Capitals, Aristocrats, and Cougars is social history at its best. Through the lens of men’s hockey, the story of Victoria in the early 20th century comes to life. Most of the book is concentrated on the period between the two World Wars and the events in Europe that drove them. Detail-dense text, chronologically organized, describes aspects of society—places, names, entertainment in music and film, and political conflicts. No Indigenous connections, if any, are named as such; however, key issues such as the women’s movement and racism of the time are sensitively addressed. Hockey lovers would enjoy this book with its many statistics, including five appendices dedicated to hockey stats alone. Without footnotes, this text reads smoothly and includes an index and source list that would make it ideal for an inquiry project!

Other End Matter: Appendices A–E
Images: b&w photographs
Bibliography: Yes
Index: Yes

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools

Alan Livingstone MacLeod has a lifelong passion for history, hockey, and writing. Since retiring from the field of labour relations, he has transformed his passion into two books ( Remembered in Bronze and Stone: Canada's Great War Memorial Statuary and From Rinks to Regiments: Hockey Hall-of-Famers and the Great War) and a number of public lectures commemorating Canadian efforts in the First World War. He divides his time between Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and Victoria, BC.

Alan Livingstone MacLeod's profile page

“Two of my favourite subjects are sports and history. Alan Livingstone Macleod has succeeded in combining both into a fascinating book. Once I started reading it, I just couldn't stop. I learned so much about hockey in Canada during and after the First World War. Plus, the story of Frank Fredrickson is incredible.”
—Jim Lang, host of The Jim Lang Show and co-author (with Bob McKenzie) of Everyday Hockey Heroes

A fascinating journey into an often overlooked era of hockey. Through his meticulous research and storytelling, Alan Livingstone Macleod creates a time machine into the game’s entrepreneurial origins, bringing many of the game’s legends to life, as captivating characters who laid the foundation for professional hockey as we know it.Capitals, Aristocrats and Cougars is a must-read for any fan of hockey history — and for any reader of great stories that transport us to a different place and time." - Dan Robson, author ofBower: A Legendary Life

“This book is an important chronicling of a largely forgotten piece of not only Victoria and BC, but Canadian, sporting history. MacLeod unearths a telling tale of the players and builders who made hockey on the West Coast, with implications that would ripple across the continent.”
—Cleve Dheensaw, sports writer and author of Island of Champions

“Capitals, Aristocrats, and Cougars is a fascinating history of the rich tradition of hockey in Victoria. I appreciated the details on how Lester Patrick built a team that became the last non-NHL Stanley Cup winner. I found myself cheering for the Victoria side through the game-by-game accounts leading up to the Stanley Cup triumph.”
—Kent Manderville, Former NHL player, Olympic silver medalist, and inductee into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.