Dick Bourne
Create Space, 2017
Paperback
Dick Bourne's Four Horsemen: A Timeline History was released in the spring of 2017. For those with an interest in the history of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling / Jim Crockett Promotions, Bourne's Mid-Atlantic Gateway is a key resource for preserving and accessing information concerning the territory's history. This is Bourne's sixth release pertaining to the history of the Carolina based promotion and its successor World Championship Wrestling. Some of Bourne's previous releases include: Big Gold, Ten Pounds of Gold and The Minnesota Wrecking Crew. All titles are available through Amazon and The Mid-Atlantic Gateway.
Those who are familiar with Bourne's work through his books or website will be very pleased with Four Horsemen: A Timeline History. He presents his subject in a manner that is well researched / recalled, but is neither dry nor too academic. His passion for the history of wrestling's "greatest faction" is apparent as it translates very well into the written word. As wrestling - especially as it pertains to story line elements - is often convoluted or ambiguous, it can be very difficult to chronicle from a historical perspective. Bourne overcomes this obstacle by making some difficult choices as to who to include in the "Horseman Timeline" and how to classify each member. While some of these choices can - and probably have been / will be - be debated, Bourne ably justifies each decision. Bourne also deserves credit for his handling of Chris Benoit's and Woman's respective histories with the group. He has crafted an interesting and complete book.
Bourne has chosen to highlight the history of the faction in a point form format where he covers all of the peaks and a most of the valleys of the group's onscreen presence. While he absolutely captures the group's history, there are moments where the book may have been helped by a deeper look into some behind the scenes elements. There are no obvious omissions, however, some more information concerning the comings and goings of the men and women from a business perspective would have strengthened the book. While this was not necessarily the role of the book or the goal of the author, readers who are unfamiliar with the volatile and ever changing backstage climate of JCP/WCW and/or the Monday Night War period would certainly appreciate and benefit from further context. That being said, many readers will still appreciate the book's conciseness rather than an overly in-depth release.
Four Horsemen: A Timeline History is recommended to all readers. It is a rare book that is both very easy to read and a comprehensive history. Only the most stubborn "WWE-only" purists are unlikely to both enjoy and benefit from the book.
Four Horsemen: A Time Line History is available at Mid Atlantic Gateway and via Amazon at the links below.
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