changed Face of Hockey. Denault returns with his trademark exhaustive research and presents one of the most important hockey books ever written.

In order to answer the aforementioned questions, Denault first sets the stage for that game.That meant going back a full two decades to 1954 when the awesome strength of Soviet hockey was first introduced to Canada, and the idea of a game between the Soviets best and a NHL team was born.

Read the full book review courtesy HockeyBookReviews.com

The Greatest Game

It is simply known as "The New Year's Eve Classic." Any good hockey fan knows exactly what game that refers to - the 3-3 tie between the famed Montreal Canadiens and famed Soviet Red Army on December 31st, 1975. So many people also refer to it as the greatest hockey game ever played.

What made this mid-season exhibition game so important? Why has it remained such a touchstone for so many people? What effect did have on the future course of the sport?

That is the focus of Todd Denault's new book  The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey.

Read the full book review at HockeyBookReviews.com

Watch for an interview with author Todd Denault later in the week!

Interview With The Author - Todd Denault

Be sure to head over to HockeyBookReviews.com where I had the great pleasure of interviewing Jacques Plante biographer Todd Denault.

Exclusive Excerpt From Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed The Face Of Hockey

McClelland & Stewart has granted Hockey Book Reviews.com an exclusive excerpt from Todd Denault's new book Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed The Face Of Hockey.

Read The Excerpt

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com