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Hardcover
Publisher: Random House Canada
Format: Import
In his own words, Bret Hart’s honest, perceptive, startling account of his life in and out of the pro wrestling ring.
The sixth-born son of the pro wrestling dynasty founded by Stu Hart and his elegant wife, Helen, Bret Hart is a Canadian icon. As a teenager, he could have been an amateur wrestling Olympic contender, but instead he turned to the family business, climbing into the ring for his dad’s western circuit, Stampede Wrestling. From his early twenties until he retired at 43, Hart kept an audio diary, recording stories of the wrestling life, the relentless travel, the practical jokes, the sex and drugs, and the real rivalries (as opposed to the staged ones). The result is an intimate, no-holds-barred account that will keep readers, not just wrestling fans, riveted.
Hart achieved superstardom in pink tights, and won multiple wrestling belts in multiple territories, for both the WWF (now the WWE) and WCW. But he also paid the price in betrayals (most famously by Vince McMahon, a man he had served loyally); in tragic deaths, including the loss of his brother Owen, who died when a stunt went terribly wrong; and in his own massive stroke, most likely resulting from a concussion he received in the ring, and from which, with the spirit of a true champion, he has battled back.
Widely considered by his peers as one of the business’s best technicians and workers, Hart describes pro wrestling as part dancing, part acting, and part dangerous physical pursuit. He is proud that in all his years in the ring he never seriously hurt a single wrestler, yet did his utmost to deliver to his fans an experience as credible as it was exciting. He also records the incredible toll the business takes on its workhorses: he estimates that twenty or more of the wrestlers he was regularly matched with have died young, weakened by their own coping mechanisms, namely drugs, alcohol, and steroids. That toll included his own brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith. No one has ever written about wrestling like Bret Hart. No one has ever lived a life like Bret Hart’s.
For as long as I can remember, my world was filled with liars and bullshitters, losers and pretenders, but I also saw the good side of pro wrestling. To me there is something bordering on beautiful about a brotherhood of big tough men who pretended to hurt one another for a living instead of actually doing it. Any idiot can hurt someone.
—from Hitman
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| "Hitman" Book Review |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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As far as wrestling biographies are generally concerned, most leave a lot to be desired. Often overly ghost-written, most I've read have come across a little colorful at best, and vapid at worst. "Hitman" is not one of those books.
Bret Hart is openly honest about his upbringing, breaking in to the business, life on the road, and the scandals he was a part of both in and out of the ring. That said, Hart does have his opinion. It may be colored by any number of reasons and can be very honest (or at least he appears to honestly believe them), but seldom does he slag someone without solid reasoning behind it. While much of his family strife (particularly later in his career) and business affairs are openly presented, one does best to remember they are one side of the story - even if the book does represent his views in a manner that sounds pretty evenly described. It is more in-depth than most, but not quite the expose of the business I was let to believe.
It is, however, an insightful story of a kid from Canada who grew up living wrestling and crawled his way to top of the mountain, only to slide down the other side - in the process becoming an integral part of perhaps the most interesting eras in professional wrestling along the way.
From what I've gathered from the other wrestling book reviews I've read, this is among - if not "the" - holy grail of wrestling books. I'm not convinced of that, but if one were putting together a list of the best of the best, this would certainly be among them. It is a massive tome, and provides ample reading. It is a solid read, and certainly one of the most intelligently written and informative wrestling books I've read.
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| One of the five best wrestling book ever. however......... |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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A good book with great stories. Bret is just a little full of himself. He sometimes comes off as a bitter little kid who pouts. I know he got screwed in Canada, however business is business. He was a good technical wrestler. He wasn't better than Flair or hogan when it comes to charisma and flair.He made himself out like he's the victim in some senarios of this book and that he could do no wrong. It sad that that this family is torn apart to the core.
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| AWESOME BOOK! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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great book, a must have for any fan of the hitman!
brutal honesty thru-out
a real legend in the world of pro wrestling, i strongly suggest this read for all fans of not only wrestling, but life!!
