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KAMALA AUTOBIOGRAPHY THOUGHTS
I had a chance to read the Kamala autobiography, "Kamala Speaks" over the last several days and I'd place it in the top third of all pro wrestling books ever written.
In many ways, it reminded me of the excellent Bob Holly book, which is pretty much a prism of pro wrestling of a certain era as told through his journey in the business. The Kamala book is very similar in that it has stories and recaps everywhere he has been from a personal perspective, so it's not a book just recounting the feuds and angles. Everything and everyone he comes into contact with is recounted from his point of view, good and bad.
Kamala goes into great detail with frustrations over payoffs, mistakes he may have made and discusses for the first time, his eyewitness account of the incident where Nailz assaulted Vince McMahon, which is a pretty damn interesting read.
I have always personally loved the Kamala character as he was the first main event I ever saw live (Kamala vs. Hulk Hogan, December 1986 in Madison Square Garden) but reading the book, you get an excellent sense of Jim Harris, the person behind the facepaint. Harris also goes into a lot of his personal life and tragedies, including the murder of his sister and niece and how far he went to make sure the person responsible was prosecuted.
Beyond the fun (and frustrations) of being in the business, there's also some sobering reminders of how fickle pro wrestling can be when Harris, now out of the business and working as a trucker, has to make a delivery at Madison Square Garden and pulls up, realizing there's a WWE show there...and his frantic rush to avoid the embarassment of being seen by his former boss and co-workers.
Kamala also details his unhappiness with working for WWF at different times, including learning the differences in his payoff for a Summerslam 1992 PPV vs. The Undertaker thanks to help from a backstage official and why he walked out of the promotion after his biggest-ever run nationally to go back to driving a truck.
There's also some fun "on the road" stuff including what it was like touring and rooming with The Brooklyn Brawler.
From the early days of Sugarbear Harris to traveling all over the world to World Class to Memphis to Mid-South to his battle with diabetes, it's all in here and it's a tremendous testament to his life and career. Overall, Highly recommended when it officially hits the book shelves as it's currently only available for those who backed the Kickstarter campaigh.
Harris and his co-author Kenny Casanova did an awesome job. Don't sleep on this one when you can get your hands on it.
BOOK NEWS
The new autobiography by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, "Wrestling for My Life" will be released officially on 2/10. The faith-based book will focus on Michaels' religious beliefs as well as stories from his life. The preview blurb reads, "n Wrestling for My Life, WWE superstar Shawn Michaels shares from his heart about the highs and lows of his life inside the WWE. Included are some never-before-shared stories and an intimate look into his career as well as stories of hunting, family, and faith. With millions of fans, Michaels had adulation and all the attention he could ask for, but he discovered there was something more. When he became a committed Christian during his years in the WWE it had to affect everything. Michaels reveals what it is like to be a man of faith in this unusual world and shares insights for all of us."
WWE will be released a book titled "Greatest Wrestlers" in September. Promotional materal for the book reads, "WWE maintains a fanatical fan base. WWE Greatest Wrestlers provides an illustrated history on one of the world's most watched sporting events. No other sport has such colorful characters and memorable matches. This book chronicles the greatest stars, the greatest rivalries and the greatest matches. Also included is an inside look behind the scenes. Interviews and profiles on the greatest wrestlers from past and present. This is a must have collection for every fan."
Exotic Adrian Street released the latest in his series of autobiographies "Violence is Golden" last month. This is the sixth (yes, sixth, as in he's beaten Mick Foley in terms of autobiographies, so I think the gauntlet has been thrown down) book in the series. Promotional material notes, "They all said I was too small to wrestle in America, Land of Giants and my childhood Heroes. The Titles I won and Battles against America's elite all over the States proved them all wrong - AGAIN! Enjoy my Battles with Dusty Rhodes, Jimmy Valiant, Wahoo McDaniel, Kamala 'The Ugandan Giant', Paul Jones, Terry Taylor, Mil Mascaras, El Canek, 'Gentleman' Chris Adams, Dory Dixon, 'Superstar' Bill Dundee, Gran Hamada, 'Brick-house' Brown, 'Hangman' Bobby Jaggers, Black-Jack Mulligan, Barry Windham, The Fabulous Moolah, 'Cowboy' Bobby Duncum, 'Cowboy' Scott Casey, Sean Michaels, Brad Armstrong, Terry Allen, Kevin Sullivan, Buzz Sawyer, Paul Jones, and more." Street's books are beyond detailed with wrestling history and personal insight and are probably the best "under the radar" books out there right now. For more details, click here.
UPCOMING BOOKS:
Here is a complete listing of all upcoming professional wrestling book releases:
2/10 - Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, The Reality and The Faith of a WWE Superstar by Shawn Michaels and David Thomas. To pre-order, click here.
2/17 - Booker T: My Rise to Wrestling Royalty by Booker T. Huffman & Andrew William Wright. To pre-order, click here.
3/1 - Capitol Revolution: The Rose of the McMahon Wrestling Empire by Tim Hornbaker. To pre-order, click here.
3/29 - The All-American Boy: Lessons and Stories on Life from Wrestling Legend Bob Backlund by Bob Backlund and Robert H. Miller. by Bob Backlund and Robert H. Miller. To pre-order,click here.
3/31 - WWE: Ultimate Superstar Guide. To pre-order, click here.
5/19 - WWE: The Attitude Era by Jon Robinson. To pre-order, click here.
6/24 - Pro Wrestling FAQ: All Thats Left to Know About the Worlds Most Entertaining Spectacle by Jon Robison. To pre-order, click here.
7/21 - WWE Superstars Volume 4: Last Man Standing.
7/28 - Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania by Daniel Bryan and Craig Tello. To pre-order, click here.
9/15 - Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever: The Legend of A WWE Hero. To pre-order, click here.
10/13 - Is Wrestling Fixed? I Didn’t Know It Was Broken: From Photo Shoots and Sensational Stories to the WWE Network, Bill Apter’s Incredible Pro Wrestling Journey by Bill Apter. To pre-order, click here.
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