The Fastest Game in the World - (Sport in World History) by Bruce Berglund (Paperback)

About the Book

"Played on frozen ponds in cold northern lands, hockey seemed an especially unlikely game to gain a global following. But from its beginnings in the nineteenth century, the sport has drawn from different cultures and crossed boundaries--between Canada and the United States, across the Atlantic, and among different regions of Europe. It has been a political flashpoint within countries and internationally. And it has given rise to far-reaching cultural changes and firmly held traditions. The Fastest Game in the World is a global history of a global sport, drawing upon research conducted around the world in a variety of languages. From Canadian prairies to Swiss mountain resorts, Soviet housing blocks to American suburbs, Bruce Berglund takes readers on an international tour, seamlessly weaving in hockey's local, national, and international trends. Written in a lively style with wide-ranging breadth and attention to telling detail, The Fastest Game in the World will thrill both the lifelong fan and anyone who is curious about how games intertwine with politics, economics, and culture"--

Book Synopsis

The untold story of hockey's deep roots from different regions of the world, and its global, cultural impact.

Played on frozen ponds in cold northern lands, hockey seemed an especially unlikely game to gain a global following. But from its beginnings in the nineteenth century, the sport has drawn from different cultures and crossed boundaries--between Canada and the United States, across the Atlantic, and among different regions of Europe. It has been a political flashpoint within countries and internationally. And it has given rise to far-reaching cultural changes and firmly held traditions.

The Fastest Game in the World is a global history of a global sport, drawing upon research conducted around the world in a variety of languages. From Canadian prairies to Swiss mountain resorts, Soviet housing blocks to American suburbs, Bruce Berglund takes readers on an international tour, seamlessly weaving in hockey's local, national, and international trends. Written in a lively style with wide-ranging breadth and attention to telling detail, The Fastest Game in the World will thrill both the lifelong fan and anyone who is curious about how games intertwine with politics, economics, and culture.

From the Back Cover

"Bruce Berglund has given the hockey world a fulsome history, a cultural analysis, a detailed autopsy of 'the fastest game in the world.' Impeccably researched and very well written, this book covers everything from climate to cost, Lake Placid to Perestroika, Gretzky to Wickenheiser, South Korean hockey to the fascinating mystery of 'the Lost Team' of Czechoslovakia. Readers, prepare to start your stick taps."--Roy MacGregor, author of Wayne Gretzky's Ghost and Other Tales from a Lifetime in Hockey

"Leave it to Bruce Berglund's sharp eye and beautiful writing to help us understand how hockey serves as a global platform that provides windows into international relationships and some of the fiercest sports--and political--rivalries. All the while, it puts the very cultures of where and why we play the game on the table, from backyard scrimmages to the Olympic Games."--Amy Bass, author of One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together

"The Fastest Game in the World is a riveting read about ice hockey's grip on the hearts of fans all over the world. Bruce Berglund's mix of personal storytelling and smart political and cultural history delivers a fascinating exploration of hockey's growing global influence. A groundbreaking book that all sports fans will enjoy."--Don Van Natta Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning ESPN senior writer and the author of Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias

"In spite of the growing interest in ice hockey as a social phenomenon, there has been a lack of wide-ranging accounts of the sport's spread across the globe. Here, with cordial and engaging prose, Bruce Berglund offers just that. This book will be cherished by hockey fans and scholars alike."--Tobias Stark, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sport Science, Linnaeus University

"With an admirable blend of political history, far-reaching original source material, and personal narrative, Berglund shows how hockey is bound up with the arc of contemporary world history."--J. Andrew Ross, author of Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945

Review Quotes

"A captivating read. . . .Berglund's prose is accessible and engaging and entices the reader into wanting to know more about many of the people, events, and games mentioned. Berglund has provided a significant link into the relationship between sports, communities, and politics, one that sports fans and politicians should consider."-- "Journal of Sport History"

About the Author

Bruce Berglund taught history at Calvin College and the University of Kansas. He is author of Castle and Cathedral in Modern Prague.