Wrestling Books

As is well known among the wrestling world fanbase, Owen Hart plummeted to his death on May 23, 1999 at a WWE pay-per-view at the Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri. The ironically named "Over the Edge" event rocked the wrestling world also ironically featured a segment of The Rock contained within the Undertaker's casket. The death of Owen could not have rocked anyone more than his wife Martha and their children, Oje and Athena.

This book by Owen's widow, Martha (and co-written by Eric Francis), came about a few years after the event and impending lawsuits for negligence and wrongful death. It is, at times, a moving piece of remembrances and at other times a somewhat `woe-is-me' and semi-`holier-than-thou' preaching. Martha Hart openly shows her disdain for the Hart family in general and strong dislike in particular to Ellie, Diana, and Bruce. Her relationship with Bret, as presented in her own words, is hard to interpret as to whether they were just close but at moments it does seem they may have been much more, which she later denies. Martha also shows great contempt for the wrestling industry in general, often tossing out disparaging remarks regarding the intelligence and sinfulness of wrestlers at large.

The outline of this book is fairly straight forward. The first 100 pages recount Owen's youth, their meeting, and marriage. The middle section of the text deals with the 78' fall, attempts to save Owen, investigation, funeral, and personal trauma that occurred. The last section of the book covers the lawsuits and pursuit of justice which Martha sought for Owen's death. One chapter in particular was dedicated to the faultiness of the quick release snap lock which was used (it is manufactured for use in releasing a sail on yachts). This device only required 6 pounds of pressure to open/release and was unfit to be used in any way to secure a human for such a stunt.

Other topics included how certain members of the Hart family (Ellie, Diana, and Bruce) sought to aide the WWE/McMahon's defense in the lawsuits in order to secure potential jobs with the company. Martha's outrage with the family, suffering and depression, and borderline abandonment of her children (understandably having her family members and friends watching them while she handled their legal matters and grief) spreads throughout the later portion of the book. Unfortunately so does her claims that Owen wanted nothing to do with wrestling, her constant `nobody-loves-their-family-more-than-me' attitude, and seemingly braggadocio of the money they have and world travelling they do now.

The book ends with the settlement and setting up of the Owen Hart Foundation which she funded and wanted organized. Oddly, for a large settlement, she only put a quoted two million dollars into the fund which she wanted established. The foundation is doing a lot of good for the right people. Also mentioned is Diana's own self-serving book (which outraged not only Martha, some of the Harts, and the public as well) caused Martha to file a lawsuit against Diana for libel/slander. Thankfully, the book was pulled from shelves and little is heard of it now.

Martha and the children continue to deal with their loss, she has distanced herself from the remainder of the Hart family, basically cutting them out of their lives all together. Hopefully someday all matters will be resolved and the children may get to know their relatives. This is a heartfelt book of memories and love of a wife for her husband however, at times it is also arrogant and preachy. Keep in mind, she's not the sole author so some factual errors may not be hers and there will be items that are her opinions and no one elses.

Overall, a moving book that should be read by fans while keeping in mind it is presented by Martha Hart so there is defintiely personal bias regarding events and emotions of a tragic affair. This should not be confused as a wrestling biography but a dedication of a loving wife in memory of her husband in order to have her story heard by the public.

THIS IS WRITTEN BY THE WIDOW OF OWEN HART, MARTHA WHO TELLS A VERY SAD, INTERESTING, SCARY, DEPRESSING AND UPLIFTING TALE. HER RELATIONSHIP WITH OWEN'S FAMILY IS DESCRIBED IN GREAT DETAIL ALONG WITH THEIR MARRIAGE, HIS FATAL FALL AND HER SUIT AGAINST THE WWE FOR NEGLIGENCE. THIS BOOK IS VERY SPELL BINDING AND KEPT ME TOTALLY FOCUSED ON THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE ESPECIALLY AFTER HIS DEATH. I REALLY FEEL FOR MARTHA AND HER FAMILY AND FOR A FEW OF THE HARTS WHO WEREN'T TOTALLY FOCUSED ON THEMSELVES AND SOME KIND OF MONEY THEY COULD GET FOR ALL THE COVERAGE OF THIS TRAGIC EVENT. IF YOU THINK YOU ARE FROM A MIXED UP FAMILY, YOU SHOULD READ THIS AND BE THANKFUL THESE IDIOTS AREN'T RELATED TO YOU. FOR OLDER AND MATURE ADULTS. SOME OF THE CONTENTS ARE DARK AND DEPRESSING.

