Freedom to Win: A Cold War Story of the Courageous Hockey Team That Fought the Soviets for the Soul of Its People--And Olympic Gold

At the height of the Cold War, a group of small-town men led their Czechoslovakian hockey team against the powerful Soviet team. At the same time, they inspired their nation’s resistance to a Soviet invasion, finding a way to fight back against the authoritarian forces seeking to crush their society. At the heart of this story is the Holâik family, who loved hockey and desired freedom.

Ethan Scheiner earned his PhD at Duke University and served as a fellow at Harvard and Stanford University. He is currently a professor of Political Science at the University of California, Davis. Previously, he has published multiple books on democracy and elections in countries around the world, including Democracy without Competition in Japan and Electoral Systems and Political Context.＂ His writing on sports and resistance in Cold War Czechoslovakia has appeared in the Washington Post, Stars and Stripes, Politico, and The Daily Beast.