Synopses & Reviews
The tragic death of hockey star Derek Boogaard at twenty-eight was front-page news across the country in 2011 and helped shatter the silence about violence and concussions in professional sports. Now, in a gripping work of narrative nonfiction, acclaimed reporter John Branch tells the shocking story of Boogaard's life and heartbreaking death.
Review
"A haunting tale." Ed Sherman
Review
"Expos[es] the violent tradition that pushed this young man to the brink." Chicago Tribune
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"A thorough, compassionate, if ultimately devastating profile." Kate Tuttle Boston Globe
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"Meticulously reported and beautifully written." Kurtis Scaletta Minneapolis Star Tribune
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"Anything written by John Branch is a compelling must-read. is transcendent and riveting and his best work yet." Bryan Cronan Christian Science Monitor
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"Fascinating and chilling. In meticulous detail, John Branch creates a blood-drenched parable for the hidden human toll of sports violence staged for our entertainment. The rise and fall of Derek Boogaard--quintessential NHL goon--is unlike any sports biography you will ever read." Al Michaels, Sportscaster
Review
"A beautifully written and haunting journey into the jagged psychology of the modern athlete. It compels fans to examine their own roles in the spectacle and reminds us in often brutal terms that for our sports heroes, the real struggles take place far beyond the ice or the field of play." Steve Fainaru, best-selling coauthor of League of Denial
Review
" Branch captures the sorrow and anguish of a young athlete's career collapsing...and asks piercing questions about violence in sports." Warren St. John, best-selling author of Outcasts United
Synopsis
"Shows us, in tender detail, a life consumed by our unholy appetites."--Steve Almond,
About the Author
John Branch is a reporter for the New York Times. His 2012 piece "Snow Fall" won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. He lives near San Francisco.