When I heard that this book was being released in early 2004, I had to get it. Owen Hart was not only a great wrestling technician and the youngest son of Stu Hart and brother of Bret Hart, but a great family man. Always putting his family first. In the crazy world of professional wrestling, it's the body first. But this was a great book, but the only thing I didn't like was how Martha was criticizing it, when she never stepped foot in a WWE ring. I haven't either, but as a fan, we get the "backstage pass", so to speak, to the locker room politics and backstage in general. This book shows what kind of person Owen was, and the person we loved to see in the ring. He wasn't the biggest guy in the WWE, but he had the biggest heart.

I will preface this by saying that it wasn't the worst wrestling book I have read. I know this is cold but it was written with an "Oh woe is me" perspective. While this is entirely understandable it doesn't make for an interesting read. She strikes me as a woman who is very bitter about the wrestling business. She also makes Owen out to be a saint. Hey from what I read he was a great guy but come on.

This book should not be classified as a wrestling book. It really should be listed under bitter wives trying to make their deceased husband and his family look really bad. In this book she talks about how bad the Harts were and also talks of how Owen never got along with them. She also talks about how bad wrestling is whenever the only reason her kids can go to their private school (which she mentions about 30 times throughout the book) and live their lives is because of it.

This book is interesting, it's not really an instructional, it's more of a reference for a variety of pro wrestling holds that you don't see much anymore.

There are some good techniques that work on live opponents, but there is almost no explanation on how to perform any of them. Most of the techniques require multiple complicated moves and would not work on a living, conscious opponent.

Judo Gene continues to show us all what true masters of martial arts are, and he uses humor to illustrate his techniques. As a fellow martial arts instructor this book has more than helped my ground technique, but also reaffirms my belief in being humble.Judo gene and his crew are the BEST, i have had the pleasure of meeting them, they are even nicer in person.

This book really appealed to me, as Gene LeBell is a legend in American Judo and early MMA (very early, like 1960s). I expected an encyclopedia that consisted of a variety of submissions with various entries into them shown, from a variety of positions. Instead, it's a cartoonish collection of often completely unrealistic finishes, some of which are almost pro-wrestling-esque. No set-ups, no mentions of how you might actually catch someone in one of these moves, a lot of repetition as well with only slightly different holds being given separate sections. I was really disappointed. I am a black belt in Judo, as well as a former BJJ fighter, and I didn't get a single useful thing from this book. Don't buy it.

...and I thought MY book, "The Authoritative Encyclopedia of Scientific Wrestling" was huge! This book is MASSIVE and jam-packed with awesome ideas.

Once you have the basics down (which realistically can take years to master) you are ready to get creative and learn from the best. Gene and Gokor have compiled, what in my opinion, is the FINAL word on submission holds.

This book is so amazing that you will be tapping out just by merely reading it. I have personally trained at Gokor and Gene's dojo and this book is the next best thing, believe me.

Judo Gene LeBell knows his finishing holds. However, there is way too much humor and not enough effective holds. Alot of the holds are "pain" holds-- meaning they would cause some pain but a determined opponent will not submit to them. I fought NHB I know what I'm talking about. "Submission" holds by definition make the opponent submit or quit or you will break his arm, leg, etc. or choke him unconscious. If you want 100% submission holds with no humor and WWF pain holds go to USBJJ.COM where for $7.99 you can get hundreds of finshing holds, many of the exact same ones here, without humor and without worrying about whether this is a painful inconvenience hold or a real submission hold.

I've never read any of the other books from any of the other wrestlers before, but I'm very glad I decided to get this one. I never knew all the difficulties and hard work it takes to be a wrestler, plus reading about Batistas personal struggles made it even better of a book to read. You really get the experience of this mans life and becoming the Animal. If your a fan of Batista or even just a fan of professional wrestling, this is one book to get.

