Rating: 
Summary: Dynamite Delivers!
Review: A compelling rags to riches to rags tale of a first hand witness to the mainstream wrestling boom of the mid 1980's. Tom Billington overcomes his small stature to become a Superstar, only to become a victim of his fame and the demons he aquired on the way. Great insight into the First Family of Wrestling, The Hart's. Its like sitting with the Dynamite Kids as he recounts his spectacular career.
Rating: 
Summary: The Ugly Side of Wrestling
Review: A must read for wrestling fans. The dynamite kid lays it all out. The picture he paints is not a pretty one. He talks about steroid use, wrestling politics, and his own personal demons. You can't help but feel bad for the guy after all he's given to wrestling.
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Dynamite is a Pure Blast!
Review: An adventure detailing the life of wrestling's ultimate pioneer.
Down but by no means out, Tom Billington shares what life is really like inside and out of the ring. This is by no means a book filled with self-pity and finger pointing but rather a hard-core view of what the public will never see.
From the modest wrestling fan to the die-hard wrestling fanatic, this is a true behind the scenes expose, as to what REALLY happens in the life of a wrestling star.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: As a longtime fan of the Dynamite Kid, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Once I finally got it, I read it in a few short days, and I can honestly say it exceeded my expectations. The stories contained throughout the course of the book give you a real feel as to what goes on behind the scenes in the world of professional wrestling. Many hilarious stories are recounted, but the book concludes with a profound ending. I would recommend this book to any wrestling fans, and I believe even non-fans would enjoy the humor and drama of Tom Billington's life.
Rating:
Summary: A Dynamite Account...
Review: Dynamite Kid is one of the true greats of the wrestling world. From his early days in Europe to the WWF and everywhere else, this book tells the stories. The book is a pull-no-punches account of the business that made him the true legend he is today. The book begins in his early years and how he struggled a bit to get noticed. The Kid's tale of how he finally got to North America and Stampede Wrestling are recounted. Who he got to know in the business is great. Then again, there's so much that is told in the book, it's hard to remember it all. His days in Japan (quite interesting), the WWF (really something to say the least) and everywhere in between are mentioned. His stories are just phenomenal. It's almost like you're at summer camp around a nice fire and you're taking turns telling a tale. As an aside, The Kid used to be quite a ribber when it came time for some fun. Hard to believe, but he was quite the ribber, maybe the best from the tales I've heard!! His true opinions are often expressed and a lot about his relationship with Davey Boy Smith is revealed. The dangers of drug use is a major factor to his autobiography. His story tells the truth about them, and should be told to all those who are considering taking that step. The downfall of his career is also touched on, and what a career! Simply put, this book is a phenomenally fantastic read. One would not be disappointed picking up this book. If you're a wrestling fan, it's a must have. If you're not, you still could enjoy it as it has more of a diary feel. As soon as you have the chance, GET THE BOOK! You'll have a dynamate time reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Dynamite Kid adds to his legacy
Review: Dynamite Kid will go down in history as the most influential wrestler of the 80's and the most innovative pro wrestler of all time. He is also regarded as the best pro wrestler to ever live according to Bret Hart. This is a revealing autobiography that goes over his unusual start, England, Canada with the Harts in Stampede, Japan, WWF, and everywhere else to his tumultuous present. Billington a world traveler goes over in detail with clever writing and a wicked sense of humor not seen in pro wrestling. Highly recommended. A+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rating:
Summary: The career of a top shooter
Review: First I will state that this is one of the top two autobiographies on wrestlers that I have read. Billington does an excellent job on laying out what he feels are the important points of his life and career in regards to wrestling. Most reviewers or fans of the Dynamite Kid will be based on his WWF British Bulldog era. Having lived in Montana during DK's career, I had access to his earlier years when he was with Stampede Wrestling out of Calgary. He was always a joy to watch then and you knew he was going to explode in a big way (no pun intended).
The great thing about this book is also the weak spot of it from a different stand point. Billington gives you the story of his life as if he were sitting there talking with you. He starts off stories and then gets sidetracked by feeling the need to input a side story on someone he mentions in the original story he is telling you. That gives it the sense as if you are sitting in a room listening to him. This same wandering thought process also detracts from the book (thus a 4 out of 5 stars) because there's no chronological order but he jumps back and forth in his career timeline. He wanders off the topic alot but eventually gets back to what he wanted to tell you. Billington, at points, seems to have a bit of an ego but then all wrestlers seem to do that, even the ones that have no real influence on the big game. He also, at times, acts as though wrestling wasn't pre-determined and had scripted storylines. I'm not sure of the Japan style wrestling but it's pretty common knowledge that pro-wrestling is staged, especially during the 80s and 90s.
Billington does manage to keep the reader engrossed in his life and gives you the grit with the grain concerning himself. He's not self-righteous about his steroid and drug abuse, rather fully admitting he did these things. He doesn't pass them off as an experimental supplement done once or twice like other big name wrestlers did. Billington is straight forward and not afraid to upset people by giving his opinions on them. He slashes into various stars like Hogan, Beefcake, Ultimate Warrior, Davey Boy Smith, and others. It's nice to see that some editors aren't concerned about being nice to everyone. This book is obviously not published by the WWE unlike Lawler, Hogan, Rock, and Foley's books are. Billington pulls no punches and gives it to you straight from his viewpoint.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book by an Honest individual
Review: I am a highly educated person who really likes pro wrestling. This book was excellent. The dynamite kid did a great job of explaining what happened to him in his years of wrestling. He didn't hide anything and really let your see the dark side of wrestling. He wasn't perfect and made mistakes, but I really felt he did what was best for the sport. I never realized what Aholes Davey Boy Smith and his wife were.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I have been a pro wresting fan for over 20 years. My
first chance to see Dynamite Kid was when he wrestled
for Stu Hart's Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling in the
early 1980s. This book is his biography, and where he
started his career in England. He also talks about the
Harts, Davey Boy, and his stints with the WWF and
various Japanese promotions. I knew something about
Davey Boy's problems in the past, but I never knew him
to be that much of a problem. There seems to be somebitterness on the part of Billington as to how his life
turned out in the end because of pro wrestling. On the
other hand, he did have some classic matches in Japan
in the early 1980s with Tiger Mask, and was arguably the
best worker in the business in the early 1980s, based on
his work in Calgary and Japan. You would be hard-pressed
to find a better technical wrestler in the world at that
time. If you want to learn more about his Stampede
Wrestling days and the Hart family, people should probably
want to pick up the book by Diana Hart, the daughter of
Stu Hart and Helen Hart. It's called Under The Mat:
Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family. I'm not sure if Amazon
has this title currently, since it may be only available
in Canadian retail bookstore chains. I'm sure if you want
to buy it through Amazon, Amazon can make arrangements.
I'm reading this book right now, and what Diana has to say
about her family, Dynamite, Davey Boy and other wrestlers
is very revealing. You learn what they are truly like. She
should know, since she was married to Davey Boy, and
Dynamite is Davey Boy's cousin. This book is a must-have
if you're a true fan of the industry itself, not just the
entertainment aspect that is dominate in North American
wrestling.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I ordered the book from his website when it first came out. Wonderful book. I like the cover of the first books better. His life is quite interesting.
|
