Vlad the Impaler - by Keith Gave (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

On June 7, 1997, in the prime of his NHL career, Vladimir Konstantinov - one of the most colorful and beloved athletes in Detroit's sports history - helped lead the Red Wings to their first Stanley Cup championship in 42 years. Six days later, his career would be over and his life forever changed when a limousine taking Vladimir and two teammates home from a team golf outing crashed into a tree on Woodward Ave. The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. This book, with scores of stories and anecdotes that will make readers alternately laugh and cry, celebrates Vladdie's short but epic career as his teammates and their fans commemorate the 25th anniversary of that wonderful Stanley Cup championships season. Initially, doctors gave Konstantinov about a 10 percent chance to survive that crash. But the one thing everyone who saw him play knew that whenever he was knocked down he got up and continued to compete with a ferocity both teammates and opponents say was unmatched by anyone they'd ever seen. So we held our collective breath as Vladdie clung to life. Two months later, he awoke from a coma. But he had suffered irreparable brain damage, affecting things like movement, ambulation and many cognitive skills. Nearly 25 years later, however, with the help of 24-hour care and assistance, Vladimir continues to fight onward, inspiring us all. After drastic changes in Michigan's insurance laws, a trust was established by Vladdie's daughter, Anastasia, to provide all the care he will need for the rest of his life. #Believe

Review Quotes

"Few knew of the role played by one multi-lingual erstwhile Detroit Free Press reporter who stickhandled through the Soviet KGB to plant the seed that sprung two of the most important spokes in the winged wheel. . . The ultimate 'inside story' of those days." --Mike 'Doc' Emrick, five-time Emmy Award-winning, Hall of Fame broadcaster and the voice of hockey on NBC-TV

"Keith Gave, always a terrific reporter, had a front row seat to the most fascinating and colorful chapter of Red Wings history - the Russian Five. At times, he was smack in the middle of it, as an envoy, Russian-speaker and secret-keeper. No one could write this story with the detail, depth and understanding that Gave delivers." --Mitch Albom, columnist, Detroit Free Press

About the Author

The award-winning author of the best-selling book, The Russian Five, A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage, Keith Gave spent six years in the United States Army as a Russian linguist in West Berlin, working for the National Security Agency during the Cold War. A native of suburban Detroit, Gave's news career has spanned more than 40 years, including stints with The Associated Press (Chicago Bureau) and the Dallas Morning News, where his editors nominated him for a Pulitzer Prize. More recently, he spent nearly 20 years as a college English and journalism instructor.