Starred review from November 23, 2015
In this gem of a biography, Robson (The Crazy Game) makes it clear that hockey player, coach, and executive Pat Quinn was a storyteller extraordinaire: "Quinn often regaled his teammates with his tales of life in the minors and back-in-the-day accounts of growing up in Hamilton's east end. Hours would pass, glasses filled and emptied and filled on repeat, with the laughter as constant as hazy clouds of cigar smoke above them." Sitting down to read about his nomadic but fulfilling life might be a little less drunken and smoky but is no less entertaining. Quinn's death in 2014 leaves the narrative bereft of his voice, but family, friends, teammates and colleagues take up the challenge. The book is chock-full of fascinating, intimate details, from the razzing at the Quinn family table to the sparkly underwearâa gift from his grandchildrenâthat Quinn wore to the 2002 Olympics. Quinn didn't always reveal a lot about himself to the press, so this is not the book that he would have written. Instead, it's a warts-and-all epic that shows few could match Quinn's toughness on the ice (where he famously knocked out Bobby Orr), his swagger behind the bench, or his confidence in the boardroom. Agent: Rick Broadhead, Rick Broadhead and Associates (Canada).
January 1, 2016
Though Pat Quinn (1943-2014) had the tenacity to make it from the working-class streets of Hamilton, Ont., to play for nearly ten years in the National Hockey League (NHL), he made his legendary impact after that was over--once he became "Coach Quinn." Robson (The Crazy Game) traces Quinn's life story, back to his roots in Hamilton, through his years in minor league hockey (where his father unknowingly signed control of Pat's career over to the Detroit Red Wings); the time he spent as a player in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Atlanta Flames; and his storied coaching career up until his death. The thorough background on Quinn's family life does not distract from the primary subject matter, and Robson provides plenty of stories that give a behind-the-scenes view of events from Quinn's career such as high-profile player negotiations and locker-room antics. The book's impressive level of detail includes the author's notes, which provide sources for much of the information. VERDICT This tribute to one of hockey's great coaches is written with respect and admiration and will appeal to fans of the game and devotees of sports biographies.--Sara Holder, McGill Univ. Libs., Montreal
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