If These Walls Could Talk: Chicago Blackhawks: Stories from the Chicago Blackhawks' Ice, Locker Room, and Press Box

Now, maybe I am a bit biased. The Chicago Blackhawks are my life and I thoroughly enjoy reading what Mark has to say on Twitter and interacting with him. When he dropped a book about the team, it was a no-brainer to pre-order it. I knew that I would, at the very least, have fun reading it.What I didn’t expect was the emotional rollercoaster that this book was going to take me on.Mark lays out the framework for how the Chicago Blackhawks went from being one of the worst franchises in sports to being at the top of the world as 3-time Stanley Cup Champions with this core group. He interjects stories and quotes from players and coaches. It really takes you on a ride.Now, the book is pretty short for one that spans over multiple years, losses, heartbreaks, and the resurgence of a lifetime. Despite its length, it packs one hell of a punch. I found myself laughing a lot at their antics, and I founds myself crying like a baby reliving the glory of those championship years and reading about how the players love each other and this city.Mark Lazerus is a writer. It’s what he does for a living. The writing was going to be good. But he took so many years . . . so many emotions . . . and jammed them all into a paperback novel that will make you feel something. If you’re a Blackhawks fan, you’ll end up like me. If you’re a fan of any team other than the Pittsburgh Penguins, it may fill you with rage because you’re sick of these players having success. Regardless, it will make you FEEL. That right there is what makes this a great book.5/5 Stars

As the Chicago Sun-Times Blackhawks beat writer, Mark Lazerus has more access to players and management than pretty much anyone not actually on the team itself. This book is reflective of that access and of the rapport that Lazerus has established with the various members of the organization. Even if you already follow the Blackhawks closely, you'll find many reflections and anecdotes in this book that you've never heard before -- as well as those that you have, but may have forgotten.The real gem here is the author's masterful organization of years' worth of history and hours' worth of interviews: The stories flow from the page in an engaging narrative that never gets boring and never seems like just another timeline. In addition, Lazerus' wit and self-deprecation shine throughout and also provide a sneak peak at the life of a beat writer, but not in an eye-roll-inducing way.Whether or not you know anything about hockey, you can get into this book and into the story of how and why the Blackhawks went from obscurity to Stanley Cup champions three times in a six-year stretch, including during the breathtaking 2015 season that almost didn't happen at all. A real pleasure to read.

Absolutely loved this book! I'm a lifelong hockey fan and the BlackHawks are my favorite team. The storytelling is excellent describing how the team went from the dark "Wirtz" days to the magical/historical 2010 Stanley Cup and beyond to win 3 cups in 6 years! Mark is able to truly capture the feeling and emotional roller coaster of the players and fans. I follow Mark's columns in the Sun-Times and enjoy his candor on Twitter.He was recently asked: What is the biggest thing you learned about that first Cup-winning team in 2010?“Just how much fun they had together. That’s kind of the theme of the book: that team was the last of a dying breed. You’ll never have a team again that was that young, let’s say reckless to a degree, that went out and had fun."

If you've followed Mark Lazerus on Twitter and/or read his columns daily for the last several years there probably isn't much new information in here (it's up to you to draw your own conclusions about what this says about me and my obsession with the Hawks). I did enjoy the bits I hadn't heard before, though, and it was worth it just for those parts. Mark is a great writer and has a gift for a turn of phrase that makes this an entertaining read. It was also nice, given how the last few years have gone, to relive those glorious Cup years from another angle. I would have read another 300 pages of peeking behind the curtain like this.

Good read.

An easy read, this is an insightful, entertaining and often humorous retrospective of how, in a matter of a few seasons, the Blackhawks rose from the dregs to the cream of the National Hockey League. Utilizing recollections from players, past and present, management and the media, as well as his own, Mark Lazerus provides a portrait of one of the nation's top sports franchises.

Such a great book! Mark is a fantastic writer and uses so many wonderful anecdotes to weave together the Blackhawks' recent narrative. It's evident that a lot of hard work and reporting went into this. Great read if you're a Blackhawks fan or just a hockey fan in general. Will give you a greater appreciation for the team's success.

This is a must read for Blackhawks fans. The stories about the 2010 team are fantastic. I wish there was more about the 2013/2015 teams, but still loved the stories. It’s a nice reminder about how much fun the 2010 championship team had. It is well written and a quick read.