Customer Reviews

100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just purchased 100 Ranger Greats and have gone through it. Obviously, I'm a big Rangers fan. If you have any interest whatsoever in hockey and The Rangers, I highly recommend it. A lot of great names from the past. Admittedly, I am not as familiar with some of the older players but have certainly enjoyed learning about the history. As with all lists and ranking, I tend to disagree with where certain players were ranked but isn't that the fun of it all? My buddy thinks Brad Park deserved to be even higher; I thought lower. Overall though, I thought the players were ranked quite fairly and I appreciate there was a formal process and criteria that the authors used to come up with their list. Good stuff.

100 Ranger Greats is a beautifully produced, well-written paean to the New York Rangers' NHL franchise. One of the Original Six, the Rangers are one of the most storied teams in NHL and sports history. This gorgeous, over-sized hard-cover book pays tribute to the players that the three authors deemed the 'top 100' players in franchise history. Loaded with both color and black & white photos, it is lavishly illustrated and beautifully written. The authors cheerfully note that other fans--especially Rangers fans--may not totally agree with their choices, but they present an excellent case for their selections and their rankings.

This book is a delight to peruse and brings back fond and exciting memories for older fans, as well as serves to educate younger fans who are still learning about the sport and the great players, and characters, of the game. Written by fans, for fans, the trio of writers have brought their knowledge and love of the sport to the foreground to create a truly remarkable book. As a hockey fan, I found this book to be a comprehensive, thorough look at the best and the brightest of the NY Rangers over the years and it brought back many memories of some of the all-time heroes of the game. The narrative is detailed and entertaining, and the authors have done a fantastic job in putting this book together. 100 Ranger Greats is one of the finest books to come out on a hockey franchise--or any sports franchise--in many a year. One only wishes that the other teams, particularly of the original six--would also have that kind of care dedicated to their teams in a companion type book.

Truly a 5-Star production, this is an exceptional book that the authors should be justifiably proud of.

Just one question...oh, Ranger aficionados...Where's Darius Kasparaitis?

Author John Halligan has done it again. The former public relations director of the NY Rangers[also authored the fabulous 75th anniversary Ranger book], and co-authors, Russ Cohen, and Adam Raider, have written what amounts to a NY Ranger history book, that profiles all the best players from 1923 to present day. The great thing about this book, is the young Ranger fan, will be able to read up on many vintage stars from the past, like goalie Davey Kerr[who deserves HOF consideration in my opinion], Bill and Bun Cook, Ching Johnson, Frank Boucher, Gump Worsley, Chuck Rayner, Harry Howell, and Andy Bathgate to name a few from the old school. I won't give the book away, but #100 on the list was New York's Nick Fotiu, and #1 was Brian Leetch[no argument here]. Two goalie's made the top 10, with Mike Richter and of course fast Eddie Giacomin. I think the layout of the book is just fine, and the photography along with the written narrative on each player will give any Ranger or hockey fan many hours of enjoyment. John Halligan rates right at the top of the list, along with Stan Fischler, as the best NY Ranger hockey historian. This is a must book for Ranger fans of all ages, and especially for those young novice fans who would like to learn about all the players who wore the Ranger blue with pride and passion.

This book is totally worth buying for the Rangers fan in your life.
I read this book twice on the first day.

Another fantastic purchase! I love this book! I've met the authors Russ Cohen & Adam Raider at a signing and this book has been in the making since 2005! I love the facts/photos in here...A great "coffee" table book to have....:)

I have always said that Rangers' fans are unique. They are a totally different breed and reading this book it becomes easy to understand why. The Ranger's history has had some crazy highs and low, but one thing that remains constant there have always been players with unique and fascinating stories. Rangers' fans know exactly what they like. There is no gray area to their hockey knowledge and Rangers' fans know EXACTLY where they would rank their all-time players. That is why I am amazed by this book's accomplishment.

There are very few people out there that could have put together a book this complete and interesting. Russ Cohen has definitely created a "one-a-kind" book for Rangers' fans to add to their libraries. Opening the book to any page feels like peering through the Personal Sports DVR. So many memories are triggered and when you come across a player that you don't recall it is fascinating to learn the history and that player's small (or sometimes rather large) part of Broadway.

I can't think of a better book for the son of a Rangers' fan to buy this Holiday season.

Eklund from [...]

Just finished reading through the book a second time. As a long time NY Ranger fan, I truly believe that all Ranger fans (and hockey fans in general) will appreciate it! I really enjoyed reading about Rangers from long ago as well as re-living experiences/games with the players that I watched passionately! There might be some who argue the ranking, but I appreciate the time/energy/effort that the authors put into the book. It will be displayed proudly on my shelf and has been recommended to family and friends!

I am a big Rangers fan and found this book very well-writen with excellent photographs.

Just recv'd my copy and I'm over halfway through the book. I ordered it online as I was unable to find in any bookstore (I even checked Madison Square Garden and Gerry Cosby's store).

Here are my complaints:
I had read that the book contained "Many never before seen photos" so I was especially interested in book for that reason alone. I was underwhelmed by the photos. Each player is given two pages and two photos. One photo is smaller and shown within an amateur rendering of a "hockey card", the other photo is on the opposite page and larger. Here's the annoying part; several of the players like Darren Turcotte, Reijo R., Tomas Sandstrom and Sergei Zubov have the same photo on both pages!! These are relatively recent players so I find it hard to believe it would be hard to track down two different photos of them. In fact, it appears that the New York Rangers organization provided photos for the project. Many of the older players have two different shots, I would understand if there was a shortage of vintage photos.

Aside from the cover, the graphic design of the book is amateurish. Looks like a powerpoint presentation, basic and not a whole lot of time given to layout design, typography, etc. This book should have had great design similar to any high-end display/"coffee table" book (especially at the published price of $34.95).

I would have liked a little more new information. Each profile should have a current quote or recollection from that player (if not deceased). Some profiles have quotes, some don't. This could have been to big of a challenge though as I'm sure the Rangers Alumni are spread throughout North America, Europe, etc

Here are the book's good points:
Nice mix of players selected (love that my all-time favorite Eddie Johnstone appeared at #65, would have like to see Shanny included). The authors did not just go with the obvious Ranger choices. The list will make for a good debate among Ranger fans

Where there are player quotes, they are good. Interesting stuff like how many players disliked Ted Sator. Also includes info on each player's post playing days life.

Bottom line:
Not as good as the "75 Year" Ranger book, but if you are a diehard fan like me, you'll want this book for your collection. I was able to get a copy for $20, and I am satisfied with it because of that. If I paid the published $34.95 price (or more then $25), I would return the book for refund. If you need a holiday gift for a Ranger fan this would work, only if purchased at a more reasonable price.

ADDENDUM:
Just completed the book and I'm giving it a third star. What it lacked in design was made up by history covered and profiles of each player. 3 Stars***