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He is a hockey man, through and through. Books from former hockey players bring the reader into a special sanctum. He has a great story to tell, and many great hockey stories to tell. The culture of NHL, especially spanning the years of the Original 6, reads like a secret society of incredible fun, comeraderie and male bonding.Phil Esposito broke in with the Blackhawks, and skated alongside Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilotte and Glenn Hall, all future Hall of Famers. In what was the hockey equivalent of the Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio trade, Espo was traded to the Boston Bruins to join Bobby Orr and form the nucleus of a two time Stanley Cup winning team.Phil Esposito is by no means a writer. Do not read this book looking for any great prose, ala Ken Dryden.But if you want to peek into the hockey establishment, and find out what it was like to play against and with some of the greatest skaters ever to lace up the blades, it is a worthwhile read.Phil Esposito is a colorful personality, and one of the NHL trailblazers. His playing style helped usher in the league as we now know it in the form of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.It is one of the true insider looks at hockey superstardom.
It is not written well, it rambles and lacks any real string that guides you through the story nor leaves you with any real life lessons. I am a big hockey fan and have read many of the best books out there. It is effectively a chronological listing of select events in his life, and is written using prose, etc. I picked this one up because the Espositos are a famous hockey family, the way Phil played was a precursor to how the game was to be played in the coming decades, and what Phil has done for the game since he stopped playing. Phil's life is a great story, but he should have gotten a better ghost writer for this one. seemingly targeted for high school kids.Phil was and is one of the biggest players to have influenced the game and I was expecting a book that was of the same caliber as his play and his approach to life during the game and after the game. This book did not deliver on those expectations.(Sorry Phil).
I read this book a little over a year ago and quite honestly, I truly enjoyed it. I found his story absolutely fascinating, I mean how could you not respect someone that "had" to work in the off season until he was 30 just to support his family. I had bought the book for my boyfriend and then read it after him. The book is a quick read and for a true hockey fan, I think it's a must read. In the current day of overpaid athletes, it's refreshing to read a story of a man that played for the genuine passion of the sport. He does seem a bit bitter about certain occurrences in his career, I guess that's why I found the book so entertaining- he's certainly not vanilla.
HE TELLS US OF HIS FAILED MARRIAGES, OCCASIONAL FLINGS AND HIS SUCCESS AND FAILURES AS COACH AND GM. THIS BOOK BY FORMER NHL SUPERSTAR PHIL ESPOSITO REALLY IS A GOOD READ. PHIL HAS A VERY LARGE EGO AND DOESN'T PUT UP WITH ALOT OF BS. PHIL TELLS US OF HIS CAREER WITH BRUINS, BLACK HAWKS AND RANGERS. ALONG THE WAY WE LEARN QUITE A BIT OF INFO ABOUT PHIL. IF HE FEELS HE HAS BEEN WRONGED HE WILL LET YOU KNOW. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND REALLY RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL HOCKEY AND ESPECIALLY BOSTON BRUIN FANS.
Great but superficial review of life in NHL in the 1960s and 1970s, and an excellent autobiography from one of the genuine stars of that era. Phil has always been a brutally honest man, which I appreciate, and his straightforwardness comes through strongly in this book. Minor date errors not withstanding, a sincere and heartfelt hockey commentary and insight from the early 1960's on in from Phil's point of view. Definitely would recommend.
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