The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
by Wayne Coffey
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Book Summary Information
Author: Wayne CoffeyForeword: Jim Craig
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-10-25
ISBN: 1400047668
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781400047666
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
Book Review: Coffey shoots and scores!
Summary: 4 Stars
Celebrity bios are something that my mom lives for, but if it's hockey (and figure skating for that matter) polar bears couldn't keep me away. I was glad that Coffey put out this blunt and artistically written piece defining "the greatest moment in sports history" because the Miracle HBO documentary left me flat (just under an hour but had great classic clips of the '80 team's tourney tour) and Disney's Miracle was heartwarming but left out the nitty-gritty (and by that I mean UGLY) of what these guys had to endure to SURVIVE on Herbie's team let alone make the cut. Coffey's prose style was especially impressive splicing together each player's background and the US-USSR game's play-by-play as if the actors in Miracle were having flashbacks (hope you're reading this O'Connor!) during the game.
The book's foreword was written by none other than #30 himself, the Golden Goalie, Jimmy Craig. Now I've read a few articles (that I could find) on Jim back in his hockey heyday (including the SI issue where he was featured on the cover) and judging by the tone of his interviews Coffey was right on the money about his complexity and uncensored opines, but he seemed pretty shy. On the other hand, the team's on-ice chatterbox certainly grew into that role (judging by the guy's website advertising his corporate motivational speaking tours) off the ice since his NHL life turned out to be one of those celeb morality tales. Whatta salesman- and he became one after retirement. But it was nice to hear from the flip side, Craig's Minnesotan counterpart, #1 and the answer to a trivia question, Steve Janaszak. This bond salesman who became a Long Island transplant turns out to be cool as a cucumber over the fact he got NO ice time during the Olys and very little game time overall for that season, despite being MVP the season prior when Minnesota U won the '79 NCAA. The saddest account was #15 Mark Wells, his was a true Cinderella story battling a crippling back injury, a failed business, and pain killer addiction after winning the gold. As for the Charlestown native growing up rough in an all-Irish 'hood, #17 Jack O'Callahan proved himself to be the badass (and then some) for Brooks, the Blackhawks, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. And if you're wondering why #16 Mark Pavelich was a no-show for the '02 Olys (and ironically he has the most decorated NHL career out of the group) the story of a hunting trip with his best friend gone horrifically wrong might provide some illumination.
Those are just a few of the stories, take them to heart as this book makes them real people and that's what fueled mythos of the Miracle Team. Also, you can't help but NOT hate the Russians. Yes those evil Commie Reds (BTW communism is a bunch of crap or Cuba and to a SEVERELY lesser extent North Korea would be paradises) are human too with foibles, families, and a crazy coach that looks like a chicken. Stan Laurel- I mean Boris Mikhailov, pfft! You can't beat that guy? Pfft!
More The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team reviews:
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Summary of The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
The Story of the Greatest Sports Moment of the Twentieth CenturyOnce upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered what Sports Illustrated called the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. Their "Miracle on Ice" has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable.
Wayne Coffey casts a fresh eye on this seminal sports event, giving readers an ice-level view of the amateurs who took on a Russian hockey juggernaut at the height of the Cold War. He details the unusual chemistry of the Americans-formulated by their fiercely determined coach, Herb Brooks-and seamlessly weaves portraits of the boys with the fluid action of the game itself. Coffey also traces the paths of the players and coaches since their stunning victory, examining how the Olympic events affected their lives.
Told with warmth and an uncanny eye for detail, The Boys of Winter is an intimate, perceptive portrayal of one Friday night in Lake Placid and the enduring power of the extraordinary.
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