Customer Reviews

Arn Anderson 4 Ever: A Look Behind the Curtain

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Arn Anderson was always a solid worker and one of the best talkers that ever laced up a pair of wrestling boots...however, that doesn't translate on paper. What hurts this book is that Arn stays in character and refuses to break kayfabe. I realize that Arn is from the old school and always tries to protect the business but this is the year 2000 and everyone exposes the business. Arn could have made an inside look at the business still be positive but he didn't. He also glosses over his stabbing incident with Sid Vicious. There is also virtually no inside information in this book.

When I buy a wrestler's autobiography, I expect a few things, namely an honest, true-to-life portrayal of said performer's time in the business. I didn't get any of that here and that disappointed me greatly because I am and always will be a fan of Arn Anderson.

This book is one big kayfabe (aka "in-character") mess. If this were twenty years ago, I'd understand Mr. Anderson's reluctance to expose the business, but this is a different day and age. Everybody, even fans, has been exposed to the truths behind professional wrestling. Heck, there has even been a reality show focused primarily on the training that goes into learning these basics.

I find it silly that Anderson went the kayfabe route with his book, knowing what he does about the modern state of the business.

Marty Lunde aka "Arn Anderson" is a rather ordinary fellow in the very flamboyant world of professional wrestling. He describes himself as someone who "never had the big biceps of the pretty boys, but the [sort of] guy you'd want to have a beer with." This 'everyday kind of guy' persona resonates with his fan base, and Anderson has worked the angle tirelessly - dismissing wrestlers gifted with looks and ability - claiming such qualities are secondary to the 'will to achieve' to which Anderson attributes his success.

In particular Anderson has sought to contrast himself against fellow wrestler Tom Zenk. In his 'autobiography', Anderson claims that while Zenk has the good looks and physique which Anderson lacks, he (Anderson) has the determination and ambition to succeed which, he claims, Zenk lacks.

"As for Tom Zenk, he is the guy with the most potential and least ambition I ever met. Everything was too easy for him. He was extremely good looking with a great physique that won him a number of bodybuilding titles. That guy could go without working out for a year and, given thirty days to get in shape, could look like Rick Martel. But, as his one-month [TV title] reign shows, things coming too easy can be a hindrance in this business." (Arn Anderson 4 Ever; A Look Behind the Curtain, pp. 126-127)

Elsewhere he criticies Zenk, who defeated him for the World TV title in 1990 as "a Greek god" endowed with classic looks and wrestling physique "engaged in "a grandstand play ...to get beautiful women" before again asserting the primacy of the Andersonian "will to achieve" over those naturally gifted and talented like Zenk.

But there's a major problem with all of this. In the fantasy world of pro-wrestling, Anderson might confidently predict his subsequent victory over Tom Zenk and other top wrestlers - knowing the result had been pre-determined weeks before by WCW booker Ric Flair. That's the nature of wrestling, after all. The problem arises when Marty Lunde and his real life fans start to believe "the Anderson story."

As Anderson's friend and fellow wrestler Joey Maggs notes, "In his book .... Anderson infers that Tom Zenk didn't have the ambition it takes to make it to the top in pro-wrestling ... but Tom didn't have the CONNECTIONS that Arn did and that's the important thing in wrestling."

Whenever Anderson ventured away from lifetime buddy Ric Flair's protective influenc e -

- as when Anderson and Tully Blanchard joined the WWF in 1989 as "The Brain Busters" - Anderson's "will to achieve" achieved very little indeed. Anderson and Blanchard held the WWF tag belts for less than 4 months before vanishing into complete obscurity.As Anderson himself admits - "It helps to have friends."

Maggs comments suggest that Anderson's biography propagates a myth - a fabrication which disguises success achieved through internal politics, promoting it instead as some Neitzchean "triumph of the will" over those who rely on natural gifts and talents alone. As such the moral to "the Anderson story" is bo th disingenuous and insidious and shouldn't be left unchallenged by any reader of this book.

For me, the question posed by the title remains unanswered- would Arn Anderson's reputation really survive a closer "Look Behind The Curtain."

All in all, Arn Anderson 4 Ever: A Look Behind the Curtain is, simply put, a darn good book. The book is all that it maintains to be, a look at his life and the 15 years he spent in the wrestling business. The book chronicles his life from his very humble childhood beginnings ALL the way up until the end of his career. In sum, it is a great look at his life and his wrestling career. It is the story of a man achieving his American dream.

In all, I believe this book will be of benefit and interest to three distinct groups of people. First and foremost, I believe this is REQUIRED READING for ANYONE who has ever fancied the thought of becoming a pro-wrestler. Perhaps better than any of the other wrestler biographies out there, Arn's book REALLY paints a clear cut picture of how grueling life on the road truly can be. You get a real feel for the thousands of miles traveled for peanuts, the thousands of days spent away from family, and the interesting characters you meet and deal with when leading that lifestyle. Also, he paints a very realistic picture of what it takes to make it in this business including surviving on the road, getting along with the boys in the locker room and having that OLD SCHOOL mentality about having respect for the business and the boys that came before you and giving your 110% in all that you do. He clearly chronicles how he broke into the business and how he survived (and ultimately thrived) in it. In my opinion, this is required text (along with Foley's books and Gary Michael Cappetta's book) for Wrestling 101.