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| completely enjoyable |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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This is a wonderfully entertaining book to read. I am not a big wrestling fan; in fact, before I read this book I didn't know that Bret Hart had ever become the WWF Champion. I only remember him as a member of the Hart Foundation along with Jim--the Anvil--Neidhart. My memory remembers them because I thought they were the most entertaining and skillful tag team at the time. But anyway, even though I am not the world's greatest wrestling fan, I do enjoy reading about those who lives are so different than my own.
What I found somewhat sad when reading the book was remembering how wrestling used to be many years ago when there were so many "characters" with great personalities. Until recently, I hadn't watched WWF (WWE now) wrestling for probably at least 25 years or so. But now, because my 12-year-old son has become interested, I watch with him. But it is sad because the show was so much better long ago when Bret Hart was wrestling. Today, with few exceptions, there only seem to be multitudes of vanilla, cookie-cutter wrestlers lacking any real personalities or differences between them. Where are the Iron Sheik's, the CoCo Beware's, the Roddy Piper's, Ricky Steamboat's, Junk Yard Dog's, Animal Steele's, Hillbilly Jim's, and all the other great characters? It is sad that they have been replaced by those less skills and one-tenth the personalities. Years ago, even a wrestler without great technical skills, such as Hulk Hogan, had a personality, tremendous stage presence, and a charisma that made him legendary. That charisma and showmanship is largely missing in today's WWE. Furthermore, there is just way too much talking going on in today's WWE shows and not enough wrestling. It appears many WWE wrestlers today are trying to make up with talk what they lack in skill and charisma. Sadly, it isn't working, as today's shows have a severe lacking of showmanship and thus the "fun factor" that made wrestling so enjoyable to watch long ago. To be frank, today's WWE isn't anywhere near as entertaining as it was many years ago. It isn't near as fun to watch either.
In fact, both my son and I enjoy going to a small, monthly, local wrestling event that draws maybe 100 fans. There, the more flamboyant characters with distinct personalities have way more charisma and are simply more enjoyable (fun!) to watch than today's WWE.
But back to the book: how the ratings war between Vince McMahon's WWF and Ted Turner's WCW forever changed the "fun" family orientation of WWF is a very interesting part of the book. Also notable is how the tension of Bret Hart deciding between his loyalty to the WWF or much greater pay (and thus his own financial security) offered by the WCW led to the "Montreal Screwjob". This led to Bret finally realizing that WWF's owner Vince McMahon showed loyalty to no one but Vince McMahon. And it shows the reader that double-crossing, lying, "bad" guys are all too real in the wrestling world--as are injuries.
Anyway, both Bret's life and the memories of what wrestling used to be are most interesting and enjoyable to read about. The book is fast moving, never gets boring, and offers many, many insights into the world of professional wrestling. There is both joy and sadness in the story, both in Bret's professional life and in his home and family life. The death of Bret's brother Owen is especially troubling in that it really didn't have to happen. An excellent book concerning the wrestling world that can be enjoyed by both the wrestling fan and the non-wrestling fan like me who just enjoy reading a quality book written by someone who knows the subject they are writing about.
Thanks, Bret Hart, for making wrestling so enjoyable and fun when I was watching many years ago. Sadly, things have been going downhill since.
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| The Only Wrestler Who Talked The Talk And Walked The Walk |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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If you ask any true wrestling fan in the last 30 years about Bret Hart, it's hard to find someone that will supply a negative response. Bret Hart was a constant professional as well as a devoted man to his craft. Bret Hart easily could be considered the best all around wrestler of not only his generation, but of any generation. In this autobiography you will be thrown into a life that has had more downs then ups. However, it's in those down phases of his life that shows a true testament of what a champion really is.
Bret Hart holds no punches through this brutally honest portrait of professional wrestling. From his constant public battles with his siblings, his nonchalant drug use during his career, multiple acts of infidelity to his wife. Bret's personal feuds with Hulk Hogan, as well as the highly publicized "Montreal Screw job" with Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon are all here in very detailed chapters. The way he writes this book is so easy to understand because he breaks it down for the non wrestling fans. If ever there was to be a movie based on a real wrestler, Bret Hart would be the choice. By the end of reading this book you will feel as if you had a backstage pass to a profession that tries to keep that world hidden from its viewers.
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