This is a very handsome package, with many pictures and an attractive un-wonky book design (so distracting and unnecessary in the Mankind and Rock books). But after the content expectations and standards set by the WWF autobiographies, this book disappoints.

1. The author credit is Bret Hart's, but it's written in third person--except for the reprint of Bret's Calgary Sun eulogy for his brother Owen. Roddy Piper's intro is nearly the same length as the eulogy--he should have gotten cover credit too! This book is clearly not written by Bret Hart; that he is credited is very misleading.

2. Roddy Piper writes as if wrestling is not "a work." Given the context of the Foley and Johnson books which take pains up front to explain the realities of the business, Piper's point of view is somewhat embarrassing. The body text takes a "work" tone as well, focusing more on the drama inside the ring than the enigma of the man.

3. Most jarringly, the text obviously spends a lot of time talking about Hart's classic WWF matches...but as beautifully reproduced as the photos in this book are, there are very few pictures of the WWF days...no pictures of Davey Boy Smith, his brother-in-law and the man with whom Bret had his finest match, only one picture of tag team partner Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart. It's a really HUGE gap. No pictures with his major belts. All recent photos are from WCW. It makes the book a somewhat disconcerting read, as biographies go. Clearly this is based on Bret's and Vince McMahon's emnity and that rights could not be obtained for WWF-era photos. I am sorry for that.

4. Finally, while the book is a treasure trove of Hart-family-growing-up photos, there are only two small photos of Bret's wife Julie, and none of his four children. The book's text doesn't even go near what I would think are two important life dramas--the end of his marriage, and the filming and release of Wrestling with Shadows.

All in all, a must for Hitman completists, of which I am one, if only for the rare Hart family photos. It's more an expanded article from Pro Wrestling Weekly than it is a true biography. Bret Hart's life is one of the more interesting and heart-wrenching human dramas in this whacked-out industry, full of beauty, idealism, tragedy, and irony. It's a story that's very far from over. I can't wait to hear him tell us about it someday.

If you were new to wrestling, which I am not, and would like to know what happened this is great book. It takes care of many unanswered questions. It's basic great information, Thanks Bret!

When I heard that a book about Bret "Hitman" Hart was coming out that was going to be about his life and all his many adventures in the wrestling business, I eagerly waited with anticipation. Given the success Bret had with his award-winning documentary, "Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows," I expected the same kind of honesty and openness in his book. However, that is not the case. There are a few things in it worth noting, but otherwise it is just a glamorized magazine.

The book starts out with a forward written by the rowdy one, Roddy Piper. I should have known from the forward that this book wasn't going to be what I thought it was. Piper doesn't even get half his facts straight in his forward. In one paragraph, he says he had to face Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Title; this is true. He also says that a turning point in the match came when he threatened to hit Bret over the head with that same belt; this is not true. Piper was going to hit Bret over the head with the ring bell. This is the match that took place at WrestleMania in 1992. Kind of makes you wonder what else in Piper's forward is sadly mistaken for real facts.

Perry Lefko, the REAL author of the book, does an okay job talking about Bret's life growing up and his blossoming wrestling career. There are many never-before-seen family photos in this section of the book, and those are a nice addition. However, there is little mention of Bret's tenure in the WWF outside his debut and his controversial exit. Not only that, but there are hardly any photos of him wrestling in the WWF. I imagine this has something to do with the fact that Vince McMahon owns all of Bret's archives, and it is sad that such a legend like Bret Hart can't even have photos of his greatest matches in a book written about him. Much more time is focused on Bret's tenure in the WCW and the events that led up to him winning the World Heavyweight Championship in the Air Canada Centre on November 21, 1999. There is much left out in the book that could have been touched upon, and what is not in the book far outweighs what is actually in it.

This book almost looks more like a fancied up magazine than an actual book. There are pictures galore, which I am a strong fan of, but many of the pictures repeat, and hardly any are of Bret from the WWF. Over 90% are photos of him wrestling in the WCW.

Overall, this is a book that could have been much better. It's got a sleek design, a lot of photos and a few interesting facts about Bret that I didn't know before. But it could have been so much more. It should have been so much more.

I've heard that Bret is writing a book of his own and that it will be due out before 2002 is over. If Bret is writing the book himself, if someone else is not writing about his life, it will be the best-selling wrestling book ever. After his refreshingly honest documentary, I expect that same openness with is book. And, knowing the "Hitman," he will give us just that.