'The Leafs - An Anecdotal History of the Toronto Maple Leafs' by Jack BATTEN. Published in hardback by Key Porter Books Limited, Toronto, Canada, please note that this book is a 1994 Canadian first edition book which is in excellent condition and is NOT price-clipped at all. Shipping Costs for UK buyers are £3.49p GBP by Royal Mail 2nd Class parcels (this is the actual cost of posting - I don't charge for packaging).
They've finally done it - the Sad Sack team that languished for decades in the NHL cellar has regained respect and pride. The Leaf's' past two seasons - culminating in a heart-breaking overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks in the 1993-94 Stanley Cup semi-finals - have been a showcase of dazzling aggressive play, hard work, heart and dedication.
In a story that's rich with insider anecdotes, tales and portraits of the colourful characters who have hanged around the boards and boardrooms of Maple Leaf Gardens, Jack Batten gives an account that's nostalgic, funny, memorable and entertaining.
The often eccentric management styles of the team's owners are vividly portayed in these pages, from Conn Smythe, the man who set a dress code for occupants of the red seats, and Harold Ballard, who abolished dress codes and some other traditions besides, to Steve Stavro, who has done so much to restore the Leafs to glory.
But, above all, this is a book about the players, often told in the player's own words. Red Horner, possibly the game's best bodychecker, tells how he took Conn Smythe home to meet his parents before he signed a contract. Billy Harris, a member of the great Leaf teams of the 1960s, explains why Punch Imlach never got the best out of Frank Mahovlich. Dave Keon, who was named as the greatest player in the clubs history, and Todd Gill, one of the few Leaf players to survive the Ballard years and thrive in the Stavro era, marvels at the changes he has seen.
With 32 pages of photographs, and an up-to-date look at the 1993-94 season, The Leafs is a must-have book for long-time Leaf defenders and the newest generation of fans.
This 1994 Canadian first edition book is in excellent condition (not price-clipped) and runs to 264 pages. Shipping Costs are £3.49p GBP by Royal Mail 2nd Class parcels.
The author: Jack BATTEN, after a brief and unhappy career as a lawyer, has been a very happy freelance writer for many years. The author of thirty-five books, Batten writes the weekly Whodunnit column in the Toronto Star, has reviewed jazz for the Globe and Mail, and has reviewed movies on CBC Radio for twenty-five years. He has written over thirty books on subjects that include biography, crime fiction, law and court cases, and sports. Not surprisingly, jazz, movies, and crime turn up frequently in his life. He lives in Toronto.
All items shipped within 24 hours of payment. I would ask that all items purchased must be paid for within 5 days of the close of the auction.