Jim Ross's Autobiography: A Look Back at My Life in Professional Wrestling

Hanoz Sukhesh: To hear the story behing JR's journey to the WWE is a story of passion, grit and struggle. A must read !

India on Aug 27, 2023

DUNCAN SPIERSDUNCAN SPIERS: Great book, interesting and easy to read. Pretty good condition too.
Strangely still had its libary stamps unvoided inside so obviously at some point it had been stolen from a library in the USA, no idea how it got to the UK but mine now lol.

United Kingdom on May 17, 2023

Darlene Ealy: I ordered this book for my son. Therefore I'm unable to write a review, my apologies.

United States on May 13, 2023

waiver: but otherwise boring.

It lacks excitement.

United Kingdom on Apr 09, 2023

John Foster: The best thing about this book is that you hear every word in JR's voice crystal-clearly in your head. It's really written how he sounds. Complete with the witty one-liners you'd expect, some you wouldn't, but all hilarious nonetheless and very fun to read. The chapters are short, so it's easy to pick up and put down periodically. The most interesting material covered in this book is his time with Bill Watts in Mid South Wrestling, that is definitely the strongest part of the book. You will form a new understanding of both JR and Watts and the potential Mid South had to be a true contender in the national spotlight. It also covers his first 6 years in WWE, but I wasn't as impressed by those stories. His devotion to the wrestling business is absolutely irrefutable and there's very few people alive today that remain committed on that stratospheric level.

Canada on Apr 22, 2020

K. G. A. Alavi: I have to say the book is good but not the Slobbetknocker I though it would be. Jim Ros sis a great story teller in his commentary, I think my expectations were super high. To be fair the last ces chapters where he gives his behind the scenes feelings of some key WWF era angles like the Hell in the Cell match and the Montreal screw job were more of what I was expecting through out the book.

The life in wrestling is the perfect title as Jim Ross lives and breathes wrestling. Everything else is secondary if it is lucky or third place. A perfect example of this is Jim writes a while chapter on how he got his foot in the door of the closed off wrestling business and in the last line of that chapter "I was married". That is the first I hear of his wife I had to re-read it to make sure I did not miss this somewhere in the chapter.

The first 2/3 of the book is Jim's early life and his start in the business, climbing the ranks slowly but learning which prepared him for hitting his stride in the WWF. I saw Jim's passion for the business and even with is workaholic work ethic the business still demanded more.

I have read better behind the scenes road stories book I...

United Kingdom on Apr 12, 2020

Gordon Hatherley: i've been watching J. R.'s work since he was in the N. W. A. and rate him as one of the top five play-by-play guys of all time. He just gets it (whatever that intangible "it" is).
He also "sat under the learning tree" (Ernie Ladd, RIP, Big Red) of men like Leroy McGuirk, "Cowboy" Bill Watts, Danny Hodge (still a bad ass to this day. Ask anybody who "tried" him), Ernie Ladd, Gordon Solie, and others who loved the art of professional wrestling. This book illustrates just how well.
What I really found fascinating was that Ross spoke in length about his past "recreational" use of various substances and failed relationships. Unlike a lot of guys who are unable to apply less than 20/20 vision on their career, J. R., never one to mince words, was forthcoming in his failings of the past, his insecurities, and his psychology in working in a business with a lot of machismo-laden, braggadocios personalities, and how he, without bragging, illuminates how he navigated and succeeded in the field that he dreamed of being.
Now, this appears to be written to only about 1999, and I am on board to read any sort of second-parter that he writes.
In short, Jim Ross, in his own inimitable,...

United States on Oct 26, 2018

MAG: If you are like me and love wrestling but want to know more about the behind the scenes, the workings, and even the actual wrestlers more than what you see or have seen on TV, you NEED to get Jim Ross's book! I bought the audio book because I loved to hear JR announce back in WCW and especially WWF/E, and I miss hearing him. There is no other announcer that can lace up JR's boots (if he wore wrestling boots..lol).

Hearing JR tell his stories of first starting off in wrestling, running errands for the wrestlers, doing odd jobs, putting up the ring, etc, just to be a part of wrestling you can hear his love for wrestling as he tells the stories. JR really lets you into his life, growing up, his Mom and Dad (really JR that one story with your Dad had me cringing..all I will say is hammer/a bag filled with somethings...wow, I really felt for you). =0(

Anyways, this is an AMAZING book for any wrestling fan, old or young, new or like me that has loved wrestling since my Dad would take me down to the great Olympic Auditorium in LA, to watch my favorites Chavo Guerrero Sr., Roddy Piper, Twin Devils, and the occasional big stars like Andre the Giant, Classy Freddie Blassie,...

United States on Dec 22, 2017

Dandelion Blue: If you were a fan of pro wrestling in the 90s, you had one man's familiar voice narrating everything. This man was to pro wrestling what James Earl Jones is to film, what Howard Cosell was to sports highlights, what Don LaFontaine was to those "In A World..." trailers. Which is to say: THE voice.
I know the man himself would humbly defer this honor to Gordon Solie, but I know hundreds, into the thousands, of fans, writers, and current pros as well as hall of fame talents who would heartily disagree. If sports commentators could get even half the emotion, the talent, the heart and soul into their calls that Jim Ross did and continues to do, the world at large would be better for it. JR made you instantly feel the proper emotion in those heart stopping moments, could get you to get off your seat at home and scream, stomp your feet, will your guy back into the fight because good god almighty, you'd best belive Good Old JR was doing right along side you.
This book captures the life and times of the man, in his own words, in a pitch perfect way. After all, who else could do justice on a commentary on the life of Jim Ross than the man himself?
In short, if you're a wrestling...

United States on Oct 11, 2017

andrewmwalsh319: The first review I read here was fairly negative: a re-tread of stories that have been told many times, by many people. If you are a serious fan, you will be disappointed. I groaned, because I've been excited for this book to come out.
I started reading (with slightly lower expectations), and I'm glad to report that Review 2 on Amazon, was dead wrong!
Ross comes across very humble, despite having truly "done it all". I espicially enjoyed the first third of the book, his background through UWF days. It was gritty stuff. A vivid description of a fascinating time. As an outsider, he earned his stripes. His passion for the business just oozes off the page. I will never tire of hearing Bill Watts stories. What a time. What a group of characters!
Most of the chapters are light and breezy. He touches on all of the different roles, and companies he worked for. A few of the stories he told, I had heard before, but not through Jim's perspective. Everything felt fresh. He shines a spotlight on, and tells a single "really good" story about a few of the greats. Flair. Rhodes. and Vince. I've never heard them, and they are told masterfully.
My only complaints, it was too short,...

United States on Oct 07, 2017