Now I'm Catching On
My Life On and Off the Air
-
- $16.99
-
- $16.99
Publisher Description
Hockey's most famous voice, now in his own words.
If you are a hockey fan, you know Bob Cole's legendary voice.
He has done the play-by-play for some of hockey's best-remembered games, including the Summit Series, Canada's gold-medal game in Salt Lake City, and twenty years of Stanley Cup finals. The infectious excitement in his voice, his boyish love of the game, and his uncanny ability to anticipate the play have earned him the affection of generations of fans, induction into the Hall of Fame, and the unofficial title of best hockey broadcaster ever.
Now, for the first time, readers will see Cole at the centre of the story rather than watching it from the broadcast booth. We meet the young man growing up in Newfoundland in the years before it joins Canada. We see him talk his way into Foster Hewitt's office and into his first job. And of course we see some of the most cherished players in the game backstage: on the plane back from Russia in 1972, rubbing elbows with Bobby Orr; in the hallway on the old Montreal Forum, running into Jean Beliveau; meeting young players like Steve Stamkos, who grew up listening to him on Hockey Night in Canada.
Written with the expert help of massively bestselling author and respected broadcaster Stephen Brunt, these stories come to life with the charm and detail of a conversation with Cole. They sound like Cole.
No one has been closer to the game over the years than Cole, and no one is more closely associated with all we love about the game than the man whose eyes we've seen it though. Now we will see so much more through those same eyes and in that unforgettable voice.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hardcore hockey fans diving into Cole's memoir will need patience. The longtime voice of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, now in his 80s, spins wonderful yarns, but his charmed life "that turned out to be a pretty lucky road" has been about far more than sticks and pucks. Besides his radio and television gigs, including hosting a long-running quiz show, and his family life, there's much ink spent on Cole's love of flying, his curling career, the fishery he ran, and his love of all things Newfoundland and Labrador. The target audience will want the hockey stories, and there the payoff is truly grand. There are fascinating tales from the 1972 Summit Series, where Cole almost didn't do the radio play-by-play; details of the Soviet Red Army leaving the ice in Philadelphia in 1976; getting to know player/coach Toe Blake; and babysitting Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina. Cole also shares the advice he got from broadcasting legends Foster Hewitt and Danny Gallivan. Cole's career as a broadcaster continues, and it's a pretty safe bet that he could have shared more hockey stories. Readers will hope he does so in a future volume.
Customer Reviews
Now I'm Catching On
Being from NL , I gotta say I love this book . Bob Cole is the greatest hockey announcer of my time and I love listening to his play by play . Anyone who watches HNIC and have heard Bob will love this book , for me I could hear his voice , like he was reading it to me . Enjoy !