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Red, White & Blues: A Personal History of Indianapolis Racers Hockey 1974-1979 | 
 enlarge | Author: Timothy Gassen
Publisher: PCMP Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $19.95
New (3) Used (2) from $19.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 442798
Media: Paperback
Edition: First
Pages: 152
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5
ISBN: 0979733707
EAN: 9780979733703
ASIN: 0979733707
Publication Date: September 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
When major league hockey came to Indianapolis in 1974, no one knew the sport s two greatest players would wear the Racers' red, white & blue. But the Racers story is so much more than just a launch pad for Wayne Gretzky & Mark Messier -- it is a time when the city's love affair with hockey grew to dizzying heights, then crashed in heartbreaking defeat. Journalist Timothy Gassen was there and details the only firsthand account of the golden era for pro hockey in Indiana: The Indianapolis Racers. "Red, White & Blues" is a breakthrough book for fans of sports in Indianapolis, the rebel World Hockey Association, and the game s greatest player, Wayne Gretzky. The entry of "The Great One" into pro hockey is detailed for the first time ever, and the curious debut of Mark Messier in a Racers jersey is also explored. Award-winning hockey writer Timothy Gassen combines years of his recent reporting, interviews and exhaustive research with his personal recollections of his time in Indianapolis interacting with the Racers throughout the franchise s turbulent, exciting history. Major league hockey in Indiana finally gets its due in Red, White & Blues: a personal history of Indianapolis Racers hockey 1974-1979. SPECIAL FEATURES: a 16-page color photo section, a 16-page B&W photo section, player and fan interviews, and complete team statistics.
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| Customer Reviews:
Passionate, short and sweet April 24, 2008
Great addition to the history of the WHA shelves. Because it's written by a good writer who was also a fan you get a real feel for the times.
The stuff on coach Jacques Demers is pretty telling especially as we now know he was functionally illiterate which explains his more cheerleader than x's and o's man back in that day.
I loved the interviews with both fans and players--just the right length but also take you in and make you feel like you were there back in the '70s. Throwing in the team stats at the end was a nice touch, too.
The other thing is the book is kept simple with a writing style that does grip you and pull you in. No overt focus on the goons of the era so that made the book work for me as too much WHA writing is on the goons (I'm talkin' to you, Ed Willes!).
It made me want the NHL to wake up and realize, this could be a great NHL hockey market.
Just the fact that Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier got their starts in Indy make this a must-buy for any hockey fan.
Lastly, I'll add the format of the book and layout are brilliant.
The article lengths are so spot on as well as the choice of color and B&W pics.
(Being a Vancouver Blazers fan [and actually being at the team's last game which was against the Racers] I was especially thrilled to learn about this era of the WHA that had passed me by when the Blazers moved and the fact Claude St, Sauveur, Hugh Harris and a few others with Blazers or Canucks connection were Racers.)
GOOD HISTORY OF INDY RACERS OF THE WHA January 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an excellent history of the Indy Racers. When coached by Jacques Demers, they were among the most disciplined defensive teams in hockey.
They also had two of the best young goaltenders in hockey at the time, Michel Dion and Jim Park. It was a tragedy that a city that enthusiastically supported its hockey team lost their franchise due to bad management and owners. For those of us living in the Chicago area, the Indy Racers were our only outlet to follow the WHA, listening to their games on the radio.
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