Gretzky's Tears

Today is a book review, and the subject of today's book review is one that has been talked about a lot since August 9, 1988.  If you consider yourself a hockey fan and don't know the significance of the date, then turn in your hockey fanboy card now.

The book, Gretzky's Tears, examines the trade, from the rumblings behind the scenes during the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty to the moments leading up to the trade and even the long term effects of the trade on a country, a league, and those associated with Gretzky in any way.  The author, Stephen Brunt, has penned a book about another hockey legend in Searching for Bobby Orr, so one would assume that he knows how to approach such subject matter.  In Gretzky's Tears, Brunt tells a fairly detailed story of how the trade went down, the long term ramifications of the trade (e.g. the Sun Belt expansion), and how the principal owners in the trade came to the position that they did in making the trade.  Overall, the book does a fairly good job of getting to the details of everything surrounding the trade, and in some cases, the participating owners in the light that they deserve.  The book does tend to be biased towards the neighbors to the North, portraying them as victims and the NHL as money grabbing thieves (come to think of it, some still think this way, particularly with Gary Bettman in charge).  Bias aside, the book provides a unique insight on The Trade and in some respects, the emotions behind it.