Books with author Toddy Smith

This is the story of hockey, one scar at a time. For the casual enthusiast and hockey fanatic alike comes a brilliant collection of essays and photographs celebrating the grit and dedication of hockey players who regularly and willingly withstand injury and hardship to play the sport they love.Veteran hockey writer Todd Smith explores a side of the NHL that is rarely seen. Through in-depth player interviews and inside-the-locker-room reportage, Hockey Strong gives readers a behind-the-pads look at the playing in pain ethos that has been woven into the fabric of the game. What separates a hockey player’s toughness from other athletes’ is the fact that being hockey strong is more than a single performance or bout or game or series. Hockey strong is a way of life. Superstars, muckers, snipers, and enforcers alike: the arduous journey of an NHL player is a story of the human body. It is the cracking left fist of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Dave Brown and the battering ram right hand of the Detroit Red Wings’ Joe Kocur. It is the unbreakable hockey heart of Rob McClanahan during “The Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. It is the smashed face Kris Draper suffered during the bloody rivalry between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings. Medical clearance to fight. Midgame root canals. Crushed orbital bones. Beer league determination. Legendary beat-downs. Collapsed lungs that go unreported. Unrelenting pain. Recovery and valor. Players refusing to go out because they owe it all to their brothers in uniform. Includes stories from: Shjon Podein, Dave Brown, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Joe Kocur, Darren McCarty, Chris Nilan, David Clarkson, Rob McClanahan, Herb Brooks, Jack Carlson, Zach Parise, Charlie Coyle, Rick Tocchet, the Playoffs, and more!

From Publishers Weekly:Flying scout helicopters in Vietnam was the aerial counterpart of walking point. Initially cast as target-spotters for gunships and air-assault forces, the scout pilots evolved into live bait as enemy weapons and tactics improved. Their small helicopters were vulnerable even to minor damage, and parachuting from a damaged bird was impossible. Casualty rates could be as high as 50%; a scout unit often resembled a WWI fighter squadron, with replacements dying almost before they could unpack. Yet fresh volunteers kept coming, even if only to stay out of the infantry. In his visceral memoir, Smith tells the familiar story of a young man who flunked out of college, sampled the 1960s counterculture and found himself first in the army, then in Vietnam. For Smith, the war was a theater of the absurd whose only meaning was survival. His narrative of low-altitude, high-risk operations in 1969-70 replicates that of others: initial confusion giving way first to proficiency and pleasure in stalking and killing anonymous enemies, later to a sense that both his skill and his luck are running out. Gritty enough to appeal to adventure fans, this memoir makes a useful contribution to a subject, American helicopter pilots in Vietnam, whose recorded history is largely still in its anecdotal stage.

This is the story of hockey, one scar at a time. For the casual enthusiast and hockey fanatic alike comes a brilliant collection of essays and photographs celebrating the grit and dedication of hockey players who regularly and willingly withstand injury and hardship to play the sport they love.Veteran hockey writer Todd Smith explores a side of the NHL that is rarely seen. Through in-depth player interviews and inside-the-locker-room reportage, Hockey Strong gives readers a behind-the-pads look at the playing in pain ethos that has been woven into the fabric of the game. What separates a hockey player’s toughness from other athletes’ is the fact that being hockey strong is more than a single performance or bout or game or series. Hockey strong is a way of life. Superstars, muckers, snipers, and enforcers alike: the arduous journey of an NHL player is a story of the human body. It is the cracking left fist of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Dave Brown and the battering ram right hand of the Detroit Red Wings’ Joe Kocur. It is the unbreakable hockey heart of Rob McClanahan during “The Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. It is the smashed face Kris Draper suffered during the bloody rivalry between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings. Medical clearance to fight. Midgame root canals. Crushed orbital bones. Beer league determination. Legendary beat-downs. Collapsed lungs that go unreported. Unrelenting pain. Recovery and valor. Players refusing to go out because they owe it all to their brothers in uniform. Includes stories from: Shjon Podein, Dave Brown, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Joe Kocur, Darren McCarty, Chris Nilan, David Clarkson, Rob McClanahan, Herb Brooks, Jack Carlson, Zach Parise, Charlie Coyle, Rick Tocchet, the Playoffs, and more!

