Customer Reviews

Ric Flair: To Be the Man

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This is the most honest sports biography I've read to date. He gave this reader an insightful, entertaining, and sometimes sad look into both his life and the wrestling business. He is both respectful and critical of the business and some other wrestlers. But, gives logical reasons for being so. Flair is everything his harshest critics have rarely been, successful for over three decades. You can't make a good living in your chosen proffession for that long if the fans were not willing to pay to see you. Flair's talent made him a star, Hogan was a media creation.

The best wrestling book put out, period. No surprise given that Ric Flair's name was attached to it, it had to be the best. My only gripe was that it was too short--I wanted more.

Lots of good inside stuff from the 70's and 80's, and the tragic sufferings of a man who was literally beaten down by one of the biggest clowns in wrestling, Eric Bischoff. Flair doesn't really pull any punches here, and it is intriguing to watch his relationships with Dusty and Hogan develop from one of idolization to a certain animosity (Dusty Rhodes), to a mutual respect to a portrayed hatred (Hulk Hogan).

Flair clearly has his favorites: Harley Race, Wahoo, Steamboat, Windham, Sting and Arn--no surprise. He also identifies some folks who should not never have even bothered wrestling, Ultimate Warrior, Brutus Beefcake, to a lesser extent, Mick Foley. Gotta love the take on Shane Douglas as well. How's your book Shane? heh heh.

What's great is Flair's respect for the guys who came before him, and the hard work that had to be put in for Flair to be the best. How many people today could live through Verne Gagne's training camps? If Flair hadn't partied so hard, we might be already looking at the next sports politician. Great story, but I just wish it was longer- Flair's stories are so good that you really wish the book would keep going. Fantastic read, you have to pick this up.

Ric Flair's book starts off great. He candidly discusses the details of his birth and family. He proceeds to relate the story of his pre-pro wrestling life with just about the right amount of detail to keep the reader interested.
The story really gets interesting as Flair enters pro wrestling. Flair is perhaps the greatest pro wrestler ever. His combination of ring skills, interview skills and charisma is unsurpassed. Flair has seen it all and he tells us all about it in colorful detail.
Flair gave everything to the sport and fans. He seemingly gives everything in this book. Flair reveals the good and bad of his career and life.
It is unfortunate that events after this book cast some doubt on his family life, but that does not negate the value of this book. Flair is human and has his problems, but in the world of wrestling, Flair is the man.

I've been a fan of professional wrestling since I was a kid, and some of my fondest wrestling memories involve the Nature Boy. This book details the life of, in my opinion, the greatest professional wrestling performer of all time (yes, greater than even Hulk Hogan). I just could not put it down!

I was mesmerized at Flair's account of all of the old-timers who had helped to mold and shape his career, such as Wahood McDanial, Verne Gagne, Johnnie Valentine, Harley Race, and Blackjack Mulligan. Like other wresters during that time, Flair lived a wild life in his younger days, as he relives in sometimes painful detail. I really respect him for owning up to all of his mistakes and bad choices and how he has learned from all of them, as this only proves that he is a human being.

It was pretty sad to read about how former WCW officials like Jim Herd and Eris Bischoff went out of their way seemingly to make Flair's life as miserable as they could .Given that during Flair's legal troubles with WCW in 1998, Bischoff's pledge in front of other wrestlers that he was going to "sue Flair and his family into bankruptcy," as well as numerous other personal and professional slights, I can see why Flair hates the man's guts. It was gratifying to read how Flair got a little "payback" shortly after Bischoff arrived in the WWE in 2002.

For professional wrestling fans, this book is a must-read.

THIS IS ABOUT THE LIFE AND CAREER OF PRO WRESTLING GREAT RIC FLAIR. FROM THE FIRST TIME I SAW RIC PERFORM ON TV, I KNEW HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST. I ALWAYS ENJOYED HIS COLORFUL AND FUNNY INTERVIEWS, BUT HE ALSO PUT ON A GREAT SHOW IN THE RING. HIS BOOK IS VERY INTERESTING, FUNNY, SCARY AND VERY ENJOYABLE. HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH STING, RODDY PIPER, VINCE MCMAHON AND HULK HOGAN ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WELL WRITTEN BOOK. I CONSIDER RIC FLAIR AS ONE OF THE TOP 5 PERFORMERS OF ALL TIME IN THE WORLD OF PRO WRESTLING. ALSO ENJOYED SOME OF THE RIDICULOUS BUT FUNNY STORYLINES HE WAS INVOLVED IN OVER THE YEARS. I HOPE RIC DOES SOMETHING ABOUT HIS VERY OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH ALCOHOL. HE STILL IS THE MAN AND WILL BE FOREVER. A MUST READ FOR ALL WRESTLING FANS.

I thought Mick Foley was the only wrestler to capsulize a wrestling career in a thoughtful, engrossing and humorous way, but Mr. Flair proved me wrong with this book. From this point onward, very professional wrestler who decides to write his or her own bio should use this book as a guideline.

Flair talks about growing up, breaking into the wrestling business, making it big and other highlights with honesty, humor and, in some cases, like how he truly feels about Mick Foley and former WCW head honcho Eric Bischoff, a great deal of controversy. It is, in a word, PERFECT.

I have nothing negative to say about this book. If you're a wrestling fan and haven't read it already, click that little Order button on your screen and get it NOW. I don't care if you've been watching wrestling for years or are only a casual fan of six months. You WILL enjoy this book.

I've read a lot of the reviews of this book - some very positive and some very negative, and I've read the book myself.

One thing that you have to consider is that this book is based on the opinion of the subject - Ric Flair. Whether it's right or wrong, it's his opinion.

I grew up with wrestling, and I remember all the old school wrestlers like Bullet Bob Armstrong, Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, Andre the Giant, Sting, and many others. And, whether you like to admit it or not, Ric Flair has a legitimate claim as one of those legends.

Ric's legacy in the wrestling industry is fortunately much greater than his legacy as a father and a role model. He seems to be bitter about the changes in the wrestling industry, and is having a hard time adjusting (personally, I don't like the direction wrestling is going now either). The cheap shots at other wrestlers are distasteful.

All in all, this is a good book, especially for those who remember wrestling in the early 80s and beyond.

This book is a must own for fans of the The Nature Boy! It contains a great amount of stories and info that even the most die hard Flair mark might not know. From his early childhood, through his early career, the rise and fall of WCW, and his current as of 2004 place in the WWE. This book covers all the bases. Enjoy.

A good, very quick read. I think anyone who is or has ever been a fan of professional wrestling will really enjoy this book. I thought this book was very well written. Alot of behind the scenes stuff that I found quite interesting. Definately a one-sided version but still worthwhile.

I am not a big Ric Flair fan. Or I wasn't a big Flair fan back in his WCW days. I never tuned into WCW and have only caught up on Flair's history in wrestling through this book, his dvd set and WWE 24/7. I have grown to like the Nature Boy. Even though his book did create some controversy with his harsh words about Mick Foley and others, it gives you insight into the man and wrestler. If I could I would rate this as a 4 and a half stars out of five. The only wrestling book I think is a 5 star is Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day. This is close to being perfect (about on the same level as Mick's sequel Foley Is Good). You might not agree with everything the man says, but this book does what it intends to : entertain and inform. Highly recommended more for Flair/WCW fans or those who want to learn about the history of the business and one of the biggest stars to come along in the wrestling industry.