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

Bret Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2009

Forget everything you thought you knew about the insane world of professional wrestling. The sixth son of legendary Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart, Bret Hart was born into wrestling royalty. From his early twenties until he retired at forty-three, Hart kept an audio diary, recording stories of the wrestling life: the relentless travel, the practical jokes, the sex and steroids and cocaine, and the real rivalries (as opposed to the staged ones that unfolded before the fans).


While Hart achieved superstardom in pink tights and won multiple wrestling belts in multiple territories (Stampede Wrestling, WWE, WCW to name a few), he also paid a severe price in betrayals and in tragic deaths, inlcuding the horrifying loss of his brother Owen, who died in a ring stunt gone wrong. Shortly thereafter, Bret suffered a massive stroke, likely resulting from a concussion he received in the ring, but with the spirit of a true champion, has battled his way back.


Widely considered by many of his peers as the greatest technician and worker of his generation, Hart is proud that in all his years in the sport, he never seriously hurt a single wrestler, yet did his best to deliver to his fans an experience as credible as it was exciting. No one has ever written about wrestling like Bret Hart because no one has ever lived a life like Bret Hart. These are the words of the Hitman.

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)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

“Bret Hart is the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be.”
—Ric Flair

“Bret Hart still makes me believe that wrestling is good.”
—Hulk Hogan

“A legend!”
—The Rock --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (November 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446545287
• ISBN-13: 978-0446545280
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (151 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Wrestling

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 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 "Read-a-holic" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling (Hardcover)

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.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

True to the Sport (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling (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!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The New Standard for Wrestling Books, November 10, 2007

By 

Robert Mckinney (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling (Hardcover)

Quite Simply this book may be the best there is, the best there was, and maybe the best there ever will be about a man's journey through the crazy world of Pro Wrestling. There are stories filled with Humor(Though if you are expecting something like Mick Foley's Book look elsewhere), Sadness, and Hardship. Bret is very open and honest about the world he lived in, and pulls no punches when talking about the drinking, drugs, and Affairs that went on in his life. You'll also get a close look with people that shared his journey along the way, Tom Billington(Dynamite Kid),Davey Boy Smith and members of the Hart Family. I cannot reccomend this book strongly enough.