In The Roaring Game: A Sweeping Saga of Curling, bestselling journalist and (frustrated) amateur curler Doug Clark takes the reader on a fascinating behind-the-scenes journey all the way from the sport's humble beginnings in sixteenth-century Scotland to the first international bonspiel played in Buffalo, New York in 1865 (a match between Canadian and American clubs that Canada won) to where the sport is today.
From age nine to ninety, male or female, tall or short, players of all races and abilities enjoy the infectious camaraderie of the sport. But it's not all about the socializing. Curling is a complex and maddeningly difficult game to perfect. The competition can be ruthless. It's not surprising that competitive curling attracts larger and larger crowds every year.
Curling became a full-medal Olympic sport in the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, where the Canadian men's team won silver and the women's team took home gold. Curling has officially entered the realm of elite sport, makes heroes of its stars, like Mike Harris, Sandra Schmirler, George Karrys, Colleen Jones, Brad Gushue, and Glenn Howard.
Curling has come a long way. Just ask Clarence "Shorty" Jenkins, a.k.a The King of Swing. It was his innovations that helped revolutionize the game. In his words, “A curling rock is smarter than a human being.”
The Roaring Game shows how curling has gone from cold to cool. Part history, part memoir, and all tribute, The Roaring Game endears itself to novice and veteran alike.
Praise for The Roaring Game:
“Rock-solid look at the roaring game.??Winnipeg Free Press
“Clark makes it sound like a whole lot of fun.” “Gazette (Montreal)

DOUG CLARK is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in publications such as The Globe and Mail, Saturday Night, Maclean’s and The Toronto Star. He is the author of Unkindest Cut: The Torso Murder of Selina Shen; Billion $$$ High, an examination of the illegal drug trade in North America; and Heart to Heart, an insider’s look at heart surgery for patients and their families. Doug Clark lives in Ottawa.

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