Customer Reviews

Thunder and Lightning: A No-B.S. Hockey Memoir

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book is very enjoyable and certainly represents a "no holds barred" approach. Don't expect much in the way of introspective philosophy if you buy this book. Phil Esposito played the game because he loved the game and loved having fun...end of story. In any event, this book is a fun and fast paced page-turner. Espo dishes the dirt on everyone, but doesn't gloss over his own faults and problems. If you want to know how hockey has developed into the game it is today, read this book. My only complaint is that I don't think the co-author did much to address transitions between the different stories and, thus, the finished product here is a bit rough and appears somewhat disorganized, even though the events are basically recounted in chronological order.

I get the impression that this is a transcript from Phil just sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a beer, talking about the good old days. The writing style is very conversational and reflective and his thoughts and emotions are quite real.

The content is exceptionally interesting and the book has a very good flow to it. It is easy to pick this book up and read half of it, before realizing you have done so.

Many of the stories are laugh-out-loud funny. The motley cast of characters is never-ending, from Eddie Shack to Wayne Cashman to Ron Duguay. Esposito had some great times on and off the ice and he delivers his experiences in a neat little package.

I think Phil's ego filled up most of the pages. Good reading but I expected more. He was born to play hockey, no doubt. If you cut Phil Esposito he bleeds hockey.

I used a Mylec blade in the streets near my "poor-side-of-town" home, south of Boston. For you non-hockey players, no the blade is not a knife, but a Phil Esposito street-hockey stick that beautifully resisted the punishment that street hockey gives, something that an ice-hockey stick just couldn't do.

So naturally I needed to read "Thunder & Lightening." It's been picked on a bit in the reviews. The guy is no intellectual. So what? And he cuts down a few icons. Who in Boston wants to hear that Bobby Orr drilled as many women as pucks, or maybe made a few exploitive business deals? But what he says rings true. Maybe that is why the book has gotten more than its fair share of thumbs down. He lays everybody up for a hit, no matter how big they are.

Phil is a jerk. He doesn't know it so it makes the book that much more amusing. But no matter what you think of him, he has passion. At least fire burns in his blood and he lives life fully, which is more than you can say for most people.

It's a fast read and takes up so little time how can anybody be sorry they invested the energy? If you love hockey, played in the streets, the rink, or just watched Espo in the bars, the book is worth the read.

It's mostly a bunch of anecdotes thrown together to make a book esp. on Phil's playing days. Where it gets better and reads more like a book is from Phil's management days with the NY Rangers and TB Lightning. I just love the whole behind-the-scenes stuff on how dumb owners are in hockey. The NYR turning down getting Gretzky in his prime because their building was full so they "didn't need #99." Or trades often made by owners with GMs finding out after the fact--who knew this went on?

The whole mystery of the J-owners in Tampa is revealed and shows how Phil really is one hell of a dealmaker in getting hockey started there (and one Stanley Cup later...no matter what you think of hockey in the Deep South...that team is a success now on and off the ice).

Esposito's memoir is a refreshing whiff of fresh air in the stultifying atmosphere of political correctness that has almost entirely engulfed professional sports. He certainly doesn't aspire to a role model status, for the very simple reason that he can be outspoken about his own flaws without being apologetic; I just don't see him either in anger management counseling or on a shrink's couch. For anyone intimately familiar with the locker room smells and conversation, the spicy vignettes will ring a bell. Esposoto's saga transcends geography and time zones, it is anectodal, evocative and nostalgic as well as unrestrained and occasionally crude. Of particular interest to me was the part of the book dealing with the 1972 Summit Series. Very few people realize that the NHL v USSR was the most dramatic showdown in world sports history. The confrontation had probably more political implications than what the media on both sides presented. For some reason hockey was considered the ultimate stand-off, where else would you see bone-crushing checks, cosmic speed, finesse and imagination fused into a team effort? In the 1972 Summit Series the NHL superstars and the Soviets were evenly matched in all departments of the game except for one - personality. The Soviets simply didn't have a defiant part-loudmouth-part-goon-part-maverick-part-clown individual. And with all of the above a great player, probably the greatest crease player that I have ever seen. Espo provided the essential ingredients that glued the team together, he was the most dominating, almost demonic presence especially when the going got real tough in Moscow. Without him the series would certainly have ended in infamy and that would have had pretty far-reaching repercussions. And so I can understand the hatred Espo had for Scotty Bowman who persisted in believing that he could beat the Russians with just finesse and speed (his record against the Russians is pretty dismal). One of the most hilarious parts of the Moscow adventure is certainly the players' obsession and paranoia with listening devices in their hotel rooms, the ensuing search and the denoument when the huge chandelier crashed on the floor of the banquet hall. There is however one inconsistency, even in the land of attrition, Moscow's best restaraunts offered the best gourme food available anywhere in the world. The a la carte consisting of fried crow is pure fantasy. Other than that, a wonderful read.

Throw out all those Espo books from the 70's cuz Phil left out the sugar coating in this book! Raw, personal and revealing. Thanks Phil!

What the NHL today is missing is players like Esposito. He tells it as he sees and even if one does not always agree with him one has to admire a person that has firm convictions. The writing style is not all that great, but he is a hockey player and not an author so to expect writings like Shakespeare or Donne would be misplaced. The photos are very nice and add to the story. This is a very fun and action filled story that will satisfisy all hockey fans (even if you do not like the Bruins).

I went out and purchased this book simply because I knew Esposito has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. Well, as I assumed, he speaked his mind and more in this memoir. He talks about everything from his childhood growing up, to the Canada/Russia '72 series. I had a good laugh over some of the stories he had shared and also learned a few things. A good portion of the book is his hockey career, but once he tells of him retiring and moving on to start up the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise, I found the book a little dull. The funny stories faded and it became more of ranting and complaining than anything. It's probably why I'm giving this book four stars. Nevertheless, it's definetly worth a read and any hockey fan should open it up.

This book is definetly worth the price you have to pay. Esposito takes us deep in to his life, from his childhood, to the Blackhawks, Bruins, Rangers, and his fight to get the Lighting. He also talks about marriages and playing for canada. This book is definetly full of rich info not scaled down. So if your thinking about it, get this book, it's worth it.

Also Recommended: Messier by Jeff Klein