Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: Best of the Bruins by Jonathan Weeks @GoddessFish

 

Best of the Bruins

by Jonathan Weeks

GENRE: Sports-History-Hockey

BLURB:

Among the “original six” NHL clubs to survive the Great Depression, the Boston Bruins have a vibrant history. Entering the 2020-’21 campaign, the team ranked fourth all-time with six Stanley Cup championships. Some of the most gifted players in NHL history have skated for the Bruins over the years. Best of the Bruins: Boston’s All-Time Great Players and Coaches tells the individual stories of the players and coaches who have helped make the Bruins perennial contenders for close to a century. Profiles of current players are included in this sweeping survey.

Excerpt:

BOBBY ORR

Orr did not invent the archetype of the offensive defenseman, but he elevated it to a new level. A masterful skater with unparalleled acceleration, he knew where the puck was at all times and could almost always be found carrying it, pursuing it or redirecting it. Teammate Phil Esposito recalled a game in which the B’s were on a penalty kill against the Oakland Seals. Orr took the puck behind the Bruins net and lost a glove in a scuffle with an opponent. Retaining possession of the puck, he skated over the blue line then back into the Bruins zone, where he picked up his glove and killed off a full minute of the penalty. Concluding one of the most astounding sequences Esposito had ever seen, Orr glided into the offensive zone and scored a short-handed goal.

Though Orr’s detractors claimed that he was soft on defense, others begged to differ. B’s goalie Eddie Johnston, who played with Orr for several seasons, remarked: “They say Bobby doesn’t play defense. Heck, he makes a forty-minute hockey game for us. He’s got the puck twenty minutes by himself. What better defense is there?” On a similar note, coach Harry Sinden crowed: “You can have all the Bobby Clarkes of the world. I’ll take one game from Orr. He’ll make thirty moves no one has seen before.”

Orr established himself as a cultural icon in the same manner as Joe DiMaggio. More than just a player—he became a hero to the New England masses and a legend to hockey fans outside his primary fan base. His greatest seasons were packed into a relatively short span, but his star burned brightly long after he retired as a player. To the present day, he receives resounding ovations at every public event he takes part in. Interestingly, Orr never basked in the spotlight during his playing days. After Bruins victories, he would often hide in the trainer’s room and avoid reporters so that his teammates could receive credit.

Interview with Jonathan Weeks

What book that you have read has most influenced your life?

When I was in fifth grade, I read Roger Kahn’s The Boys of Summer, which is a narrative history of the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1950s. I became fascinated with sports history from that point on and knew I wanted to write about it. Though writing is not my primary occupation, I have published a number of books over the past decade. It has brought me a lot of joy.

Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?

I grew up in the Capital District region of New York State. As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. I was too short for basketball and too clumsy on skates to play hockey. I also couldn’t hit a curve ball to save my life, which more or less ended my baseball career. In order to stay connected to my favorite sports, I decided to write about them.

Can you tell us something about your book that is not in the summary?

It took me about 10 months to research and write The Best of the Bruins. I drew my information from over 250 sources. I watched archival footage of the old-time players in order to properly describe their individual styles. Though I was quite familiar with the terminology of the sport, I had never written a book about hockey prior to this one. I read more than a hundred articles to get a feel for it.

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

It depends on the day. There are times when all the right words are there and other occasions when I am just flailing at my keyboard. Non-fiction writing can be quite challenging. You have to get all of your facts straight while assembling them in a meaningful order that informs and entertains the reader. I have encountered many history books that bored me half to death. I try desperately to avoid that in my own writing.

What is your favorite childhood book?

There were several I really enjoyed. The Man Who Lost His Head by Claire Huchet Bishop and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak both have wonderful illustrations and were my favorites before I actually learned to read. I can’t remember the first book I read on my own, but I do recall the first one I read over and over again. It was a children’s baseball novel by Matt Christopher called The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. I loved that book! I borrowed it from the school library 4 or 5 times.

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

I have been a lifelong fan of the Bruins and this book was a bucket list item for me. Some of the most talented players the game has ever known have skated for Boston over the years. More than a hundred of them are included in my book. I am pleased with the scope of my research.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A lifelong sports fan, Weeks has published several non-fiction books on the topic of baseball. Additionally, he has two novels to his credit--one of them a posthumous collaboration with his father. His latest project: Best of the Bruins: Boston's All Time Great Players and Coaches, is due out in 2021.

Goodreads

Buy Link:

Amazon 

 

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon/BN GC

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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