It wasn't until Canadian teams started losing in international tournaments in the mid 1950s that an epic hockey rivalry between Canada and the Soviet Union began. Canadians believed hockey was "their game." So Canadians were in for a rude awakening when they lost Game One of the 1972 Summit Series to the Soviets. The eight-game tournament quickly became a "war on ice" fuelled by competing Cold War ideologies. Hockey fans will enjoy reading about: small-town teams that represented Canada in international tournaments before there was a Team Canada; Father David Bauer and the first National Hockey Team; the birth of Hockey Canada; Canada and the Cold War; Canadian style of play in hockey versus the Russian style of play; and Bobby Clarke's dirty slash on Kharlamov.
"Not only was Summit Series a lesson in Canadian hockey history, it was a lesson in Cold War history. Like many of the books in the RecordBooks series, Brignall and his editors used text boxes to call out interesting information as well as to explain less familiar concepts."
- Rebecca Dobrinski thehockeywriters.com
Rated E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it! Lorimer's non-fiction series Recordbooks is designed to help reluctant readers understand history and social issues through the lens of an actual sports hero. The hero in this case is hockey... This book is a well-paced and deceptively informative read and need not restrict itself to those who are reluctant readers.
- Lesley Little Resource Links
"...well-written, well-suited to the intended audience and ideal for recreational reading...The sidebars dealing with politics give a brief history of the relations between the Soviet Bloc and the West during the post Second World War period. This is accurate and interesting and useful to young readers who may never have heard of Communism or the Soviet Union. They should provoke some interesting questions....his style is perfect for the targetted audience."
- Thomas F. Chambers CM: Canadian Review fo Materials
"... a good introduction for new generations of fans looking to learn about one of hockey's most important events."
- Joe Pelletier hockeybookreviews.com
"The writing is accessible for intermediate level students but the text would also be a good starting point for high school assignments dealing with identity/heritage in 20th century courses."
- George Sheppard Canadian Teacher
Writer and former sports reporter RICHARD BRIGNALL lives in Kenora, Ontario. He is the author of several other titles in the Recordbooks series, including Fearless, Big Train, Forever Champions, Big League Dreams, and China Clipper. His also a frequent contributor to Cottage Life and Outdoor Canada.
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Publication Details:
Binding: Paperback, 152 pages Publication Date: 1st September 2011 ISBN: 9781552778838 Format: 7in x 4.25in
Binding: Hardback, 152 pages Publication Date: 27th September 2011 ISBN: 9781552778845 Format: 7in x 4.25in
Binding: Electronic book text Publication Date: 28th June 2012 ISBN: 9781552778852 Format: EPUB
