Ed Gruver Livres

The day of the Ice Bowl game was so cold, the referees' whistles wouldn't work; so cold, the reporters' coffee froze in the press booth; so cold, fans built small fires in the concrete and metal stands; so cold, TV cables froze and photographers didn't dare touch the metal of their equipment; so cold, the game was as much about survival as it was about skill and strategy. On New Year's Eve, 1967, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers met for a classic NFL championship game, played on a frozen field in sub-zero weather. The "Ice Bowl" challenged every skill of these two great teams. Here's the whole story, based on dozens of interviews with people who were there—on the field and off—told by author Ed Gruver with passion, suspense, wit, and accuracy.

The 1951 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills marked a pivotal moment in golf history, as it was the first championship where the USGA intentionally altered the course, creating the notorious "Monster" designed by Robert Trent Jones. This event showcased Ben Hogan's remarkable resilience, overcoming chronic pain from a severe car accident and competing against a field of future Hall of Famers. Hogan's record-setting final round of 67 was deemed his greatest, culminating in his iconic declaration of triumph over the challenging course.

In late 1975 and early 1976, at the height of the Cold War, two of the Soviet Union's long-dominant national hockey teams traveled to North America to play an eight-game series against the best teams in the National Hockey League. The culmination of the "Super Series" was HC CSKA Moscow's face-off against the reigning champion Flyers in Philadelphia on January 11, 1976. Known as the "Red Army Club," HC CSKA hadn't lost a game in the series. Known as the "Broad Street Bullies," the Flyers were determined to bring the Red Army team's winning streak to an end with their trademark aggressive style of play. Based largely on interviews, Ed Gruver's book tells the story of this epic game and series as it lays out the stakes involved: nothing less than the credibility of the NHL. If the Red Army team had completed its series sweep by defeating the two-time Stanley Cup champion Flyers, the NHL would no longer have been able to claim primacy of place in professional-level hockey. Gruver also describes how the game and series affected the styles of both Russian and NHL teams. The Soviets adopted a more physical brand of hockey, while the NHL increasingly focused on passing and speed.

Considered one of the greatest matches in boxing history, this heavyweight bought saw the underdog Billy Conn well ahead on points until Joe Louis knocked him out in the 13th round. Ed Gruver captures the high drama of that sultry night at New York's Polo Grounds in June 1941.