I have started reading this book and I am impressed. For those people who don't like how Batista treated his wife, we all make mistakes. Maybe he has learned from them and things will be better. Not every relationship is perfect. You have my full support, Batista.

Thank you Amazon.com, for once again providing perfect professional service. The delivery, packaging and substance of my order was spot on! I enjoyed reading about the Fantastic Batista! How candid and open-hearted this look inside the man behind the Animal! To Dave Bautista, I enjoyed getting to know you through your words and pictures. I am your ardent fan...Be Loved and Be Blessed.....Love Tam of Birmingham, Alabama

He is the greatest wrestler. I think he's awesome. The book is really interesting. Great reading!!

Excellent book.. Very easy to read.
A bit of language used.. but this gives it that personal touch... so, you really get to know what Batista was going through and how he felt.

If you want a story of how a bouncer turns his life around for his family to become one of the best Champions the WWE has ever seen, then this is definately the book for you.

Great story... Can't say a bad thing about it.
Well Done Dave!!

This book is amazing! You have to read it!!! This book is about a girl who didn't make it on the cheerleading team and goes for something new, something that no other girl did. She went out for wrestling and made the team but there are a few problems along the way. Can she really do this or is she a fake? You can find out by reading this amazing book!

i just started reading this book for my Battle Of The Books n i think that is awesome!!!everyone should read this book!!!

Maisie Potter has a huge crush on Eric Delong. It developed over the summer when they bumped into each other in a pool. Unfortunately, he is dating Liz, an evil cheerleader. Maisie decides to do whatever she can to get his attention, so she tries out for cheerleading. She is cut from the team.

When winter season arrives, Maisie doesn't try out for basketball, which she played the year before. Instead, she is the only girl to try out for wrestling--the team Eric is on. Maisie soon learns that there's a lot more to wrestling than she's seen on television.

As Maisie discovers that she actually likes the sport of wrestling and it's no longer all about getting Eric's attention, she also realizes something awful--everyone seems to be against her. Her coach doesn't seem to want her on his team, her teammates don't accept her and they treat her badly, the fans seem to be rooting against her, and the boys from other schools who are supposed to wrestle her in competitions forfeit the matches, giving her an automatic win in order to avoid wrestling her.

It started off as just something to get a boy's attention, but when things get really tough will Maisie actually stick with the team?

I liked that this book didn't have the classic happy ending. As a result of her decisions Maisie didn't end up getting everything she ever wanted, but she seemed to be satisfied. I really liked Maisie's parents and the way they treated her and her siblings.

I found that many of the characters were far too predictable, though. There were few who were able to surprise me.

~There's A Girl In My Hammerlock~
How would I describe it? I could describe it as many things but the top reasons are that it made me think and wonder, and also makes me want to write my own book. Best of all it made me read, read, and read.
The title sounded very wierd, but the moment I saw this book I said,"I can't believe that I am going to read this book." When I was done reading the book,I said to myself, "This book was the best book ever." I also said,"That saying is right. You can't judge a book by the cover."
You just have to get your hands on THIS BOOK!
The cover isn't the best thing ever, but the book is!
Go to library now and check out this book. You will have this book forever, even in your dreams. I know I will. If you like to be outside a lot or eat dinner, well, you are not going to have time anymore for that. You will read,read,read!
This book needs those five stars. If the stare would go higher I would rate it 100 if there was such a thing, and a Newbery medal! Pick this book up NOW!!!!!!

My review on this book is a pretty good review. This book wouldn't exactly be my first choice, but it was a good book. If you were into wrestling I would highly recomend this book. It has a lot of wrestling moves and some terms listed. There are some funny parts as well. I would not recomend this book to children under 5th grade and would strongly suggest that you would at least be 10 or 11. This is a good book and I highly suggest it.

Ned Beaumont is a great author, however, I thought you may all like to know that he is a Latin scholar and teaches high school latin at Nardin Academy in Buffalo, NY. I was his student and he is an excellent teacher...except that he is not a real boxer, so a lot of his writing may be made up.
His real name is Matthew Riley.

