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michellewords's review against another edition
I'm officially shutting this book. I made it 51% through the arc from Net Galley and I just can't finish it.
I really think the only people who would find this book interesting are wrestling enthusiasts. I'm not a wrestling enthusiasts and the numbers of fans at every fight, various names of wrestling (all of which I don't recognize), and travels around the world don't matter or interest me at all
Andre as a person is what I hoped to learn more about. The stories I have heard from his life are funny and caring. I wanted to see this man, not the performer-but that's all I see in the first 51% of this book.
It was incredibly boring to me. This is only the second book I have not finished-so that should give you a clue about my feelings for this book.
I really don't recommend it unless you have strong feelings about wrestling in the 70-80's.
I really think the only people who would find this book interesting are wrestling enthusiasts. I'm not a wrestling enthusiasts and the numbers of fans at every fight, various names of wrestling (all of which I don't recognize), and travels around the world don't matter or interest me at all
Andre as a person is what I hoped to learn more about. The stories I have heard from his life are funny and caring. I wanted to see this man, not the performer-but that's all I see in the first 51% of this book.
It was incredibly boring to me. This is only the second book I have not finished-so that should give you a clue about my feelings for this book.
I really don't recommend it unless you have strong feelings about wrestling in the 70-80's.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of Andre the Giant is the biography of Andre the Giant. Duh.
I haven't been taking on many ARCs since shortly before my son but I had to request this one when it popped up on Netgalley. Plus ECW press offered me an ARC so I was double damned.
The book chronicles the life of Andre the Giant, from his birth in France as Andre Rousimoff to his wrestling career to his death in France while in the country to attend his father's funeral.
Hebert did his homework, dispelling some myths about Andre and confirming some others. Andre's time in the various territories is covered, as are his behind the scenes disputes with Dino Bravo and other wrestlers. I knew the bare bones of Andre's life from being a wrestling fan for decades but Hebert took me for a ride. I had no idea Andre was part owner of the Montreal territory with Gino Brito or how often he went to Japan. I also hadn't heard the story of Andre shitting on Bad News Brown during a match in Mexico.
The book is a little removed for my taste but that is to be expected since Andre has been dead almost 30 years at this point. Hebert must have been researching this for a decade or more. Some of the people he talked to have been dead a few years as of this writing.
As with a lot of good wrestling books, I could have used more content with this one. A giant sized book for a giant sized man, if you will. All things considered, I have no complaints.
The Eighth Wonder of the World is a fitting tribute to a legend of the wrestling business. Four out of five stars
I haven't been taking on many ARCs since shortly before my son but I had to request this one when it popped up on Netgalley. Plus ECW press offered me an ARC so I was double damned.
The book chronicles the life of Andre the Giant, from his birth in France as Andre Rousimoff to his wrestling career to his death in France while in the country to attend his father's funeral.
Hebert did his homework, dispelling some myths about Andre and confirming some others. Andre's time in the various territories is covered, as are his behind the scenes disputes with Dino Bravo and other wrestlers. I knew the bare bones of Andre's life from being a wrestling fan for decades but Hebert took me for a ride. I had no idea Andre was part owner of the Montreal territory with Gino Brito or how often he went to Japan. I also hadn't heard the story of Andre shitting on Bad News Brown during a match in Mexico.
The book is a little removed for my taste but that is to be expected since Andre has been dead almost 30 years at this point. Hebert must have been researching this for a decade or more. Some of the people he talked to have been dead a few years as of this writing.
As with a lot of good wrestling books, I could have used more content with this one. A giant sized book for a giant sized man, if you will. All things considered, I have no complaints.
The Eighth Wonder of the World is a fitting tribute to a legend of the wrestling business. Four out of five stars
jgoedert86's review against another edition
4.0
Outstanding book about The Eighth Wonder of the World.
andrearbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of Andre the Giant by Bertrand Hebert and Pat Laprage was one of the most comprehensive biographies I've ever read. The lengths these authors went to research and tell Andre's story was incredible. What I especially appreciated was that they even looked at previous media to check its accuracy. Often we just accept what has been written as truth, and surprise, that doesn't always work. This also looks at Andre as not just a wrestler, but also as a human. I liked that they took the time to not just do a retrospective on his career, but to help explain who he was a person, including his relationships, his health struggles, and what he wanted to do beyond just being in the ring. I will say this has a lot of information, and it's a lot to digest. Again, that's not a bad thing, but I when I say comprehensive, I mean comprehensive y'all. Thanks to ECW Press for the early look at this. I'm a bit behind in reading, but the advantage for y'all is that I can tell you this is out now, and for pro wrestling fans (and other people, too), it's worth checking out! Thanks to ECW Press for giving me early access to this book that's available now!
ncalv05's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
twerkingtobeethoven's review
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The piccies are really something, probably the bit I enjoyed the most.