The Hartford Whalers began their existence in Boston as the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Whalers played in every season of the WHA's seven-year existence and were the league's first champions. Although their games were well attended in Boston, the upstart league was never serious competition for the powerhouse Bruins. In 1975, they moved to Hartford to play in the new Hartford Civic Center, and in 1979, along with Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Quebec, joined the National Hockey League. They moved to North Carolina following the 1997 season and won a Stanley Cup as the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. The Hartford Whalers is a pictorial tribute to this beloved and much-missed Hartford institution.

In the beginning, the Boston Bruins were a rough tribe of Canadian tradesmen seeking their fortune with the first American team in the fledgling National Hockey League. When the Bruins played their first game in 1924, hockey was already a staple of the Boston sports scene. It was the prospect of attracting the capacity crowds that supported Boston's local club and college teams that lured Charles F. Adams to invest in the franchise. The Bruins were both an outgrowth of local tradition and a manifestation of the ambitions of the NHL. Their roster has included the likes of Eddie Shore, "Dit" Clapper, and the greatest player of all time, Bobby Orr. The photographs in The Bruins in Black and White: 1924-1966, the first of a two-volume illustrated history, document the success of Charles F. Adams's investment and the achievements of players who proudly wore the Bruins colors. Their passion, commitment, and love of the game are evident on every page.

For seven decades, the Boston Garden functioned as both a de facto community center and the indoor entertainment hub of New England. Known to millions as the home of the Bruins and Celtics, the Garden was also home to a variety of other events. The Boston Garden was truly a "people's palace," serving as a venue for events both grand and humble, monumental and mundane. It was nothing less than the city's playpen, music hall, political clubhouse, tavern, cathedral, and living room. The Boston Garden opened on November 17, 1928, to an overflow audience who witnessed local boxer Dick "Honeyboy" Finnegan defeat reigning world featherweight champion Andre Routis in a non-title bout. Three days later, the Bruins greeted a crowd that fire department officials estimated was nearly four thousand above maximum capacity. The Boston Garden captures these moments and the unique relationship that was forged with the city right from the beginning. During the Great Depression, the Garden hosted countless community events, such as free public skating and religious services. It was Boston's main attraction with concerts, wrestling, school sports, and the ever popular Bruins. Later years saw the birth of the Boston Celtics in 1946 and their unsurpassed record of sixteen world championships. Following World War II and through the baby boomer years, performers as diverse as Liberace, Elvis, and the Rolling Stones also packed fans in. The Boston Garden was demolished in 1998 to make room for the Central Artery and private development, but it lives on in the hearts of New Englanders.

The Boston Bruins are America's oldest and most honored NHL franchise. Although they tasted success early on, the arrival of Bobby Orr in 1966 seemed like divine intervention. Over the past half-century, the Bruins have missed the playoffs only twelve times and have captured two Stanley Cups (1970 and 1972). When their twenty-nine-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances ended in 1997, it marked the conclusion of the longest such streak in North American professional sports history. From Shore to Orr to O'Reilly to Bourque to Thornton, the Bruins' style of play has been two-thirds ballet and one-third street fight. The Bruins in Black and White: 1966 to the 21st Century, the second book in this two-volume illustrated history, celebrates the storied success of this legendary team.

James Thurber once wrote "Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility." This collection of columns and humor pieces by Brian Codagnone (author of the cartoon collection "Hey, America It's Misfits Time ") ranges from social satrire to parody to black humor.