The "reality" combative followers might be disappointed in this book.Sure it's helpfull and has decent techniques but there is nothing in this book that can't be found elsewhere in REAL photos.

I initially bought this because 1) I liked "Championship Streetfighting", also by the author, and 2) I do a lot of submission grappling, and want to learn anything useful. I was dissapointed by much of what I read. The good:I learned a little about the history of wrestling that I didn't know; I found the principles in the begging to be most useful; the author does a decent job of converting amature moves to a street scenario; this is one of the few books I've read that talks about biting and gouging, though I think Beaumont's kind of reaching to include them in this book; and lastly, the bibliography helps the reader find more, practical information about grappling in the "pavement arena". The bad: most noticably, there are rather crudely drawn pencil illustrations, and no photos; the takedowns, as presented, are not "technically sound", and I think it's because of a lack of experiance on Beaumont's part; some of the holds are taken direclty from professional wrestling's "show holds", like the Cammel Clutch and Figure-four leglock (I've wrestled a lot of guys, and I've even tried to make use of pro-wrestling holds, but I've never seen anyone put that leglock on someone with half a brain and better conditioning than a hampster). About half the info was useful to me, and I'll give props to the author for sticking to the theme of Western arts as self defence, but if you grapple for fun or sport, borrow it, and if you're looking for quick and easy self-defence, avoid it. In closing, I'd like to emphasise that this is NOT a useless book, it's just that finding the useful stuff is one of those needle-haystack things.

This book discusses practical street combat from a wrestler's perspective. As expected, the author's focus is from the stand-up engagement that is taken down and finished on the ground. The subject matter is light reading without in-depth instruction. The book's pictures need improvement as the novice may find some figure's inadequate to completely convey the message of the instruction. Overall, the book is a good practical source for both the novice and stand-up only student. It does not add too much value for the mixed-art street oriented combat student.

Gives some good explanation of the wrestling skills you'll need (and some you won't) in a fight against an unarmed opponent, but is light on useful instruction, primarily due to the lack of photographs. There is a lot to be said for an author who will actually fill a book with words, rather than lean on photos as a crutch, but if you intend to train with a book as an aid, photos are all but necessary - and the more the better.

You'd be better off with a combination of Winning Wrestling Moves (to instruct on takedowns), combined with one or more of the following: Iverson's submissions book; The Fighter's Notebook; one of the Gracies' BJJ texts. All will give you more practical instruction, and do so with loads of pics to help you get the idea better. All are available at Amazon. You'll pay more to get the more complete education, but if genuine improvement in your grappling skills is the goal, it's worth it.

Gable was not the biggest, strongest or most athletic wrestler. But he took advantage of the tools he had and maximized them to their fullest. His drive for success pushed him & his teams to unbelievable heights. A must read for any wrestling fan or sports enthusiast.

This is an excellent review of many of the details that only a coach and his wrestlers see and feel everyday. I definately think anyone who is a fan, parent, coach or participant of wrestling, and especially college wrestling should read this great book.

...but you can't help but be taken in by the story of Dan Gable. The lessons that he preaches, and embodies, go way beyond the mat--perserverance, hard work, dedication, and perhaps most importantly, leading by example.

For that reason, I enjoyed the book, and got through it pretty quickly. I would have no reservations about recommending this book based on that alone.

But, I'll admit, it gets bogged down quite a bit as it becomes a point-by-point recap of the season. Starts to feel like the same things over and over again. I'll agree with other posters who say that it may have lacked some of the intensity and emotion that it could have had. For that, I would recommend "Four days to Glory." An awesome book on high-school wrestling that seems to be to do a better job of making you feel the drama of what wrestlers go through and why they do what they do.

I'd say buy both of these books for a pretty complete picture of Iowa wrestling "from cradle to grave." The afterword in the paperback version of "A season on the mat" does a good job of bringing closure to both books (hard to explain, but you'll see what I mean).

"A Season on the Mat" is simply the best book about the greatest wrestler and coach ever to grace the the mat. You will lose yourself as you read about Gable's struggles in pursuing yet another NCAA title. Read about how Gable sucked up the pain for one final season and set an example for the 1996 Hawks. Buying this book is the best way a fan can remember DG's final year on the sidelines.

