From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-Well-designed series entries featuring attractive covers and dozens of black-and-white and full-color photographs with captions. Wrestling briefly covers the colorful history of this sport from ancient times to the present day. One chapter is included on wrestling in Japan during the last few years, and some mention is given to wrestling in Europe and Mexico, but the focus is on the United States during the last 20 years. Personal and career highlights are related for many stars including Gorgeous George; Hulk Hogan; Bret Hart; Steve Austin; Andre the Giant; and promoter Vince McMahon, whose outrageous acts and use of marketing propelled pro wrestling to previously unimaginable heights of popularity. Greenberg doesn't shy away from the controversies that surround pro wrestling, including the entertainment versus sport debate, steroid abuse, and the behind-the-scenes deals that affected many athletes' lives. The author also covers the role of women in pro wrestling. Readers interested in the topic will gravitate to this book and learn that what they are watching are finely crafted, physically demanding soap operas, (as admitted by McMahon and others), not pure sport. Basketball covers the history of the sport and discusses how the changes in it over the last 100 years reflect the changes in American society. This fascinating account also provides information on female stars, coaches, officials, and rules and will satisfy fans as well as student researchers; in fact, there is no comparable book available on the subject for this age group.
Michael McCullough, Byron-Bergen Middle School, Bergen, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Michael McCullough, Byron-Bergen Middle School, Bergen, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. Young fans continually seek more information about pro wrestling, and Greenberg delivers delectable details as he discusses its history. He introduces an array of colorful "babyfaces" (good guys) and "heels" (bad guys) and devotes separate chapters to the impact women, Japanese, and Puerto Rican grapplers have had on the sport. Most of the text is presented with high-flying enthusiasm as it looks back through the last century at celebrities such as Gorgeous George, Hulk Hogan, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. But Greenberg also includes some tragedies--among them, the murder of Bruiser Brody. The index omits some important figures mentioned in the text, but the numerous posed and action photos are great for browsing, and the book is one of the few on the topic that can be used for research. Roger Leslie
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
