Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs

[Dylan Waco]

http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Dogs-Midgets-Scr...s/dp/1770410945

 

So listeners to Wrestling Culture know about this book as we had Pat on some time back to talk about the book and Montreal. The interview was probably my favorite show we've done so if you haven't heard it go back and give it a listen.

 

In any event I just finished the book tonight and I absolutely loved it. I'm going to say right away that it is not a book without flaws. It is a book written by Quebecers about Quebec wrestling so there is obviously going to be some bias present in the writing (as there is in all writing). There are some errors or unclear things at certain points in the book, some of which I would chalk up to English being the second language of the authors, and some of which I think should have been caught and fixed (for example there is a table at the end of the book where "Athens, USA" is listed as a top ten drawing town in the World - I don't think there is any Athens in the World that qualifies, let alone one in the U.S.). There are some quotes from wrestlers that aren't analyzed for truth which is an annoying thing for some people (less so for me as the years go by, even if I find them less believable as the years go by). But taken as a whole I think it is almost exactly what I would want in a book about a territory that isn't as talked about as the others.

 

One thing I really liked about the book was the way it was organized. I honestly had thought the book would either be a straight narrative history or a book in the vein of the Oliver/Johnson Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame books with profiles on individuals. Instead it's both. There are rundowns on the key periods and eras and then each key player in the era is discussed in a profile. The big players get more meat to the profiles obviously, but there are really solid profiles on lesser known figures as well. I would be hard pressed to pick the ones I enjoyed the most, but I did really enjoy the ones on PCO and Paul Vachon.

 

After the key runs are discussed there is a detailed discussion on the WWF takeover, the rise of Jacques Rougeau as a sort of hopscotching carny working promotional schemes with both WWF and WCW to great effect, a brief look at the modern Indy scene and then a look at Midgets, Women, Venues and the evolution of wrestling television in Montreal over the years. It's extremely comprehensive, which some might even consider a flaw, but I found extremely refreshing.

 

The book ends with a ranking of the top singles wrestlers and tag teams in the history of the Montreal territory as voted on by a panel that is also listed (which I thought was cool), along with the complete listing of the Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame, a great table with the top fifty drawing shows in the history of Montreal, the promoter of record and the main event. There is also a couple of tables that look at Montreal's historic record as a draw though I think the metric there is flawed.

 

In any event it looks as though there were a ton of people interviewed for this and I think this would be a great book for someone to buy if they were interested in learning more about wrestling or wrestlers from just about any era. So many little things I learned from it and so many guys who were covered that even many hardcore fans either wouldn't know at all or would know very little about. Guys like Richard Charland and Pierre Lefevbre get there due, a guy like Ray Rougeau is very well covered and quoted and the book just has the sort of insight on regional wrestling that I think makes it something so many of us love.

 

The book is pretty long (423 pages) but the way it is written you could put it down and pick it back up five months later and it wouldn't make a difference. It's almost like an oral history in the sense that while it flows together it's not something you have to read straight through to get a lot out of.

 

Anyhow I'm not really doing the book justice and I don't want to overboard with a magnum opus length review, but it's something well worth getting if you were on the fence.

[El-P]

I haven't bought a wrestling book since Foley's first one, but the interviews I heard and your review surely intrigues me quite a bit, as I was always very curious of Quebec wrestling history, for obvious reasons (having heard about it through Eddie Carpenrtier's announcing on WWF TV when I became a fan). I may grab it at some point.

[King Solomon]

I got the book and im enjoying it but I wish it woulda been more detailed on the historical narritive aspect

[Al]

Caught a peak while browsing in Barnes & Noble's. I'll probably pick it up when it hits the Kindle next month.

[rovert]

Video interview with Pat from the Fight Network:

[Dylan Waco]

Video interview with Pat from the Fight Network:

Awesome.

 

Pat and Bertrand will be on for round 2 with Dave and I on Saturday.

[shoe]

Caught a peak while browsing in Barnes & Noble's. I'll probably pick it up when it hits the Kindle next month.

 

Me too.

[rovert]

Saving Dave and Dylan's podcast for work tomorrow. But Pat was on another podcast that covers women's Wrestling:

http://ringbellesonline.com/2013/02/03/fig...uy-pat-laprade/

 

Hopefully they compliment each other. If Wrestling Culture covers Maryse too I am sorry!

[WingedEagle]

Is this something I can easily read on the Kindle or are there a lot of photos that would make picking up a hard copy worthwhile?

[Dylan Waco]

Is this something I can easily read on the Kindle or are there a lot of photos that would make picking up a hard copy worthwhile?

Lots of black and whites throughout and some really good color shots as well.

[Marty]

Is this something I can easily read on the Kindle or are there a lot of photos that would make picking up a hard copy worthwhile?

There a good chunk of photos. I have a hard copy and I think a hard copy is worth a look. Slightly biased though, I'm in Ottawa, which is basically an extension of the Montreal territory.

[WingedEagle]

Okay sounds like we're buying the real thing. Will have to find a couple others suitable for the kindle on vacation.

[khawk20]

When you get the book, on the inside are instructions on how to get it on Kindle for free, as long as it wasn't a limited time offer.

 

I got mine on Amazon so maybe it was an exclusive to them, but if not, you can have both.

[WingedEagle]

Interesting, if I can get the Kindle version for free that's a no brainer.

[khawk20]

Just hang onto your bill, there's a website that will ask for proof of purchase for them to send you the ereader version. Hopefully this offer is good with all copies of the book, not just a special offer from Amazon.

 

If it's sitting on the shelves in bookstores, you should be able to check easily.

[Marty]

Just hang onto your bill, there's a website that will ask for proof of purchase for them to send you the ereader version. Hopefully this offer is good with all copies of the book, not just a special offer from Amazon.

 

If it's sitting on the shelves in bookstores, you should be able to check easily.

It's good for all copies of the book. I got mine at Chapters in Canada, and the offer is the same.

[Al]

I bought the Kindle version. One complaint, sometimes the text overlaps the pictures a bit and I don't know if it's fixable. But this is a really solid book. It has a very positive spin. The section on Dino Bravo doesn't seek to push into the background of his death at all. It obviously wants to showcase the best of Montreal wrestling. So if you're looking for dirt you'll be disappointed. But it's quite fun and easily readable, and very informative. I honestly wish every territory had a book like this.

[notoriusvig]

I bought the Kindle version. One complaint, sometimes the text overlaps the pictures a bit and I don't know if it's fixable. But this is a really solid book. It has a very positive spin. The section on Dino Bravo doesn't seek to push into the background of his death at all. It obviously wants to showcase the best of Montreal wrestling. So if you're looking for dirt you'll be disappointed. But it's quite fun and easily readable, and very informative. I honestly wish every territory had a book like this.

I came in to post that. It stinks to read it vertically when those picture problems come up, so I just flip it horizontally and it's a little better. I'm not too far into the book (catching up on some WONs I bought and Muchnick's Benoit book too) but I like what I've read so far. I would recommend it highly.

[Al]

I'm just glad to see I'm not an idiot who can't format his Kindle properly. I wonder if this is a common problem with e-books.

[soup23]

This book is now Babinsack approved just in case anyone was still on the fence!