Rating: 
Summary: Hulkamania still running wild!
Review: In a world of professional wrestling there is one guy that changed the world of wrestling; he is Hulk Hogan. But for Hulk Hogan life wasn't always fame and glory.
Hulk Hogan grew up Terry Boella, he was a fat kid always getting picked on. Terry played baseball but there was one sport he loved always, that sport was wrestling. Read this book and read how Dusty Rhodes became Hulk Hogan's wrestling idol, read how Hulk how got started in the wrestling business from his days wrestling in Japan to becoming a biggest star in the wrestling world today.
I grew up watching Hulk Hogan and I became a wrestling fan because of the hulkster himself. I actually liked reading this autobiography and even though some reviewers here at amazon.com think Hogan has a big ego, I think he is a normal guy just like us. If you read this book you'll read about what Hulk thinks of Randy Savage, Bret Hart and the owner of the WWE himself, Vince McMahon.
This is a great book to read and this is my first wrestling autobiography I've read. The next wrestling autobiography I will probably read is To Be The Man by Ric Flair, or Have A Nice Day by Mick Foley or maybe It's True It's True by Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle. So if your gonna read an autobiography and want to know a lot about Hulk Hogan, read his autobiography cause what'cha gonna do, brother, when Hulk Hogan autobiography runs wild on you?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: "Hollywood Hulk Hogan" is the autobiography or wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. The distinguishing trait I find that separates this bio from a lot of the other wrestler biographies of recent years is that it is the most "biographical" of the other bios, meaning that you not only get Hogan's wrestling career in review but also his real life story in review.THE BOOK The book will definitely appeal to wrestling fans as well as fans of Hulk Hogan. Hogan tells a very comprehensive story of his career and his life, both in wrestling and in Hollywood. Among the things you learn about are: - His trauma's growing up as a fat kid - His family background - How he met his wife - His lifelong love affair with wrestling (Dusty Rhodes was his idol) - His careers as a musician, dock worker and gym/bar owner - His time spent as a wrestling groupie - His breaking into the business in Florida and throughout the South - His friendship with Andre the Giant - His time in the AWA - Making Rocky III - Leading the way for the WWF in the 80's including his status as the
most requested Make A Wish celebrity - The lowdown on Mr. T, John Stossel, Richard Belzer, Dennis Rodman and Jay Leno - His feuds with Savage and the Warrior - The steroid trials and his opinion on steroid use - Making of No Holds Barred, Mr. Nanny, Suburban Commando,
Thunder in Paradise and his other B Movies - His boating accident with Ed Leslie - Signing with WCW - His problems with the New World Order - The story of his problems with Vince Russo - His knee problems - His rebuttal to his critiques - His return to the WWE THE COOL STUFF Overall, Hogan writes a very comprehensive story leaving almost no stone unturned. Not only is this a great history of the wrestling business for the past 20 years or so but it's just a fascinating story to read. Hogan comes across as a person who's just very surprised at his own success. It's pretty inspiring to see how a former fat kid who got teased growing up grew up into one of the most famous athletes in wrestling history and how someone of "limited wrestling ability" became the person who put wrestling on the pop culture map. In all if you're a wrestling fan you'll love a lot of the road stories Hogan has to share including his tales of Andre the Giant and the time of WWF's expansion in the 80's. You'll also love the stories of his work with the other celebrities like Mr. T, Dennis Rodman and Jay Leno as you'll find things weren't as chummy as they seemed on-screen. For wrestling fans you get the benefit of seeing the industry through Hogan's eyes. This is important because Hogan, for the better part of 15 years, was at the top of the industry and his a unique viewpoint of it. His thoughts on the major promoters, wrestlers and angles are just fascinating to read if you're a wrestling fan. Overall, his is just fascinating story. THE VERDICT Love him or hate him, you can't deny Hogan's influence on wrestling and pop culture and you cannot say that he's had a boring life. "Hollywood Hulk Hogan" is a fascinating memoir of one man's life in the entertainment industry and man does he have some stories to share. Total Pages: 343
Total Read Time: 8 hours over three nights Highest Recommendation
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Bio ¿ Brother
Review: "Hollywood Hulk Hogan" is the autobiography or wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. The distinguishing trait I find that separates this bio from a lot of the other wrestler biographies of recent years is that it is the most "biographical" of the other bios, meaning that you not only get Hogan's wrestling career in review but also his real life story in review. THE BOOK The book will definitely appeal to wrestling fans as well as fans of Hulk Hogan. Hogan tells a very comprehensive story of his career and his life, both in wrestling and in Hollywood. Among the things you learn about are: - His trauma's growing up as a fat kid - His family background - How he met his wife - His lifelong love affair with wrestling (Dusty Rhodes was his idol) - His careers as a musician, dock worker and gym/bar owner - His time spent as a wrestling groupie - His breaking into the business in Florida and throughout the South - His friendship with Andre the Giant - His time in the AWA - Making Rocky III - Leading the way for the WWF in the 80's including his status as the