As an ex-wrestler turned journalist (and someone who has interviewed Dan Gable), Zavoral's book is a decent look into Gable and the Iowa program. However, the writer at times tries to be bigger than his subject(s) using silly similies(describing Lincoln McIlravy's wrestling style as a man probing an ear or corn) and far flung analogies. The book also lacks logic in some areas, but does a good job of explaining the nuances of amateur wrestling to the uninitiated -- which is no easy task. Typos are also pretty prevalent, but that's the editor's job to catch it.

More Like Wrestling

More like Wrestling is a story written by Danyel Smith. It's about two girls and their coming of age. The story is odd in that it begins near the ending. Then it proceeds to weave an expansive, complicated, poly-layered tapestry of a back story. I loved Smith's diction and her rhythm of story telling. The fact that the story was very possible was a plus also. Smith's characters were well nuanced and deeply developed. By the end of the story, her characters were so realistic I could empathize with them. Smith's portrayal of masculinity and femininity was even. This is atypical for an author; usually an author can clearly relate the views of their sex to the reader but only adequately addresses the mindset and personalities of the opposite sex in the same situation. I think Danyel Smith has an exceptional ability to create and use the setting to describe her characters or to create an atmosphere within her settings. Smith's story organization added to her message. I found More Like Wrestling encouraging, uplifting, and very well done.

~General ACE

I liked this book. It took a while to get into, but once crack cocaine hit, she found her stride. I may have written that wrong, but I meant it well.

As much as I hate to say it, I found this book to be a great disappointment. I hate to say it because I expected a great deal from Ms. Smith based on her work with Vibe magazine. After reading the jacket cover, I was all set to settle in for an enjoyable read. The problem is, the book never seemed to go anywhere, making the read a slow and laborious one. The story moved along at a snails pace and never seemed to take off. Despite the plot twists (and admittedly,there were a few), the story started off flat and remained that way. I will admit that I only got 3/4 of the way through and that it may have picked up at the end. But I doubt it. And in my opinion, it wasn't worth the struggle to find out.

I could not get into this book, and I honestly did try. I finally gave up on this book halfway through. It goes from past to present, from character to character...
The characters other than Paige and Pinch (who are obviously the main ones) seem to be insignificant, but we keep hearing about them. Maybe if I had finished the book all the way through I would have seen why each character was important. But I am surprised i even made it halfway through...this book was boring.

I really wanted to like this book, because I have met the author and read other things she had written--which were very good. But this book--talk about tedious writing. All of those stream of consciousness, endless babbling about nothing. Switches from past to present, character to character. I couldn't get past the first two or three chapters.

Great book. Go find it and read it and think about it for weeks, I have. I find myself going back into the book, reading a chapter here, a chapter there......What an awesome book, I wish I would have read this when i was in high school....If I where an english lit teacher or philosophy prof. this would be manditory reading. I guess since I am originally from spokane that I can relate to this story in certain ways, but then again, I think so can alot of people, but not everyone unfortunately. You will know once you read this book.

In the book Vision Quest, there is a story of growing up, preparing to graduate high school and to become self-reliant. The author Terry Davis used a great metaphor for life as the sport of wrestling. He kept referring to the intensity of losing weight and practicing to the struggles of life and how we must all overcome them.

If you have seen the movie, by the same name, then the book might disappoint you as it did me. The book ends at the beginning of the big match between Louden and Shute, whereas the movie keeps going and finishes the match. This is where the plot seems to just drop off in the book, there was so much rising action and then it just STOPS and then the book ends. This was very frustrating, especially when the book was going great and Louden was getting everything he worked for, his life could not have been better. On the other hand having the book just STOP, it allows the reader to finish the story however it feels necessary.

The theme of maturity and coming-of-age is definitely apparent when Louden talks about his Senior Project and how finishing that he will have completed every challenge High School has offered and he will be ready for whatever comes next, which is college in his case. The theme is only of Louden but also includes his friends and girl friend, Carla. Carla was a hitchhiker making her way across the country when she tries to buy a car and ends up being a houseguest at Louden's home. She grows and becomes a fully responsible woman by the end of the book, which a lot of the credit is given to Louden. I believe this is a great book with a bad ending, but judge for yourself.

