Freedom to win : a Cold War story of the courageous hockey team that fought the Soviets for the soul of its people--and Olympic gold / Ethan Scheiner.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Pegasus Books, 2023Edition: First Pegasus Books cloth editionDescription: x, 406 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cmContent type: - text
- still image
- cartographic image
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781639363513
- 1639363513
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Shelving location | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | Adult Display - Second Floor | 796.962 S319 | Olympics - July 2024 | Available | 33111011235484 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
A classic David & Goliath tale, complete with colorful heroes, cold-hearted villains, and nail-biting games--with the hockey rink serving as an arena for a nation's resistance.
During the height of the Cold War, a group of small-town young men would lead their underdog hockey team from the little country of Czechoslovakia against the Soviet Union, the juggernaut in their sport. As they battled on the ice, the young players would keep their people's quest for freedom alive, and forge a way to fight back against the authoritarian forces that sought to crush them.
From the sudden invasion of Czechoslovakia by an armada of tanks and 500,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers, to a hockey victory over the Soviets that inspired half a million furious citizens to take to the streets in an attempt to destroy all representations that they could find of their occupiers, Freedom to Win tells a story that ranges from iconic moments in history to courageous individual stories. We will witness the fearless escape by three brothers who make up the core of the national team. We will experience thrilling world championship games. We will watch as one brave player takes a stand and leads ten thousand people in a tear-filled rendition of the Czechoslovak national anthem amid chants of "freedom!" while a revolution rages in the streets of Prague. And we will cheer as the team takes on its nemesis one last time with the Olympic gold medal at stake.
At the heart of Freedom to Win is the story of the Holíks, a Czechoslovak family whose resistance to the Communists embodied the deepest desires of the people of their country. Faced with life under the cruel and arbitrary regime that had stolen their family butcher shop, the Holík boys became national hockey icons and inspirations to their people.
Filled with heart-pounding moments on the ice and unforgettable slices of history, Freedom to Win is the ultimate tale of why sports truly matter.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 365-395) and index.
At the height of the Cold War, a group of small-town men led their Czechoslovakian hockey team against the powerful Soviet team. At the same time, they inspired their nation's resistance to a Soviet invasion, finding a way to fight back against the authoritarian forces seeking to crush their society. At the heart of this story is the Holík family, who loved hockey and desired freedom.
Prologue: Replay of a lost war -- Part I: From winter to spring. The butcher shop on thin ice -- Enormous fish on a tiny pond -- The boys from Brod in Army Town -- Poking the bear -- The Prague spring -- Part II: They're here. Invasion -- On fire -- You send tanks, we bring goals -- Blacked out stars -- Part III: The return to winter. Quashed -- Crossing the line -- Up, up, and...away -- Part IV: Children of the occupation. Training to go -- Homebound -- Inspiration for a generation -- 89 is 68 turned upside down and backwards -- Part V: The people of whom we know nothing. The wild, wild West -- Nagano -- Epilogue: Too good to be denied.