--- product_id: 59537374 title: "The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage" price: "VT12812" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 11 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/59537374-the-russian-five-a-story-of-espionage-defection-bribery-courage store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage **Price:** VT12812 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage - **How much does it cost?** VT12812 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/59537374-the-russian-five-a-story-of-espionage-defection-bribery-courage) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage: 9781947165175: Gave, Keith: Books Review: Detailed, you-are-there account of one of the greatest sports stories of the last 50 years. - An interweaving tale of five brilliant hockey players from the Soviet Union, brought to Detroit to help end a 40 year championship drought, and their lasting professional and personal impact on the ice hockey world. From the incredible daring-do of midnight clandestine meetings and defections to escape the iron curtain, through their revolutionary play on the ice, to the men behind the jerseys, Keith Gave delivers the complete story of the NHL Detroit Red Wings' legendary Russian Five. Author Keith Gave reveals how his own clandestine background, a new owner's unflinching drive to put together a championship hockey team, and five extraordinarily talented but seemingly out-of-reach Soviet players worked together to create a revolutionary and lasting imprint on the NHL. Read how ties to the Miracle On Ice, the dominating Red Army hockey machine, incredible skill and personal perseverance - together with extraordinary leadership - enabled the Russian Five to help bring the Stanley Cup to Detroit in the late 1990s. Author Gave's warm telling of this story of triumph, and legitimate tragedy, is (of course) a must-read for hockey fans. This story rises beyond sport, however, with political intrigue, life-changing injuries, and human relationships playing key roles. Highly recommended. Review: A good story well told! - This is not just a book for the hockey fan, though if you are one, it is a must read! If you have even a casual interest in things like political intrigue, corruption and bribery, the power of wealth in sports or the heart and mind of the pro athlete, this book will not disappoint. And in the middle of all of that, there are some surprising emotional tugs and pulls as the stories of the individuals involved are told. There are quite a few surprises in this book. The extent to which the Detroit Red Wings and the Ilitch dynasty went to secure some of the world's best hockey players from behind the Iron Curtain was shocking. The KGB was involved, members of the Russian medical establishment were bought off as were numerous other high powered Soviet officials, and Ilitch money was handed out liberally. The accounts of the Stanley Cup runs during the heyday of the Russian Five brought back a ton of memories for us here in Detroit during that time. Most of them are very good, a few of them are awfully bad. Of course, the sudden and tragic end of Vladimir Konstantinov's career only a few days after the Wings brought home their first Cup in 42 years was the saddest. And yep, I got a bit choked up reading about it again. I loved watching that guy play. Being reminded that it only lasted a few years for us was bitter sweet. The book comes out near the time related the documentary film is released. I just purchased tickets and can't wait to see it! By the way, treat yourself and read the epilogue too. The personal stories the author (my brother) relates are insightful and warm, and are a satisfying end to a good story well told! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #316,689 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #8 in Hockey Biographies (Books) #23 in Historical Russia Biographies #139 in Russian History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (981) | | Dimensions | 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches | | Edition | First Edition ~1st Printing | | ISBN-10 | 1947165178 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1947165175 | | Item Weight | 1.4 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 1 pages | | Publication date | March 20, 2018 | | Publisher | Gold Star Publishing | ## Images ![The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-iVtdQgTL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Detailed, you-are-there account of one of the greatest sports stories of the last 50 years. *by R***. on April 9, 2018* An interweaving tale of five brilliant hockey players from the Soviet Union, brought to Detroit to help end a 40 year championship drought, and their lasting professional and personal impact on the ice hockey world. From the incredible daring-do of midnight clandestine meetings and defections to escape the iron curtain, through their revolutionary play on the ice, to the men behind the jerseys, Keith Gave delivers the complete story of the NHL Detroit Red Wings' legendary Russian Five. Author Keith Gave reveals how his own clandestine background, a new owner's unflinching drive to put together a championship hockey team, and five extraordinarily talented but seemingly out-of-reach Soviet players worked together to create a revolutionary and lasting imprint on the NHL. Read how ties to the Miracle On Ice, the dominating Red Army hockey machine, incredible skill and personal perseverance - together with extraordinary leadership - enabled the Russian Five to help bring the Stanley Cup to Detroit in the late 1990s. Author Gave's warm telling of this story of triumph, and legitimate tragedy, is (of course) a must-read for hockey fans. This story rises beyond sport, however, with political intrigue, life-changing injuries, and human relationships playing key roles. Highly recommended. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A good story well told! *by K***R on April 4, 2018* This is not just a book for the hockey fan, though if you are one, it is a must read! If you have even a casual interest in things like political intrigue, corruption and bribery, the power of wealth in sports or the heart and mind of the pro athlete, this book will not disappoint. And in the middle of all of that, there are some surprising emotional tugs and pulls as the stories of the individuals involved are told. There are quite a few surprises in this book. The extent to which the Detroit Red Wings and the Ilitch dynasty went to secure some of the world's best hockey players from behind the Iron Curtain was shocking. The KGB was involved, members of the Russian medical establishment were bought off as were numerous other high powered Soviet officials, and Ilitch money was handed out liberally. The accounts of the Stanley Cup runs during the heyday of the Russian Five brought back a ton of memories for us here in Detroit during that time. Most of them are very good, a few of them are awfully bad. Of course, the sudden and tragic end of Vladimir Konstantinov's career only a few days after the Wings brought home their first Cup in 42 years was the saddest. And yep, I got a bit choked up reading about it again. I loved watching that guy play. Being reminded that it only lasted a few years for us was bitter sweet. The book comes out near the time related the documentary film is released. I just purchased tickets and can't wait to see it! By the way, treat yourself and read the epilogue too. The personal stories the author (my brother) relates are insightful and warm, and are a satisfying end to a good story well told! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ For NHL Fans and Certainly Red Wing Fans *by J***. on April 20, 2018* Very entertaining and full of fascinating stories about a time of great change in the NHL, Detroit and even the world at large. Why not 5 stars? Because the book feels a bit more like each chapter is its own feature story in a newspaper than a connection, and extension, of the previous chapter. To this point, some of the stories are shared multiple times in the book in relation to different events. Still, a fun, easy and quick read. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/59537374-the-russian-five-a-story-of-espionage-defection-bribery-courage](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/59537374-the-russian-five-a-story-of-espionage-defection-bribery-courage) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-06-07*