This book not only helped me become a writer, it confirmed that there are folks out there working in each moment to be the best people they can be. I've carried the protagonist, Louden Swain, with me every day of my life since I read VISION QUEST in late 1979. And I'm glad for it.

When I came to VISION QUEST in my mid-twenties, I was striving to connect with a life I could care about. I was not a reader, other than the few older novels I was required to read in freshman comp. and American lit. classes. For me, VISION QUEST was revelatory in teaching me that American literature was not something of the past: it didn't die with the likes of Fitzgerald and Steinbeck and Hemingway. Even more important (more enriching) to me, it showed that it was possible to write books and stories that would be accessible and relevant to (and resonant in) many people's lives who would not otherwise be interested in reading. What's more, VISION QUEST helped me recognize and honor the connections between my life and those of others around me. You can't ask for more than that from a book.

And it's not something you often find. For these reasons and others, VISION QUEST is a novel to honor and to celebrate.

The life that Louden Swain lives in this book was something I could indeed recognize as A LIFE! Louden was awake and alive to the possibilities. This was a theme I was (and remain) passionate about pursuing in my own life and work. I hope that I've done an OK job of making that happen.

Davis Miller, author of THE TAO OF MUHAMMAD ALI: A FATHERS AND SONS MEMOIR and THE TAO OF BRUCE LEE: A MARTIAL ARTS MEMOIR

"Vision Quest", like "The Catcher in the Rye", is a novel about adolescence, in the hero Louden Swain's own words, about the "short time he's got left to be a kid."

He's a high-school wrestler who's dropping weight for a match with the state champion but also someone who tries to fill his life with things to do. He reads Kurt Vonnegut novels and med. school textbooks and gets pissed off when the colleges he visits only ever let him talk to the jocks and coaches, rather than the professors he's read about.

Looking at "Vision Quest" now, I realise it is a much funnier book than I supposed when I first read it twenty years ago. Then I was about the same age as Louden and the things he said seemed to make perfect sense. Nowadays, I can appreciate Davis's irony and the perceptiveness with which he makes Louden very much a teenager in his understanding and world-view. My favorite Louden comment is his straight-faced philosophising that, "having a girlfriend is not all fun and games. There's responsibility in it too."

I think the reason VQ is enjoyable and bears re-reading even now, is that it does so many different things very well. Davis covers male bonding, boyfriend-girlfriend relationships, parent-child dynamics and student-teacher struggles. He also captures Louden's dual-nature, as he switches from moments of seriousness, squinting into an uncertain and potentially dangerous future, with Louden's sudden reversals into kiddish playfulness, as he stuffs his team-mate's mouthguard down his shorts.

As well as capturing the atmosphere of the wrestling-room, literature is also a recurring theme. We are told about the novels Louden reads, his English class assignments and his graduation thesis. There is even an analysis of James Agee's "Knoxville Summer 1915". This is is done so seamlessly and with such relish that it made me want to run out and buy these books too.

For me, this a rare example of a completely successful novel. It has not dated (except for a kind of 1960s wonder over racial equality) and Davis has a sharp ear for the dialog, name-calling and absurdity of teenagers. It takes wrestling as a starting-point but is startling in its lack of violence or agression. Rather, it is tender, humorous and poignant, gaining its power from the clarity and truth of its depiction of adolescent life. Terry Davis succeeds in making us care about Louden and Carla, who end up seeming much more than mere fictional characters. Novelists of any stature can hope for little more.

This is one of the most real-world inspiring and beautifully understated pieces of fiction that I have read. The protagonist, Louden Swain, is a 17-and 18-year-old who is doing his very best to become the best (the most alive, capable) person he can figure out how to become. It's durned good to see such a life as Louden's promoted in a fine piece of writing instead of the maladjusts we often find in contemporary, "cool" literature. Although Vision Quest is listed as a young adult title, the writing transcends that genre. This is not so much a book for adolescent readers (although they'll likely enjoy it) as it is a fun read for adults who powerfully connect with good novels. The ending: it's downright perfect. The wrestling match between Louden and his opponent is not the point of the story. The journey of becoming is what matters here.

