Habs history hockey books - reading a great one

[tinyzombies]

"Flying Frenchmen" by Maurice Richard (with Stan Fischler). There are quotes in there from as far back as Joe Malone. Goes through the 40's and 50's in very good detail, with a primary focus on how the team had to be rebuilt after the 40's and after the 50's. Seems as though size was lacking both times, so they brought in support for the skill we already had in place. After the late 50's, the team was old too. Anyway, great read.

Any other suggestions on Habs history with a focus on the 20's, 30's, 40's?

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[newromanceforkids]

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Les Canadiens sont là is great! The Maurice Richard book is one of my all time favs (Mine is signed original press) le match is a classic and the Beliveau book is great also. Oh yea forgot it in my pic but that lafleur book is cool to

 

[HabsByTheBay]

Two out of print classics that are essential for a Habs fan's library are Habs by Dick Irvin (oral history focusing on 40s-70s featuring...everyone, really) and Lions in Winter by Chrys Goyens and Allen Turowitz. You can find these on amazon for a few bucks.

 

[Shadyone33]

Two out of print classics that are essential for a Habs fan's library are Habs by Dick Irvin (oral history focusing on 40s-70s featuring...everyone, really) and Lions in Winter by Chrys Goyens and Allen Turowitz. You can find these on amazon for a few bucks.

Came here to post this. Great book. I read it in highschool and regretted returning it to the library ever since!

 

[yathehabsrule]

A lot of the books associated to Stan Fischler, ie: John Ferguson, Stan Mikita are mostly "The Maven's" work based on a few memoirs and interviews.

As for older books, The Habs and Lions in Winter are easily the best two, and most common.

For some older ones "The Hockey Book," by Bill Roche has some older stories from Toe Blake, Newsy Lalonde, Joe Malone and Dick Irvin Sr., among others.

"Fire Wagon Hockey," by Andy O'Brien and "Heroes, Hockey and Me," by Red Fisher I would also recommend. Sometimes you luck in on older books at used book stores, antique malls or even try a Value Village or thrift shop. You'd be surprised with what you can find there for just a couple bucks.

 

[sharks9]

The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years Of Glory by D'arcy Janish is a good one to get a complete overview of the Habs.

 

[VanNistelrooy]

Every sports bookshelf should have that book : http://www.amazon.ca/The-Greatest-G...634X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358216480&sr=8-2

 

[habs93]

Picked up more than a few years ago a book done by Stan Fischer on Boom Boom Geoffrion in a Toronto Book Store in their discounted section for five dollars & it was signed by Boom Boom so I bought two and gave a copy to my brother.I guess there was a public appearance/book signing which did not sell out all the signed copies......

 

[tinyzombies]

I meant to post back here. But the second half of the Rocket book by Fischler is in Rocket's own words. He talks real dirt about other players. Says that Durnan was the best goalie of all time (it was written in the late 60's/very early 70's). Says he thought they should have made Boom Boom captain and not Beliveau. You get the impression he didn't like Beliveau. Basically comes out and says he had too conservative a personality to be captain and that it would have been more fun under Boom Boom (boy was he wrong). Says Howe was the best player he had every seen (tho he didn't compare to himself, and he admits that Orr was too young to tell at that point). Toe Blake was his favorite player as a kid, then he got to play on his line. No mention about how he was almost traded to the Rangers. Says that if he had to play for any other team, it would have been the Leafs because the fans in Toronto and Conn Smythe always treated him well! He had some choice words for how tough Habs fans were on the Canadiens as well. Says that at the end, Harvey was too hard on the players in the dressing room, so they had to trade him. He was pretty tough on Plante. Basically said he was the best goalie ever when he wanted to be, but in those days goalies were looked down upon when they got tired of getting hit with the puck. Durnan never faced one slapshot. Some real dirt in there!