The Hardcore Diaries

Besides, I had a wrestling comeback to prepare for, mentally and physically, provided I could get Vince McMahon and the WWE creative staff to embrace what I was sure was the single greatest storyline of my career.

Then it hit me: the storyline. I would give WWE fans unprecedented access to World Wrestling Entertainment, covering everything from conception to completion. I would recount how I felt about specific interviews and matches, whether they helped or hurt. I would expose the backstage politics, shed some light on my rocky relationship with Vince McMahon, offer insights into my personal dealings with WWE Superstars, and tell stories about my favorite Divas.

But I wasn't interested in writing just a wrestling book. I wanted to share moments from my personal life as well, from a humorous look at my unlikely dinner with polarizing neocon Paul Wolfowitz, to my haunting meeting with a severely burned boy in Afghanistan, to my peculiar obsession with a certain jolly old elf.

I knew I could make the fans care about this storyline, provided I could once again find the passion to make the story come to life in arenas around the country and on television sets around the world.

Most importantly, I had to ask myself a vital question, one upon which this whole idea, and therefore the book you hold, hinges: Was I willing to become the first voluntary member of the Vince McMahon "Kiss My Ass Club"? I sat on the idea for a few days, to let the idea ripen and mature in my mind, like a fine vintage wine, and to figure out if I was really willing to kiss his ass. I mean, literally kiss a man's ass. Sure, I'd been kissing the same guy's ass figuratively for a decade. But this was different. Did I really have the testicular fortitude required for such a task? In front of millions? Including my wife and kids?

I made the call.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

hardcore Diaries, 2008-08-25
Book came wrapped and in perfect condition. It's a present, so i haven't read it, but the transaction went flawlessly.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

One of the best wrestling books, ever!, 2008-08-07
I love reading wrestling books to gain insight into a business that so little is known backstage. Mick Foley has always given one of the more honest insights, also more down to earth. This one chronicles his journey to ECW's One Night Stand and all the bumps in the road to. Some of the stories he shares with us really touch me when he talks about burn victims and children's hospitals, to his own child choking. Moments like those (and so many more I don't wanna give away) turn this hardcore legend into a true legend. Read this if you're a fan of the business, read this if you just want insight into a man's life with so many connections.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Foley takes a new approach to his third biography, unfortunately it's not an instant classic like his previous works, 2008-07-08
WWE superstar and hardcore legend, Mick Foley is no stranger to writing. Aside from writing two #1 New York Times bestselling memoirs (Have a Nice Day and Foley is Good), Mick Foley has also wrote multiple children books and fiction novels. Hardcore Diaries is Foley's third volume of memoirs, which has a lot to live up to his two aforementioned autobiographies.

Foley's last book finishes up shortly after he retired from wrestling in 2000. This one covers up until mid 2006 of Foley's life and career. Hardcore Diaries has a unique way of detailing those six years. Instead of starting straight from where Foley last left off, the whole book is wrapped around Foley's involvement in coming up with his One Night Stand 2006 match where he teamed with Edge against Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer.

Every few chapters Foley comes back to this angle on how the creative process runs behind the scenes in WWE and how his initial vision for the storyline went though many political compromises and unwelcome changes. In between the chapters of the creative plan for the ECW angle, a smaller than expected section is devoted to the angles and returns to the ring Foley was involved in the previous six years, and a larger than expected section is devoted to his family and many charity contributions.

This all doesn't come together too nicely. Nothing against Foley's many charity contributions and his commitment to being a family man, but those chapters seemingly went on forever. They are still interesting to read about, but after awhile I forgot I was reading a wrestler's autobiography. They ended up interrupting the flow of the book, as throughout Hardcore Diaries it never felt like it was going in full gear.

I'll give Foley credit for trying something new for this book, but it just didn't work out in the end. With that said Hardcore Diaries is a disappointment and easily ranks as the lowest of his three autobiographies, but it is still better than many other wrestler biographies out on the market right now. If you liked the first two Foley books, you will probably still enjoy this, but to a much lesser extent.

The Hardcore Diaries


1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Hardcore Diaries, 2008-07-06
This book is poorly written and very boring. I cannot recommend it.
The book on Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold's books were much more informative and entertaining.
This one was a waste.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Hardcore Diaries, 2008-06-16
Not Mick's best work, but he is still by far, the best author to come out of the WWE. The book itself is well written and gives you insight to how things work in wrestling. The one thing you can always count on is Mick's terrific sense of humor. After reading this, you will see Mick Foley is a big man with an even bigger heart. He truly lets you see his human side.

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