Not especially distinguished as a storyteller, or a travel expert, or a memoirist, what Mr Dyer is primarily is a writer - he has the rare quality of rendering anything he alights on into literature, no matter what the genre. His wide-ranging interests, reflected in his bibilography, are a result of his admitted indolence, his oft-stated desire to run away from any kind of graft and 'watch telly'. A curse for him perhaps, but a blessing for all who read him. Every sentence which isn't simply descriptive resonates and lingers; better to say that every sentence is a kaleidoscope, lighting on things half-remembered, half-known by us all. The biggest compliment you can pay him is that while reading, you wish he would tackle your own favorite subjects so that he could illuminate them in all the ways you would wish to. Midway though the book he quotes George Steiner as saying 'The best readings of art are art' going on to say that 'in such instances the distinction between imaginative and critical writing disappears'. He's not Lawrentian enough to claim this status for his own work, but most who read this would I think agree it fitting.

Read this book after Joyce Carol Oates mentioned it on CSPAN as a hilarious memoir. Hadn't read anything funnier in years and have been recommending the book since! Coincidentally, the June 4, 2007 issue of New York Magazine has an article titled, "The Best Novels You've Never Read - Sixty-one Critics Reveal Their Favorite Underrated Book of the Past Ten Years" and Out of Sheer Rage is mentioned. I couldn't agree more!

It is actually disturbing to think that I might have lived my entire life without knowing about Dyer and this book had not a friend recommended it to me. Dyer's memoir/rumination/travelogue/indictment/paean is one of the most brilliant, original and engaging books I've ever read. I'm amazed that it is so little known.

This is a funny, brilliantly written book about not being able to get on with writing a study of D.H.Lawrence. If you're a writer too you will groan and wince with recognition (unless you're a model of Trollopean industry)--though you're unlikely to take writerly procrastination to Dyer's wild extremes. The book is endlessly self-referential and yet--in spite of this or because of it?-- is interesting, compelling, compulsively readable, and laugh-out-loud funny. How does he get away with it? Well, it's not just about Dyer, but also about many many other things that he sees and experiences and reads as he travels the world with Laurentian rootlessness in the company of the longsuffering Laura (one's heart goes out to her). And it's about how to live; and how not to live; about hope, and despair. And much more; while also conveying a vivid sense of what DHL might have been like as a person, so the study of DHL is finally achieved in the end.
Is it memoir? literary biography? Travelogue? it's all of these and more.
In the end the pleasure of a book like this can't be conveyed in a review, because the brilliance of the book is in the writing.

Geoff Dyer's study of D.H. Lawrence was conceived as a distraction. Dyer wanted to read Lawrence with a purpose. Preparation postponed the task. The Lawrence project was supposed to take him out of himself. Lawrence wasn't too keen on islands and Geoff Dyer isn't either. Dyer and Rilke both had difficulty doing nothing but work. To Dyer it seemed that making a start on the Lawrence book seemed more boring than doing nothing. After a moped accident and on the mend Dyer began to believe again in his Lawrence project.

Huxley noted that Lawrence had a great responsiveness to the world. Dyer looked at pictures of Lawrence he had collected. The closer Lawrence came to dying, the more he looked like D.H. Lawrence. Dyer and his friend, Laura, traveled to Sicily, one of those touchy respect cultures. Geoff and Laura went to Villa Fontana Vecchia. There was a plaque. Dyer had driven to Eastwood. According to Lawrence the workers hungered for beauty. For Rilke the real work was to organize his existence, but not so for someone like John Updike who began his productive writing life early. Lawrence was untroubled by this sort of thing. His mature work was based upon his relationship with Frieda. Lawrence had found a home within himself as had Rodin.

