Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks [Hardcover]

Harvey Wittenberg (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC; 1ST edition (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582615241
• ISBN-13: 978-1582615240
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The good old days, November 11, 2006

By 

R. Maruszak (Channahon, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks (Hardcover)

A nice insider look at an original six team. Wittenberg's voice is etched into the memory any Hawk fan who attended home games. His stories were enjoyable and a nice look at players and coaches many fans never had the chance to see. The books tends to be heavy on the 60's & 70's, it wouild have been nice to have more anecdotes from the late 80's & 90's. But it is sill enjoyable over all. Buy the book, read it and then give it to another fan.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick fun read if you're a long time fan...., January 20, 2007

By 

Denise Ambry - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks (Hardcover)

Harvey Wittenberg was so much a part of the old Chicago Stadium, this book was worth reading all his little behind the scenes stories. Who could forget that voice (public address announcer). I liked this book because there are so FEW books written about the Blackhawks, especially about the late 60's greats, Hull, Mikita, Esposito, etc. Great book if you're an old time fan!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harvey Wittenberg's Black Hawk memories are precious indeed, October 29, 2009

By 

D. A. Morris "David Morris" (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks (Hardcover)

Authored by one of the most qualified observers of Chicago's NHL team, Harvey Wittenberg's Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks is a time capsule no Hawks fan will want to be without.

The jacket notes have a simplicity and substance that mirror the contents: "A collection of stories that come straight from the source-players, coaches, and managers, to name a just a few. Intended to be informative and, above all, entertaining, these tales are not only for fans of the Blackhawks, but for all fans of hockey."

Harvey Wittenberg has been covering the Blackhawks since 1959, when he was sports director for Chicago radio station WLS-AM, becoming second-string public address announcer at the old Chicago Stadium that fall, and radio color commentary for the Hawks the following March. Radio gave Wittenberg the chance to paint vocal pictures, and his skill earned him status as full time public address announcer in 1961. His tenure lasted 40 seasons.

The view offered by Harvey Wittenberg is one of whimsy, nostalgia and eccentricity: hockey as a sport where the comical exists alongside the confrontational.

His album of memories is a read that moves as swiftly as the Hawks teams he portrays. From the infamous "Curse of the Muldoon" to the pipe organ of Chicago Stadium exhorting the throng to cheer their Hawks, the book is a deep dish of flavors simmered for decades.

Amusing tales abound: forward Cliff Koroll, deciding he was due a $500 raise on an $8000 salary, being rebuffed by GM Tommy Ivan with, "If you don't like what I'm offering you, go out and get a job!"; coach `Iron Mike' Keenan punishing his defensive stars Chris Chelios and Steve Smith who broke curfew in Montreal by forcing them to play forty minutes virtually without a chance to catch their breath; defenseman Doug Wilson, his jaw broken, being fed beer and pizza from a blender; Dennis Hull, `The Silver Jet', whose magic tricks and jokes played with teammate Doug Jarrett earned them the nickname "Gold Dust Twins"; and many more.

The chapters are brief, yet filled with information, with electric titles like "The Strangest Goal Ever at Chicago Stadium" and "Remember the Roar", and a sprinkling of photos that highlight Wittenberg's text.

While Wittenberg's book takes us up to the end of the 2002-2003 season, he continues to write about the Hawks. His columns appear on the NHL's website, and his commentary embellishes another of the books on our list.

He knows the pride of those who wore the Indian Head, and the passion of those who have followed them. The book reprises his final speech to the audience during the last game at Chicago Stadium in April, 1994. He evokes every ounce of that pride in all of Black Hawk Nation: "Remember your favorite players whether they are Bobby Hull, Jeremy Roenick. Tony Esposito, Eddie Belfour, Stan Mikita, Denis Savard, Keith Magnuson, and Chris Chelios--remember the feeling you have, right now!"

The Chicago Stadium is gone. It is almost half a century since the Blackhawks' last Stanley Cup. But "Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks" roars with remembrance, and keeps Hawk hope alive.