most requested Make A Wish celebrity - The lowdown on Mr. T, John Stossel, Richard Belzer, Dennis Rodman and Jay Leno - His feuds with Savage and the Warrior - The steroid trials and his opinion on steroid use - Making of No Holds Barred, Mr. Nanny, Suburban Commando,
Thunder in Paradise and his other B Movies - His boating accident with Ed Leslie - Signing with WCW - His problems with the New World Order - The story of his problems with Vince Russo - His knee problems - His rebuttal to his critiques - His return to the WWE THE COOL STUFF Overall, Hogan writes a very comprehensive story leaving almost no stone unturned. Not only is this a great history of the wrestling business for the past 20 years or so but it's just a fascinating story to read. Hogan comes across as a person who's just very surprised at his own success. It's pretty inspiring to see how a former fat kid who got teased growing up grew up into one of the most famous athletes in wrestling history and how someone of "limited wrestling ability" became the person who put wrestling on the pop culture map. In all if you're a wrestling fan you'll love a lot of the road stories Hogan has to share including his tales of Andre the Giant and the time of WWF's expansion in the 80's. You'll also love the stories of his work with the other celebrities like Mr. T, Dennis Rodman and Jay Leno as you'll find things weren't as chummy as they seemed on-screen. For wrestling fans you get the benefit of seeing the industry through Hogan's eyes. This is important because Hogan, for the better part of 15 years, was at the top of the industry and his a unique viewpoint of it. His thoughts on the major promoters, wrestlers and angles are just fascinating to read if you're a wrestling fan. Overall, his is just fascinating story. THE VERDICT Love him or hate him, you can't deny Hogan's influence on wrestling and pop culture and you cannot say that he's had a boring life. "Hollywood Hulk Hogan" is a fascinating memoir of one man's life in the entertainment industry and man does he have some stories to share. Total Pages: 343
Total Read Time: 8 hours over three nights Highest Recommendation
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Hulkamania you grew up with, brother!
Review: Growing up in the '80's, I loved to watch Hulk Hogan wrestle. So I was eager to read this autobiography. While it was an enjoyable read, it was not at all what I expected. The Terry Bollea who wrote this book is not at all like the "Hulk Hogan" image that became a role model for children years ago. Other amazon reviewers have already questioned how factual some of the content is, and also pointed out how Hogan presents himself in such an overly-positive light. I was disappointed with how many *negative* things he had to say about other media stars or their actions (e.g., Mr. T, Dennis Rodman, Sylvester Stallone), especially when Hogan himself was involved in some of the escapades he disapproves about with them. There are also several admissions throughout the book about how important the money of professional wrestling was to him -- and this was while he was already pulling in a six-figure annual income, and did not need to worry about finances. Perhaps most disturbing was the profanity in the book. Hogan laces practically every page (not an exaggeration) with four-letter words and curses, almost none of which serve any literary purpose. I don't know if previous wrestling autobiographies have been written this way (e.g., by Bill Goldberg or Mick Foley), whether Hogan wrote this way in an attempt to sound "tough," or whether he really speaks this way in real life. But the effect was to disract and demean the quality of the book, and also my impression of Hulk Hogan as a person. The *real* Hulk Hogan (away from the cameras) comes off as a swearing, cursing, money-loving, beer-drinking strong-man who alternately takes credit for most of what makes wrestling popular today and dismissing critics by saying he only did what his bosses told him to do. Despite these shortcomings, the book was still interesting. It gives some insight into Hulk Hogan's childhood and early career that is not often talked about. He admits that the last thing he ever expected to happen to his career was to become a role model for children, but he took that public perception seriously when it developed. Also, it's interesting to hear his take on some of his own greatest matches (e.g., against Andre the Giant, Randy Savage, and The Rock in WM III, IV, X8), as well as some other events in the recent history of wrestling. (One chapter describes the infamous John Stossel 20/20 interview, in which another wrestler -- not Hogan -- beat up the interviewer on camera. Another chapter talks about the death in the ring of Owen Hart.) It was also mildly entertaining to see Hogan address the reader (and practically anyone else who appears more than 2 times in the book) as "brother." All in all, this is an interesting look into the life of the most popular wrestler in history. (He wasn't the most talented, but he definitely put professional wrestling on the map, and his longevity has been incredible.) However, reader be warned: the real Hulk Hogan bears very little resemblance to the public image of the '80's.