Reading Lawrence's letters was a perfect excuse for not writing the book. 'The Ship of Death' was written in autumn, 1929. The first intimation, though, came in 1913 in a letter to Edward Garnett. What we want years later is a Lawrence in the midst of his sensations. SEA AND SARDINIA has a note-like immediacy. The essence of Lawrence's writing and life moves in the opposite direction of achieving serenity. Lawrence wanted to turn his emotions into a philosophy. He shows it takes a daily effort to be free. For the writer work means the suspension of life.

This postmodern treatment of Lawrence and the act of writing about him is very good.

The best thing this book has going for it, is that it is written by a couple of fans (Fritz & Dickerman) of the industry that also run a wrestling radio show (7 years now). Brian Fritz gives his take on the wrestling business but only from about the mid 90s to 2004/5. He looks at the four promotions of WCW,ECE, WWE, and TNA. In general, for WCW, ECW, and WWE, the author(s) pretty much cover the highlights and focuses on the bigger names and TV/PPV ratings. For TNA he goes into the simplistic version of how Jerry & Jeff Jarrett started the company, touches on the weekly PPV that TNA ran, and how it eventually got onto television. There's a good variety of photos of Fritz and Dickerman with wrestling personas throughout the book. Fritz seems to favor the new TNA company and borders on being a bit markish for it. Hopefully it gains in some popularity so that the rest of the fans can enjoy something besides the recycled WWE stories. Competition is what will save the business now and Fritz agrees.

Is this a 'definitive history' of the past ten years? Absolutely not but it is a decent book for a fan that doesn't want to buy the multitude of better books with a more in depth look at the business side of wrestling and the backstage egos that are rampant. Do I recommend this book? Sure but only under the same statement. This is a book by some fans for some fans. It's quick to read and covers the bigger generalized storylines of the business for 7-10 years. If you have many of the other books on the subject, you'll probably not care a lot for this one but on it's own, the casual fan will like it.

Compared to other books, this would only get 2 stars, on it's own it would get 4 stars because it's so casual fan friendly. It's certainly not the best out there but it may be the easiest to read, unfortunately the multiple "interviews" are show segments that are dated in their references.

I have read just about every wrestling book ever written, and I can say with a great deal of assurance that this is the definitive history of professional wrestling over the past decade. You cannot call yourself a true wrestling fan if this book is not a part of your library. Amazingly, this duo has somehow managed to combine several years of radio shows and slapped them on the page to offer the reader never-before-heard analysis of not just WHAT happened, but WHY it happened. Imagine being able to listen to every "Between The Ropes" radio show in just a few hours - you can, just by reading this book. All the legends in the business provide in-depth opinions on WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA, including Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Vince Russo, just to name a few. In addition to that, there is a unique perspective offered on the personalities of these wrestlers in the moments away from the business, as one of the authors recollects his friendships with some of the most popular performers in the business and explains what makes them tick. When the dust settles and the smoke clears, the book "Between The Ropes" will be left standing in the battle royale of must-have reads for all wrestling fans, alongside the likes of "Have a Nice Day" and "To Be The Man." Who will be left standing in the end? Only you can decide for yourself - definitely worth an Amazon buy.

There's nothing new in this book, although the information is condensed nicely.
The casual fan really doesn't buy wrestling books, so as a "long time fan" my opinion is that I've read all of this info in other books, and it really doesn't come forth with anything new or different. If this is your first book about pro-wrestling, you'll enjoy it. If you are somewhat knowledgeable about the sport or have read any of the other books in the last 5 years you probably should pass.
The "exclusive" interviews are usually a paragraph long and don't add any new insight or scoops. The author goes totally gay for Jerry Lynn and Steve Corino. "They talk to me! They are sooo nice! They're, like, my BEST friends!!" and the many pictures of "Fritz" and "Dickerson" geeking out with their heroes are kind of disturbing.
Kudos to these fan's for getting their book published, but I don't really reccomend it.

Being a girl, Between the Ropes really gave me an insight into the world of Wreslting.

I just finished reading the Between The Ropes book and thought it was a great read. Good information on the biggest promotions over the past decade with some very interesting quotes from wrestlers mixed in the chapters. Plus, the book has some good stories behind the scenes of the Between The Ropes show.

A great read for anyone who already enjoys wrestling or for anyone who wants to learn more about it. This book has all the details you need to know. I highly recommend it!