Customer Reviews

Sawchuk: The Troubles and Triumphs of the World's Greatest Goalie

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

 

 

I started reading this book because I had heard that Patrick Roy, who passed Terry Sawchuk's record of most winningest goalie, was reading it in order to find out more about the goalie he would be passing in the record books. What I found out as I continued reading was that even if you are just a fan of hockey in general, this is a great read. It is so honest that it is almost surprising that the Sawchuk family would want to release some of the information the reader finds out. It is even more interesting to read if you know someone who was an alcoholic, because Terry goes through many of the same troubles that other alcoholics do. The pictures included in the book are helpful and they give an idea of the people in Terry's life as well as the surroundings in his life. The writing style is easy to follow no matter how good of a reader you are, though sometimes the many statistics and names of other hockey players get confusing and boring. All in all, the Sawchuk book is fun to read and it really lets you in on Terry Sawchuks life on and off the ice.

To read the personal lives of the Sawchuk family who kept Terry's life quite for thirty years is interesting and amazing.David Dupuis captures the facts of a life of termoil and the familys personal pains.I give Jerry Sawchuk the oldest son my blessings for releasing the information that has been kept within him and his family.This book captures not only the hockey legend but the radical collision he had with every day life away from hockey.My love goes out to the Sawchuk family and they should be proud of the fine job done with this fantastic book .

I bought this book as a present for my husband, who is a die hard hockey fan. But, I ended up reading it myself and I really enjoyed it. I get to know more of Terry Sawchuck than just the old NHL goalie whose record was just got broken by Roy. It is not the best written book, but it tells the story that it is suppose to tell. It was an easy and enjoyable reading and I am not even a Red Wings fan.

David Dupuis does an admirable job in marshalling the facts in this eminently readable biography of one of hockey's most difficult subjects, the incredible Terry Sawchuk. Illuminated with generous contributions from Sawchuk's family and colleagues, it captures both the highs and the lows and should set the record straight regarding the life, death and career of perhaps the greatest goalie who ever lived. Even though we know how the story ends, the book builds up momentum to become a page-turner, and one almost wishes there were more pages. Its only small shortcoming is a somewhat static style that abruptly jumps back and forth between sporting and domestic scenes. Dupuis makes an earnest effort to understand the roots of the inner rages that drove Sawchuk to excel on the ice and to self-destruct off it. One is left wondering if the lives of Terry and his family might've been any more stable had he been born a couple of generations later; in that sense, his story becomes something of a cautionary tale as well. This compelling biography and hockey history is worthy of addition not only to the shelves of Red Wings and Maple Leafs fans, but to that of anyone who wants a better understanding of Sawchuk's incomparable legacy to the game.

For those who can remember "Original Six Hockey" the vividness of the players and teams retains a print on the mind, that may be matched only by very unique sporting events.

At this time in sports history, only four American cities really came to know and love their teams (the other two were Canadian), but it was a worshipful relationship.

The action was picked up by local television stations in these cities, and because the players did not wear helmets, the players were recognizable to the average fan. In Detroit, Gordie Howe was as legendary as Al Kaline, and probably much more so. The relationship between fan and player was intimate, and because the league was so small, he teams played each other, including play-offs, sometimes over twenty times a season. The fans knew their team, and they knew the other teams in the league.

This is the back-drop for the author's elegy to Terry Sawchuk, arguably the greatest goalie in NHL history.

Goalies for some reason have had tortured psyches, and Sawchuk battled through many inner demons to perform brilliantly on ice. Perhaps being the last line of defense, or the "gate-keeper" is what turns these players upside down. Or perhaps it is a certain personality of a player that would make him want to aspire to become a goalie.

This is a question the author does not attempt to answer, however, as the title suggests, he makes no attempt to gloss over Sawchuk's off the ice issues.

Sawchuk was a brilliant warrior on the ice, but he battled demons in his personal life such as alcoholism, spousal abuse, and estrangement of his family. Even his teammates felt as if they didn't really know him.

But he played through pain, and performed superbly into his 40's. He set a record which many people never believed would be broken. He was a unique and elite athlete.

The author brings us back to the seasons, and the key games in which Sawchuk performed. He paints a picture of the teams he matched up against and the urgency of the games. The reader can feel the competition between the goalies on the team, and discern the relationships between the players and the front office.

His death occured as the result of a drunken fight with a teammate, and I remember the shock of the media when it was announced. He was only forty one, and still an active player.

I remember someone once described as a mystery within a conundrum within a paradox. Sawchuk falls into this description.

He is a great subject, and it is a very enjoyable book.

Before I read this book, all I ever knew about Terry Sawchuck was that he was the greatest goalie ever to play the game of hockey. After reading this book I found out how a great athlete of the past is so much like the athletes of today. Sawchuck was an alcoholic womanizer who physically and mentally abused his family. This book tells a compelling story about his personal life and the greatest moments from the games he played. This book is a must for any hockey fan.

Being a sports fan I have read many sports books but none as good as David Dupuis's book on Terry Sawchuk. The book was so indepth and personal that I couldn't put it down. I truly believe that this is the greatest story ever told about a sports legend!!! I can't wait until the movie!!!

One of the best sports books I have ever read. I could not put this book down. The writing style is terrific and the game descriptions are vivid and captivating. A terrific story of Terry's on ice and off ice lives. Riveting. The book also makes the reader appreciate the toughness of hockey's "old-timers." If you are a hockey fan, you will love this book.

I truley enjoyed reading David Dupuis's book about the life of hockey's greatest goaltender Terry Sawchuk. It was a pleasure to read as Dupuis probed into the life of Sawchuk. I strongly recommend this book to all readers. It was fantastic!!

The author's skill in writing indicates that this is a three-star book...as long as you understand that this was written by a fan, for fans. It is not a literary classic. The sentence construction is simple, but that's part of the charm of this book. Interwoven in the book are interviews with Sawchuk's wife, a couple of engaging surviving former teammates, and most obvious, research done in newspaper "morgues". It is written chronologically, highlighting season achievements. Of most interest to me are the tales told by his wife. Sawchuk was a full-blown dysfunctional alcoholic. His wife was most happy when Sawchuk was not around, although the man was around enough to produce seven children.

The fight/horseplay with teammate Ron Stewart that led to Sawchuk's death was covered in detail. That's mainly why I bought the book. I knew of his career highlights, which you can see on the back of his hockey cards. There weren't enough behind-the-scenes stories regarding each season to hold my interest.

I understand Jerry Sawchuk, the eldest child, also has written a book about his father. I get the feeling that his book, plus the Dupuis tome, put together could produce a satisfying final product. I need more than Dupuis offers, and finished the book feeling somehow unsatisfied.