Books

By William Houston

Ballard: A Portrait of Canada’s Most Controversial Sports Figure

An unauthorized biography of Toronto Maple Leaf owner Harold Ballard (1984, Summerhill Press).

“A fascinating read, full of chunky stories one usually hears only in press boxes and press clubs.” — Martin O’Malley, The Globe and Mail

“Lots of juicy stuff.” — Maclean’s

“William Houston does a wonderful job.” – The Kingston Whig-Standard

“A solid reporting job on a complex, colourful and generally disagreeable man.” – The Toronto Star

Inside Maple Leaf Gardens: The Rise and Fall of the Toronto Maple Leafs

The second part of the Ballard biography with an inside look at the Leafs hockey organization (1989, McGraw-Hill Ryerson).

“An incredible tale. . . . Were it not for Mr. Houston’s believable, easy-reading journalistic style, one would think it came from the National Inquirer.” – The Winnipeg Free Press

“A story too bizarre to be fiction.” – The Globe and Mail

“(Houston’s) got the goods on Ballard and lays it out for you in lurid, shocking and sometimes hilarious detail.” – Jim Proudfoot, the Toronto Star

“If you buy only one hockey book this season, pick up (Inside Maple Leaf Gardens).” –The Toronto Sun

“Uncompromisingly hostile and frequently funny. . . . the best (of the Leaf books).” –  Toronto Star

Pride and Glory: 100 Years of the Stanley Cup

A history of the Stanley Cup, focusing on the eight championship dynasties (1992, McGraw-Hill Ryerson).

Eagleson: The Fall of a Hockey Czar

The inside story of Alan Eagleson’s downfall (1993, McGraw-Hill Ryerson), co-authored with David Shoalts.