Wrestler books

[gwffantrav]

I was trying to give my wife ideas for fathers day and my birthday, since they're both in June.

I was curious, does anyone know of all of the wrestlers that have come out with books?
I've thought of
1) Bobby Heenan
2) Terry Funk
3) Jerry Lawler
4) Arn Anderson
5) Gordon Solie
6) Dusty Rhodes
7) Dynamite Kid
8) Mick Foley
9) Freddy Blassie
10) Ric Flair
11) Lita
12) Edge
13) Hulk Hogan
14) Kurt Angle
15) DDP
16) Goldberg
17) Rock
I can't think of any others.

And what are the best reads. I've only read Foley's first, Rocks and Flairs

[Gunslinger]

Out of the ones you haven't read, I've read the following and am listing them in order of enjoyment.

1. Terry Funk
2. Dynamite Kid
3. Freddy Blassie
4. Kurt Angle
5. Hulk Hogan

Keep in mind there is a HUGE gap between #3 and #4. I hear good things about the Bobby Heenan books, but I haven't read any of them.

[theace4ever]

The books Ive read are Mick Foley's, Hogan's, Lawler's, & The Rock....Chyna also wrote one, but that one just didnt pique my interest any, but it can be found at most $1 stores

[Mark 138]

Geez this topic's old, but I'll give my two cents anyway.

Dynamite's book is really good. Heenan's first book is great as well. His second effort has more to do with his thoughts and philosophies on life and not as much about wrestling. I'm told Lou Thesz' book is awesome, but it's impossible to find a copy for less than $200, as the press run was ridiculously small. One that's great from the kayfabe era was "Everybody Down Here Hates Me" by Pat Barrett. You will not have heard of him, but he recounts some hilarious road stories, changing the names to protect the guilty, as it were (Great Milenko is called by his real last name, for instance and Exotic Adrian and Miss Linda aren't hard to figure out either). Most of the WWF/e books are garbage, especially the ones by the current stars. Most are completely ghost written and full of lies and exaggeration. Exceptions are William Regal, Lawler to some extent, and Blassie. Although all are at least partially ghost-written, the books are entertaining without being insulting(like Chyna's, Edge's, the Hardy's.). Hogan's book is full of lies and exaggeration, but that made it more entertaining to me for some reason.

[banzuke]

Jimmy Valiant did one that will be available (hopefully) before Christmas this year.

[Chewey]

Adnan Alkaissey (General Adnan, Billy White Wolf) just released a book recently called the Shiek of Baghdad. It's interesting to hear his account of Iraq, because he is an Iraqi native who knew Saddam Hussein personally, and competed as something of a national hero for some time. But his book is absolute crap, and a book more full of lies and exaggeration you will not find.

But the part about Iraq was still an interesting read. I read it by the bookshelf at Barnes and Nobles one evening before putting it back on the shelf.

[nelson]

whats the name of chynas book?
neil

[Big Bri]

I got the HBK book for X-Mas and am about 1/4 done with it. It's pretty good so far.

[gwffantrav]

I actually hit the jackpot. I got Jimmy Hart, Shawn Michaels, Harley Race and the Wrestlecrap book.

I started on Hart's book and it's interesting (about 1/2 way thru) about his time in Memphis where he and Lawler tell the same story, but they are "slightly different". But a fun read so far who had the pleasure of watching THE JIMMY HART...not the watered down version of the WWF/WCW.

[LWPD]

Here's the one pro wres book I actually sent out as gift this X Mas:

Chokehold: Pro Wrestling's Real Mayhem Outside the Ring

Most pro wrestling literature today is written from the perspective of how the industry operated from the VKM/Cable Boom period onward. With the quiet man 'kayfabe' culture of the preceding era there have been very few from the inside willing to tell where the bodies were buried so to speak. This book gives a detailed glimpse of the industrial system Vince's empire replaced with a focus on the 1950's into the 1970's. Many of the underlying issues, questions, formulas and strategies that are discussed and explored are endemic to what pro wrestling actually is and always will be, which makes the themes timeless.

Using case studies, legal documents and sworn statements the book chronicles how the National Wrestling Alliance maneuvered around the the Antitrust ruling and used an underground system of blackballing, bribery, boycotting and at times a mixture of physical and mental abuse to enforce a Mafioso like stranglehold on the pro wrestling industry for decades.

The greatest value is the historical research put forth by co-author Weldon T. Johnson. I have never seen a better referenced or more extensively documented pro wrestling project. While Jim Wilson's sensational 'first person' accounts are a questionable selling point that should be read with a jaundiced eye, I think the overall value of this book was able to transcend that. As an added plus the book also contains the best insight on various booking formulas and their desired effects that I've seen printed.

I'd warn this isn't a 'bubble gum book'. At over 500 pages it's written and formatted to inform, not to readily entertain. Fans looking for an easy fun read will _NOT_ like this. Fans who are turned off by the 'easy fun' simplistic style and look for something more enduring and challenging are more likely to appreciate the merits of this book.


Like Watching Paint Dry (who still looks back to that book every once in a while as a reference)

[thefamoustommyz]

Thanks for turning me onto that, LWPD...might have to make room in the budget for that...

[Mad Dog]

I highly recommend Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Tag Teams. It talks about 70-80 teams throughout and a lot of LOW teams are in it.