I just started reading the biography of Cyclone Taylor by Eric Whitehead, and it's very interesting. Not the best writing, but the history is great!

I have also read 2 books on Tim Horton that were pretty good. Most of the time when I find books on the early days of hockey is consists of a few paragraphs about each of the stars from 1900-1950. It's really tough to find good books that go into any kind of detail about the earliest days of hockey or the life of a certain player.

When I first started getting interested in vintage hockey, I went to a library in Springfield, Ohio and found a great book. The inside of the cover was a picture of rows of C55 and C56 cards. Many of them were fairly worn, but it was a beautiful picture. It had some great stories, but I returned it and haven't seen it since. (I don't live there anymore.)

Can anyone recommend some good books about early hockey or any good biographies? Also, is anyone familiar with the book that I am describing above? I don't have any idea of the name of it, bu the picture is unlike any other book that I have ever seen.

Hopefully, someone will have some good books to recommend,

Let me know.
Earl

I remember as a kid reading Bobby Hull's book written in the 60's....
Christmas season always brings out a slew of books, including one about Orr. A couple of years ago, I really enjoyed the Phil Esposito biography. I can't find it now, but another neat one was like a season recap of the all the key moments and games of the 1966-67 season, the last year of the original six.

Earl - get a copy of 'Hockey Immortals' a booklet by Mike Alexander and Greg Williams. It shows up on eBay now and then. Its a description of the 1911 season with short biographies on all the players in the c55 set.

Brian McFarline wrote a series on the original six (one for each team) that is entertaining also. I have all in hardback and have a couple in paperback copies also - The Rangers and The Bruins - email me (mark927@aol.com) if your interested and I'll send you one of the paperbacks.

I pick up biographies as they come out - have read books on Glenn Hall, Messier, Maurice Richard, Esposito, Yzerman, Gretzky, and Dryden in the last couple years. Also Craig MacInnis did a cool series of books called "Remembering....." with titles on Orr, Esposito, Bobby Hull, the Rocket, and Horton.

Living in Virginia there is not a lot on the local book store shelfs about hockey. I'm guessing a trip to a used bookstore in Toronto would be like going to Santa Claus land....

Boy do these comments bring back memmories. The first hockey book I read was Gordie Howe's "Hockey..Heres Howe" writen in 63. Probably around 1967 I borrowed and read it from a local library in Toronto. I guess I thought it would improve my hockey playing skills. The book had a few black and white action photos of Detroit and Toronto games, also a photo of the production line (Howe, Abel and Lindsay). The 2nd book as a kid, was Jim Hunts "Bobby Hull".
When we played street or ice hockey as a kid in the 60's living in Toronto, everyone wanted to be Tim Horton on defence or Dave Keon if you played forward. Bobby B. may remember this (looking forward to your book).

I recently viewed a Peter Mansbridge television interview on Stephen Brunts latest hockey bio "Searching for Bobby Orr" It was very interesting and I'll probably purchase the book B-4 years end.

one great book to read would be - The Big Whistle. story about Bill Chadwick
the second one would be something like - If they only played Hockey
in Heaven. story about Jack Adams
another good book they call me gump story bout gump worsley
bill

Earl. Go to the CBC website and see if the first few episodes of "Hockey-A People's History" are for sale. I think you will enjoy them. Jim.

Great selection of books--a few in the library already; a couple I will need to go thru posting and get titles again.
The best "enlightenment" book I read after reading all those "typical" biographies--

"----I was born on a farm--skated on a pond --played hockey and made it to the bigs"

I found a copy of THOSE WERE the DAYS by Stan Fischler
The Lore of Hockey by the Legends of the Game.

This book is an "after thought insight" type book where the author talks to the players regarding career highlights after he's retired and has "where he is now" type info for each star.

Typical b/w centerfold pics but great reading--
Definately one of my best reads--won't go back on the shelf but on my night stand and coffee table-
Ron

i read a book called THEHABS about 10 years ago , it did cover most of the early days if i remember correctly .

Just picked up this awesome book and haven't put it down since--
Author Jim Hunt--title in tilte above-copyright 1972
146 page profiles of the goalies of past up to 1972--
I'd say very informative--and great B/W photos
One can not have too many inforamtive material--
Great Dust Jacket and Hard back as most books that I try to acquire