Secondly, I believe this book will be of benefit to any wrestling fan. Arn is one of the all-time respected vets in the business. Wrestling fans will marvel at his stories of his fifteen years in the business. The story starts of on how big a fan he was as a child, to how he trained and broke in and his tours throughout the independent circuits in Georgia, Mid-South and Florida. The remainder of the text chronicles the NWA history of the 4 Horsemen, his brief stint as a Brainbuster in the WWF and the "mid-90s" depression in WCW with the Dangerous Alliance to the rebirth of the Horsemen and the rise of the NW O. In all, it is a great tour de force of his wrestling career and basically a summary/history of the "modern-era" of pro-wrestling. In addition to this, you'll also marvel at the GREAT ROAD STORIES he has about a lot the boys he's traveled with. If you are into adventure tales you'll love what Arn has to say about the many, many, travels he has done across the country and what has to say about a lot of the other wrestlers. It's a great tale for wrestling fans.

Another great feature of the novel are the little "aside excerpts" where Arn (or guest writers) give their little takes on some of the issues in wrestling or on other wrestlers. This was especially nice to read. It was a "nice touch."

Finally, I believe this book would be of interest to ANYONE who just wants to read the story about a man and his dream. This book is like Chicken Soup for the Workerman's Soul. It's just good tale about a man, his dream and how he achieved it. It's also the story of a man and his family. You'll really see a side of the Enforcer that the camera never captures. He comes across truly as a great family man with all the mush he writes about his granny, wife and children. You come away with a great feeling in the end when you see how Arn went from his humble beginning's in a little shack in Georgia with his grandparents to the summit of his professional with his wife and two kids. In all, it's a great story of the American Dream (no NOT Dusty Rhodes...)

Highly Recommended.

This book deals chronogically with how he broke into
pro wrestling, met his wife, and other topics, like his
close relationship with his grandmother, who raised him.
The problem with this book, as someone previously mentioned,
is that he writes the book in a style as if the pro wrestling
matches were not predetermined, but on the level.
Another problem with this book is it is under 300 pages.
For a man who spent over 15 years in the profession as a pro
wrestler or in some other capacity, he doesn't have very much
to say. The Rock and Kurt Angle had hardcover books that were
much broader in scope and depth, even though they were in the business a shorter period of time.
He does talk about his Horsemen days, his relationships
with Ole, Tully, Ric, and others. He talks about various
bookers, and doesn't hold back on what he thinks about
Bill Watts, Vince McMahon Jr., and others. Arn Anderson is
probably one of the most underrated pro wrestlers,
considering his technical proficieny. The book mostly
centers on his life outside the ring, especially his
family, like his deceased grandmother, his wife, and his
kids, and also his life on the road as a pro wrestler.
I had to deduct one star for the fact it is under 200
pages, and another star because he talked to the readers
as if they were marks. I'm not saying don't buy it, but
this should be a lower priority in terms of books, when
compared to such books like Sex, Lies & Headlocks, Bobby

Heenan's book, Fred Blassie's book, Owen Hart's book,
Stu Hart's book and Roddy Piper's book. These books are
a few examples that give more bang for the buck in my
opinion. It's not a bad book by any means, but not an
outstanding must-read, which is a shame, considering
the great career the man had as a pro wrestler.

this book is not a book for letting you in on the secrets of wrestling. its a book about a man, his dream, and the end of his dream but not the end of a good man. arn lets you in his life and takes you from start to start of his career. yes i said start to start. as long as arn anderson is around he will be involed with wrestling. people like aa cant be replaced they are just weakly sustituted. double thumbs up for double AA. and again arn. thanks! bill page

If you are a profesional wrestling fan, I would recomend reading this book, though if you are a "smart mark" you may be a little frustrated that he doesn't really break "Kay-fabe". If you don't know what these two words means, then you will love this book. Enjoy reading about Arn Anderson and the Four Horseman!

Arn Anderson did something alot of people in the entertainment or sports world did not do....He kept his honor. While reading his story you may start to think "Is this realy worth it for a man to sacrifice so much." By the end you will realize for him it was. Also, one thing you get from Arn,in his book, is that you can stay committed to your dream and beliefs at the same time. Thanks Arn! In this crazy world that we live in it is a great feeling to know there are still some people who are willing to be heroes even if they are not trying to be. Sometimes ones action and the way they conduct themselves are enough for guys like me to call them a hero. This book proved to me that there is nothing fake about Arn Anderson.

I knew what to expect when I bought this book, but I still wanted to have it in my collection. It's that kind of book, good to have, but not a must. It's all written in kayfabe, and that's uncomfortable to read after all the great books that came shortly after. To give you an idea, he never even said was his real last name is. There are some interesting stories, but Arn protects everyone with cover-up stories and that becomes fast uninteresting. The cover shows tons of great pictures in small print, but unfortunatly you won't find any good picture inside. At least you get a grasp of his passion for wrestling. The title says it all:that's just a small, very small look behind the curtain, by a man who had obviously so much more to tell.

I always loved to hate Arn Anderson but like a train wreck, you couldn't take your eyes off of the man as he was a great performer.

My big gripe with the book is that Arn can't break "kayfabe" and tell some of the real life, behind the scenes stories of the business. He tells it as if it's all for real and not "works". Other books I've read, such as Bret Hart's and Bobby Heenan's first books are much better reads and have the inner workings of the business.

Arn's book is a paperback and the pictures were not clear at all.. it almost looked like a second rate Xerox job so the quality overall was "fair". If I had to do it over again, I would have passed on buying this book..