For the casual enthusiast and hockey fanatic alike comes a collection of essays and photographs celebrating the grit and dedication of hockey players to withstand injury and hardship to play the sport they love.Based on the author’s interviews with key figures and capturing the inside stories of superstars old and new, Hockey Strong is one of a kind: an exploration of the long, dangerous, and often arduous journey of an NHL player. Packed with intimate interviews, exclusive photographs, and iconic moments, it’s a beautifully designed celebration of one of the toughest sports in the world, and the hearts of the athletes who play it. Featuring figures like Kris Draper, Shjon Podein, Craig Berube, Joey Kocur, Rick Tocchet, Chris Nilan, and even the trainer for the 1980 Winter Olympics USA team, Todd Smith provides unprecedented access to the stories behind famous hits, injuries, and fights, while also revealing the human drive and brotherhood that propels such players forward. With a particular focus on the Original Six franchises of the NHL, Smith interviews players young and old from across North America, and illustrates hockey’s broad appeal to new and lifelong fans. Unique in its content and design, and appealing to all generations of fans, this is the perfect gift for both the passionate fanatic and the casual follower of hockey.

From Publishers Weekly: Flying scout helicopters in Vietnam was the aerial counterpart of walking point. Initially cast as target-spotters for gunships and air-assault forces, the scout pilots evolved into live bait as enemy weapons and tactics improved. Their small helicopters were vulnerable even to minor damage, and parachuting from a damaged bird was impossible. Casualty rates could be as high as 50%; a scout unit often resembled a WWI fighter squadron, with replacements dying almost before they could unpack. Yet fresh volunteers kept coming, even if only to stay out of the infantry. In his visceral memoir, Smith tells the familiar story of a young man who flunked out of college, sampled the 1960s counterculture and found himself first in the army, then in Vietnam. For Smith, the war was a theater of the absurd whose only meaning was survival. His narrative of low-altitude, high-risk operations in 1969-70 replicates that of others: initial confusion giving way first to proficiency and pleasure in stalking and killing anonymous enemies, later to a sense that both his skill and his luck are running out. Gritty enough to appeal to adventure fans, this memoir makes a useful contribution to a subject, American helicopter pilots in Vietnam, whose recorded history is largely still in its anecdotal stage.

Riley O'Smiley is the sweetest, "smiling-est" guy you'll ever meet. Even though he's the largest of God's creatures, he is just too cute! Riley is a hero who saves the day time and time again, but nobody realizes it's Riley. In fact, nobody believes Riley is real at all. But Riley knows he's real and thanks God for his special abilities. DVD includes: Animation Activities Read-along with Riley O'Smiley Jokes

Willie’s World is a collection of Christian puppet skits written to encourage young boys and girls to carry God’s Word in their hearts. By doing so, they will be better equipped to face those trials and temptations that will surely come their way. Each week Willie manages to find himself in one sort of dilemma or another. And, also each week, God’s Word comes to the rescue. Whether it be through Willie’s Grandpa, who shares with Willie the true meaning of helping others, or through the delightful Miss Pickles, who teaches her class the importance of always telling the truth. Week after week Willie learns (usually the hard way) that by applying the principles found in the Bible, a fella can spare himself a whole lot of trouble. Throughout these skits, children will be taught valuable lessons to help strengthen their faith and better prepare them for life’s long, and often difficult, journey. Lessons about trust, obedience, responsibility, forgiveness and honoring their mothers and fathers. Lessons about God’s love for them and lessons about how they can live lives that will be pleasing to Him. This can best be accomplished when making those life decisions in the light of His Word.