Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling [Hardcover]

Bret Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2008

Written without collaborators and based on decades of tape recordings he made throughout his career, HITMAN is Bret Hart's brutally honest, perceptive and startling account of his life in and out of the ring that proves once and for all that great things come in pink tights.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hart's account of his professional wrestling career is almost literally blow-by-blow, with detailed descriptions of the choreography of many of his most prominent matches in the former World Wrestling Foundation and the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling. (And, yes, he freely admits that the outcomes are determined in advance, while the wrestlers work out the actual moves for themselves.) To hear him tell it, everybody hailed him as the best damn worker in the business, a storyteller with the comparative artistry of a De Niro. But the manipulative schemes of WWF head Vince McMahon (and several of his colleagues) kept Hart from reaching his full potential as a champion until injuries sidelined him for good. The memoir goes deep into Hart's family history—his father was one of the pioneers of the Canadian pro wrestling circuit, and his brothers and brothers-in-law followed him into the business. Wrestling fans will eat up all the backstage drama, but even those who don't care for the shows should be impressed by Hart's meticulous eye for telling detail—the bittersweet story that results is simultaneously a celebration and an exposé. 32 pages of photos. (Oct. 8)
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Review

"The best wrestling book there is, the best wrestling book there was and maybe even the best wrestling book there ever will be" The Sun "Packed with drugs, sex, vicious family in-fighting and tales of life on the road ... Hart names names and lays it all bare in his own words'" The Globe and Mail "A legend!" The Rock "Bret Hart still makes me believe that wrestling is good" Hulk Hogan "Amazingly detailed and meticulously crafted ... Hitman will stand the test of time as one of the definitive wrestling biographies" Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (October 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446539724
• ISBN-13: 978-0446539722
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (191 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian on-screen personality, author, actor and retired professional and amateur wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), making appearances on its Raw brand. Throughout his career in the United States he has wrestled under the persona of Bret "Hit Man" Hart.

Hart held thirty-one championships in various promotions during his professional wrestling career, and is recognised by WWE as a seven-time World Champion.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book on a storied career April 8, 2008

By M. Atamian

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I enjoyed Bret's autobiography more than any other wrestling book, including both of Foley's books. His life story is interesting, and one gets a real insight into the Hart family as a whole (it is NOT a pretty sight, either) as well as Bret and his career. I always enjoyed the Hitman character, and while Bret himself has a little bit of an ego, he really details his faults as well as his high points. He still has a lot of bitterness over how his career ended, and the current day players (HHH and HBK, notably) but that's not entirely unjustified. All in all though, I found this to be a really entertaining read and highly recommend it to any wrestling fan.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, Amazing Book November 10, 2007

By True to the Sport

Format:Hardcover

I got this book shipped in from Canada because I couldn't wait and I'm thrilled to say that it is THEE best "wrestling biography" out there. It blows Michaels', Flair's and Foley's outta the water (and Foley's is a best seller). I got it earlier this week and am done with it. Bret's account of matches, oversea's tours, backstage politics and his bitter rivalry with Shawn Michaels are very well written. To read about all the sorrow and grief he encountered from Owen's death to his father's death will bring any wrestling fan to the brink of tears if not fully shed.

I cannot stress how phenominal this biography is. Bret tells it like it is because the WWE didn't have their hands in it. I love how he has stayed loyal to himself just like he did his fans all those years. BUY THIS BOOK!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellently Executed! April 17, 2008

By J. Young

Format:Hardcover

This book blew away my expectations. Having read many of Bret Hart's articles in the Calgary Sun, I already knew that the "Excellence of Execution" is one who writes with sincerity. However, when I purchased this autobiography, I didn't expect him to be this brutally honest! And that's a good thing.

There is no question about it, this is an R rated book (if there is such thing), which, needless to say, is not suitable for children. Wild stories of sex, drugs, and violence are casually narrated all throughout the book. However, to be fair, this autobiography has much more substance than just a series of wild tales. Bret tells us a great deal about the Hart family, the feuds they had, the good times and bad times they shared. He writes about his childhood and early years working for his father's famous Stampede Wrestling promotion in Calgary. From there he takes us oversees to countries like Puerto Rico and Japan where he nonchalantly recounts some bizarre stories that range from prostitution to narcotics. Some of Hart's recollections are quite funny, actually. However, by the end of the book, it's the tragedies that stand out.

Of course, Hart also elaborates on his illustrious career in the WWE where he became famous, and tells us about the friends he's made, the countries he's travelled to, the contracts he signed, his business relationship with WWE guru, Vince McMahon, and a whole lot more. Because of his many accomplishments in the ring, which he proudly writes about, I think certain readers will interpret that as being arrogant or narcissistic, especially when he writes about the loyalty of his fans and the many great matches he's had. Granted, when you look at it at face value it does appear like he's bragging about himself. But that's not the case. If you watch video footage of his fans' reception of him and the so-called "great matches" he's referring to, you'll see that he isn't bluffing at all. Indeed, many of his fans adored him a great deal and he did have many great matches.

Personally, I found it surprising that Bret Hart reveals so many of his most personal experiences, such as drug use and infidelity, which he discusses very openly. In fact, he seems rather comfortable recounting all the various strip clubs he attended and all the women he's slept with (while still married). I couldn't help but to feel sorry for his ex-wife, who I'm sure has been through hell. And although he does express a small degree of regret and shame over his actions, for the most part, he's not too apologetic. If anything, there are instances where he actually excuses and justifies some of his old immoral conduct, which caught me off guard. But regardless, like him or not, you have to give him credit for being so sincere, instead of sugar-coating his lifestyle and exhilarating his self-image. This, in my opinion, is what makes this autobiography so genuine.

I highly recommend it.