Review: Bruiser Brody by Emerson Murray and Scott Teal

Bruiser Brody
Emerson Murray, Scott Teal (Editor)
Crowbar Press, 2007
Paperback, Ebook

This review is re-posted from a 2009 message board post I wrote.  It's been tweaked slightly. 

Emerson Murray's 2007 book Bruiser Brody cover the life and career of one of professional wrestling's most enigmatic personalities. This is Murray's sole professional wrestling book and was edited by Scott Teal of Crowbar Press. In 2015, it was re-released in ebook format.

Bruiser Brody / Frank Goodish remains, after almost 30 years after his death, a fascinating individual. A huge star in the final days of the territories and kayfabe, Brody was among the top drawing and top paid wrestling stars. Brody, without the power of constant syndicated or cable television exposure, was one of the industry's most sought after and adored/detested talents by wrestling fans the world over. While so many of his contemporaries have been lost to time, Brody's name remains firmly in the spotlight. His bloody work style was often the source of controversy, however the real discussion about Brody is not so much about his work style as much as it is the manner in which he conducted business. To some he was a hero who stood up to promoters who were likely to short change a talent, decrease their marketability and/or limit their chances at success. To others he was a egotistical self promoter who was ready, willing and able to harm someone, physically, financially or otherwise, if there was even a chance at personal gain. Indeed, this debate plays a key role in the overall mystique around Brody's career and even his tragic death at the hands of a promoter in a Puerto Rico dressing room.

Author Emerson Murray does a great job addressing, via interviews with Brody's friends, co-workers and informed onlookers, the very qualities that made Brody such an interesting individual in and out of the ring. What is even more interesting about the book as a whole is that Murray does not edit his sources to conform to his own thesis on the life/career of Bruiser Brody/Frank Goodish. The strength of the book is its ability to be a very in depth, informative and interesting study of Brody's life and yet leave the reader with a sense of mystery about the book's subject. While Murray periodically interjects to provide context or biographical information, the story is told by those who knew Brody. Some liked and respected him, some did not.

Unlike many other books told from several perspectives, the book is well organised. While the book is arranged chronologically, each chapter features an inherent theme. There are no moments where a reader is likely to get lost and/or lose track. Murray and Teal deserve high praise for this as the book is masterfully arranged.

The elephant in the room concerning this book is the natural comparison between Murray and Teal's Bruiser Brody and Matysik and Goodish's Brody. While both books are enjoyable, they are so very different from each other that it is virtually impossible to rate them against each other. I would suggest readers who have enjoyed reading one, to strongly consider reading the other. This book is certainly the more objective of the two. Murray's Bruiser Brody is a good mix of pros and cons. As it was written by Brody's friend and his widow, is very much a pro-Brody perspective. Regardless, it is absolutely possible to enjoy one if you have read the other.