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 First edition (with image of Kendo Nagasaki) | |
| Author | Simon Garfield |
|---|---|
| Subject | Professional Wrestling |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Publication date | 4 November 1996 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, paperback) |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 978-0571236763 |
| Dewey Decimal | 796.8 |
The Wrestling is a non-fiction book by Simon Garfield, a British journalist and author. It charts the rise and fall in popularity of British professional wrestling over the course of the twentieth century.
Overview
The book consists almost entirely of interviews with professional wrestlers or those who knew them, including Mick McManus, Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks, Kendo Nagasaki and the female wrestler Klondyke Kate, often giving the appearance of a conversation between the interviewees and the author.
Garfield also interviewed those involved in the promotion of professional wrestling, with a particular focus on the decision of LWT chief Greg Dyke to drop the sport from its schedules in 1988.
Reception
The Independent described the book as "an affectionate account packed with drama, humour, tragedy and intrigue." The Guardian praised it as "Funny, tragic and full to the brim with outrageous arse-whupping, The Wrestling does its subject proud.".
Interviewed in The Times, Richard Osman, asked for his favourite book, replied "Can I add a non-fiction book? Everyone to whom I’ve recommended Simon Garfield’s The Wrestling has loved it."
References
- Garfield, Simon, The Wrestling, Faber and Faber, 2007 ISBN 978-0-571-23676-3 p.145
- https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-wrestling-by-simon-garfield-767372.html
- Thompson, Heather (2007-10-28). "Gonzo memories". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- Osman, Richard (2022-09-20). "My culture fix: Richard Osman". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
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