Rating: 
Summary: Hulkamania is still running wild! Yeah it really is!
Review: Hulk Hogan is wrestling. Ask any fan since the 1980's to name the most famous wrestler ever and Hulk Hogan name HAS to be on top of that list. Hulkamania was not just a thing in the past but it was a movement in and out of the wrestling world. Growing up, everyone and I do mean everyone loved Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania was something we could get behind. Without Hulk Hogan the WWE would have never reached the level it has today. With that being said, Hulk Hogan's autobiography is a well written and very informative book for wrestling fans. The most important apsect about this book is its revelation of how Hulk Hogan lives, eats, and breathes wrestling. Wrestling is not his job, its his life. The guy has worked so many years and has taken such a beating, while on top, that you have to admire the man even if you're not a fan. His stories on Andre the Giant and other wrestling legends are classics. His views on Vince Mcmahon and the different directions the WWE has taken are priceless. Sure, we'll never get Hogan's complete story on the wrestling world but I think if you read this book, you will become more knowledeable on wrestling itself. Hulkamania may not appear on our TV sets ever again but it will never die with this generation. Hulk Hogan was more than a wrestler, he was a hero to millions of wrestling fans around the world.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: I won't go into detail about what is inculded in this book, simply because other reviewers have already done that. I will say that this book is an excellent read, and it never gets slow or boring. Hogan's story is very interesting from the beginning. I found myself unable to put it down once I started it. I would recommend this book to any wrestling fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Great wrestler, poor realist
Review: I'll state right here I only got this book cause it was cheap. Chances are I wouldn't have bought it otherwise. And upon reflection this proves to have been a wise decision.
While the book is an interesting insight into professional wrestling in the early 80's to mid 90's (seeing the majority of wrestling bio's are 90's onward) the fact Hogan was very selective in details about his stories made me wonder. Some seemed extremely short, with "chapters", if they could be called that lasting on occassion less than a page to one and a half pages long. To me, if a story in a bio should flesh out the events, not cut and paste the bits that make you look like gods gift to the world. One example being his testimony in the trial against Vince McMahon. He said Vince was angry with him for "lying" but Hogan made it sound like whatever was said was irrelevant (He emphisises two questions and his answers as being the entire case ... strange for a 2 week long trial). I was more interested in why Vince was angry with him. What it was that supposedly was said.
The structure of the book was a little bewildering to me. It seemed to jump around a bit and have pieces that seemed to not have a great deal of relevance to what was just said of about to be said. It's almost like he had a 2 page story (one of which was the blown up text that signified the start of a new chapter ... again emphisising lack of length) which didn't really fit in and the editors figured it didn't matter where it went.
All-in-all, while its an ok read, its not exactly great. Infact I'd rate it probably near the worst of the wrestling bio's I own (admittedly its only 5 but i'm working on it)
Rating:
Summary: Part Bio, Part Fiction?
Review: Okay, first I must state that I've been watching wrestling since the late' 80s or so. Have been a fan of Hulk Hogan ever since and reading this book brings about a better understanding of the world of wrestling; the business and politics involved.
However, it has left several bewildering questions.
This book gives one the impression that it is haphazardly written and used in the singular, 'me' point of view. "I remember". "I [do this thing], I [do that thing]" Personally, think it's due to the egotistical nature of professional wrestlers, working in an environment where power rules, culmulating in bigger egoes than most other professions. Perhaps the editorial team could have done a better job of amending the style of writing, to appeal to non-wrestling fans.
True fans of Hogan may well be disappointed that the key dates, events and venues are plain WRONG. Purists like myself would be disappointed in that aspect.
Also, although there are some nice pictures in the middle section of the book, no full blown colour poster exists, a disappointment for those who have waited long for such a biography.
