One more review for today... I'm reviewing
Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story, by Chris “Knuckles”
Nilan.
Chris
Nilan played nearly 700 games in the NHL, racking up more than three
thousand penalty minutes. It is safe to say that he probably took on
every single heavyweight player in the league in his career, plus
anyone else who was willing “to go” as well.
But
there was more to him than just the penalty minutes. From his
upbringing in some mean streets in Boston, to playing NCAA college in
Boston, he managed to not only prove himself, but make a name for
himself. Drafted 231st
of 234 in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft by Montreal, he faced the longest
of odds just to even make it to training camp or the minors in the
AHL, but Nilan managed to not only make it, but he would become a
mainstay of the Montreal roster for several years. He would win a
Stanley Cup ring in 1986 as well.
But
it was after his career ended that the most difficult of challenges
began to mount. Alcohol and drugs began to take their toll on Chris,
making family life difficult.
This
is the story of a man who rose to the highest highs in the NHL, won a
championship, fell all the way down, somehow cheated death, and
fought tooth and nail all the way back. In an ironic twist, Nilan is
now counseling teens against bullying. He even has his own brand of
hats and shirts to promote his message: Never
Back Down, Never Stay Down.
I’d say that it's an apt message. You can check that out on his
page at www.knucklesbrand.com
or his own page at www.knucklesnilan.com
In
closing, I was eagerly waiting for a chance to read this book. I was
not disappointed. I am fairly certain that, by the time you reach the
end, you will not be either.
Special
thanks to Triumph Books for making this book available for reviewing
purposes!
Link
to Triumph Books:
http://www.triumphbooks.com/products/fighting_back_/1572436676.php
Link
to Powell's City of Books:
http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781600789670-0
Link
to Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fighting-back-chris-nilan/1115221716?ean=9781600789670
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