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Michael McKinley (2) (1961–)

Author of Hockey: A People's History

For other authors named Michael McKinley, see the disambiguation page.

10+ Works 218 Members 5 Reviews

About the Author

Michael McKinley written for The Vancouver Sun, The Guardian (London), The Los Angeles Times, and Sports Illustrated and currently writes features for Saturday Night magazine and The New York Daily News. McKinley most recently wrote and produced Sacred Ballot, a CBC "Witness" and CNN "Perspectives" show more documentary on the successor to Pope John Paul II show less
Image credit: Michael Mckinley

Works by Michael McKinley

Associated Works

Hockey: A People's History [2006 film] — Original book — 1 copy

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Common Knowledge

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Reviews

5 reviews
Originally written for the paperback version of the book:

A well written book that has extensive details on the early formation of hockey. Includes details that are hard to find in any other book. Great for learning about the pre-NHL history of the game, as well as some of the lesser known, and shadier, aspects of the Original Six era. Also offers a short description of the Summit Series, possibly one of the most defining tournaments in sports history.

The only problems I had with the book show more were few and far between. A lack of a bibliography stands out, which would have been nice for someone hoping to look further into the subject at hand. I also saw, in one chapter at least (about Cyclone Taylor), what looked like a clear case of plagiarism, with a whole paragraph lifted out of another book written about Taylor (Cyclone Taylor: A Hockey Legend, by Eric Whitehead). There were also several factual errors, with the author giving the wrong years for players winning awards in nearly every occasion. One that stood out for me was stating that Syl Apps was the first winner of the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 1937 when Carl Voss was the inaugural winner in 1933. This happened several times, and by the end I was becoming concerned that if the author couldn't get these simple dates correct, what other parts of the book are wrong, specifically parts that aren't so easy to find a source for.

Regardless, the book is excellent for anyone looking to learn how hockey rose from nothing to become the sport that it is today.
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Well written narrative of the history of hockey; albeit from a distinctively Canadian perspective.Plenty of historical background and photographs.
Well written narrative of the history of hockey; albeit from a distinctively Canadian perspective.Plenty of historical background and photographs.
"McKinley breaks away into a unique and enthralling new genre - the hockey thriller! This fast paced novel encompasses an innovative story line, beautifully created settings, and brilliantly developed characters - a literary hat trick!"
—Christopher Ralph, TheHockeyWriters.com

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Works
10
Also by
1
Members
218
Popularity
#102,473
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
5
ISBNs
77
Languages
1

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