Plus points include getting a better understanding of the man Terry Bollea, not Hulk Hogan we see on television, the personal struggles and setbacks he has had to face in his life, getting to the top and icon of the wrestling world. Was impressed by his career versatility, being able to switch to the bad guy ('heel') after years at the top as a good guy, adapting to the times.
It could serve as an inspiration and motivate oneself that it is possible to succeed and go against the odds, eg: after he was being forced to leave WCW and take a long break before returning to the WWE.
In conclusion, do read this book as a lesson on how to succeed in life but treat the key events and dates as fiction, most are untrue and never happened.
Rating:
Summary: What an Ego
Review: Pro-wrestlers should really do themselves a favour and stop writing autobiographies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading them and will probably keep buying them, but these guys just aren't painting a healthy picture of themselves or the wrestling profession. Hogan's book really wasn't too much of a surprise in that it is an effort in self-indulgence and major butt-kissing of a certain WWE owner. This was Hogan's opportunity to address so many of his critics and put a number of rumors to rest. But he tends to gloss-over so many events and controversies that the reader is left with no sense of insight.
For instance he makes an almost casual reference to his heat with fellow NWO members Scott Hall and Kevin Nash but does not
address what caused the heat or how they came to resolve it: "We (Hall and Nash) had been at each other's throats back in WCW, but that was water under the bridge." Vince Russo once accused Hogan of being racist toward Booker T and blames him for holding Booker T back. Hogan devotes a couple of pages refuting this but the reader is never told why he was accused of racism in the first place or how he allegedly held Booker T back. Roddy Piper and Ric Flair (two of the greatest opponents associated with Hogan's success) are barely mentioned. Nor is it mentioned the time he gave a scathing view of Billy Kidman's ability to draw (something about not being able to draw a crowd at a flea-market). Yet he writes about how he was a team player and put Kidman over. My understanding of the incident was that he drew so much heat from the young WCW talent that he HAD to put Kidman over to smooth things over. Hogan also falls short of giving any sort of meaningful account of steroid use in the locker room even though he admits to lying on national television (The Arsenio Hall Show) about his own steroid abuse.
Probably the most interesting part of the book is what went on behind the scenes with regards to Mr T before Wrestlemania I.
In a profession of overblown egos, it seems Mr. T fit in quite nicely-- and was lucky to walk away with his life. Also, the account of his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation is a good read.
Hogan makes numerous references to how every one of his movies made money, yet fails to mention that they were all crap. And
only Hogan could get away with using the word "brother" fifty times in written form.
Don't even get me started about Hogan's belief that he had a shot at being President of the United States. His good buddy Ted Turner polled 15,000 people in three states asking if they'd vote for Bill Clinton (who was ineligible to run), Hulk Hogan or Ross Perot. 70% answered Hogan so based on this he believed he could pull it off. But he gave up on the idea when it occurred to him that "I was going to have to read the paper every day so I could at least know a little bit about everything the way Jesse (Ventura) did, and that was too much work for me."
Pro-wrestlers should really do themselves a favour and stop writing autobiographies.
Rating:
Summary: Hogan certainly can tell some Tall Tales!
Review: The book starts out with a truly emotional story of a chubby Terry Bollea (Hogan), then it gets truly ridiculous. I do not mean to insult this book or the man Hulk Hogan himself, but this book has so many untrue stories and things that never happened - even a casual fan of wrestling can know that some of these things never happened. It is a definite must read for any fan of wrestling (love him or hate him), simply to chuckle at Hogan's tall tales, such as Hogan meeting a "Make a Wish" kid before he was to wrestle at Summer Slam 1992. Hogan wrestled his match, but was unable to find the kid sitting in the crowd. When he returned backstage he discovered the child had died before seeing Hogan's match; Hogan was so touched, he wrote a song about it and released it on the Hulk Rules album. Too bad the entire story is false (Hogan never even wrestled at SS92). In the book Hogan talks about steroid usage, his feud with Andre the Giant (10 years before WM3), how he got the role in Rocky 3, his match with the Rock at WMX8, beating up Ricky Choshu in Japan, the end of his WCW career, why he became a villain and much more. It is extremely enjoyable to read because of the tall tales and you can indeed finish the book in a matter of hours with the book's huge pictures and large text. The entire book should be filed under fiction or comedy.
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