Back In The Bigs: How Winnipeg Won, Lost & Regained Its Place in the NHL

The Winnipeg Free Press is pairing with Penguin Books to publish a commemorative book that will mark Winnipeg's historic re-entry into the National Hockey League.

Back in the Bigs: How Winnipeg Won, Lost and Regained Its Place in the NHL, will be written by award-winning sports writer Randy Turner, and is due out in September.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters

"We want to tell the story by bringing the past to life... not just archives, but dozens of interviews with major players, on and off the ice," Turner said. "There is a direct link to the Jets' early years, which explains why NHL hockey left, but the passion never did -- even for all those 20-somethings celebrating in the streets who barely saw the team play."

The book will track the history of pro hockey in Winnipeg, from the wild days of the World Hockey Association to the Winnipeg Jets's entry into the NHL in 1979; and from the heartbreaking loss of the franchise in 1996 to its triumphant return in 2011.

I had my first chance to view the book while in Toronto at The World's Biggest Bookstore. The presentation quality is high, with some great photos from throughout the years gone by. I could only sample the text, but it seemed deep and interesting.

Because of the beautiful lay out I am sure this book will be a winner with all Jets fans, not only in Winnipeg but throughout Canada and beyond. I will offer a full review when I receive my copy.

In the meantime, The Winnipeg Free Press is offering a free excerpt about John Ferguson's impact on hockey in Winnipeg. Also, check out this video presentation on the book.

The Winnipeg Jets - A Celebration Of Hockey In Winnipeg

There is a book out there this Christmas called The Star Wars Vault. For any fan of Star Wars movies (I hear there's a few out there), this is the ultimate book. It covers the history, the hidden stories, the quirky facts, and is loaded with memorabilia (much of it removable) and two audio CDs. I'm not even a huge fan of Star Wars, but I thoroughly enjoyed flipping through this title. It is the must have Star Wars item for Christmas 2007.

Why am I telling you this here at Hockey Book Reviews.com? Because I've found the hockey equivalent!

Studio Publications has produced The Winnipeg Jets - A Celebration Of Hockey In Winnipeg. I call it The Winnipeg Jets Vault.

Everything and anything Jets is inside this HUGE and beautiful book. So huge that it is almost cumbersome, and so beautiful that any fan of the Jets or of WHA hockey or hockey in the 1980s will want this book on their coffee tables.

When I say everything I mean everything. From Bobby Hull to Swedish imports to Avco Cups to Dale Hawerchuk to White Outs to Goals For Kids to the great farewell, all the great memories are covered. So are the odd moments, such as the infamous hairpiece incident, hockey's only deaf hockey player, blue pucks, Gretzky's near arrivals, Pokey and the Bandit, Benny the mascot, and the Queen's portrait. The stats are here, the collectibles are documented, the photographs...

I must say I am continually totally blown away by this book. It really is too bad that Studio Publications is a Manitoba based publishing house, because every team in pro sports deserves too have a book this good available for their fans. Amazing job!

By the way, if you're looking for a book on Winnipeg's other extinct hockey team, check out Eric Zweig's Long Shot: How the Winnipeg Falcons won the first Olympic hockey gold.