Random Hockey Book of the Week, Week 5: A People's History

Week 5: Hockey: A People's History. This week's random interesting-looking hockey book is a companion to the CBC series of the same name that aired a few years back.

The Series Behind the Book

The DVD set, which I own and worship, is an amazing look into how the unparalleled importance of hockey in the lives of most Canadians came to be. Hockey fans from around the world will be moved by the stories in the show and the book.

From Hotly Contested Origins to the First Lockout

Hockey: 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.

Every Generation Complains

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.

Not a Business Story

But Hockey: A People's History is not a business story. Rather, it is the story of the men and women who helped make the game what it is today.

The Week in the Feature

A random interesting-looking hockey book every Friday, some read, most hoped to be read someday. The DVD set is already in the worship pile, so the book is the obvious next step.