Rowdy: The Roddy Piper Story

I had the pleasure of meeting Roddy Piper exactly two weeks before he passed away at what would be his final autograph signing. I have met many wrestlers, many celebrities but Roddy was by far the nicest. He started asking me questioned. How was things going, how was the family doing. It was like we were long lost friends reuniting. Had him sign his DVD and he went into details about certain matches. Got ready to use my then new cell phone for a selfie and it wasn't working. He told me take your time, I have all day. I want you to get the best picture. I was told that even after his signing he went across the street to a local fire hall and posed for some photos. Two weeks later he was gone. I am still in shock and I feel so bad for his family because I know he was so close to them and found out that even more after reading this book that his kids completed. Roddy was a wrestling icon, a talented actor, a loving father and husband and I can tell you he treated his fans like they were his friends.

This is the second book written by Roddy Piper or his family. The first was far less satisfying than this book. Written not long after Piper passed away, his son and daughter wrote a far more real picture of Piper the man than the first book did. We get to look at his difficult upbringing and the tough life that he endured before becoming a wrestler. At this point, life remained hard with long trips on the road, little money and lots of beatings in the ring while he mastered his craft and gained the respect of the older more established wrestling talent. Once Piper was a star, he never looked back in wrestling, he was the number one bad guy in the WWF in the 1980's and perhaps ever. Outside of the ring, things were different. Personal demons were affecting him and he tried to beat them by taking loads of drugs and drinking heavily. Eventually the years of ring wars affected his body to the point that he took a break from the ring in 1987 to pursue an acting career. This was successful to the point of one great film (They LIve) but through various reasons, he never reached the fullest potential. This is a very honest and enjoyable book looking at the life of a true wrestling icon, someone who lived his life to the fullest and left a legacy that will endure. All too often biographies are filled with countless tales of sporting contests and anecdotes from outside of the ring but lack that personal touch of looking at the subject at home. This book gives us a picture of the real Roderick Toombs.

Arrived on time and in great condition. A special thanks to the family of Rowdy Roddy Piper for finishing the journey that he started and for telling his story in such detail. I have been a fan of Hot Rods all of his career even when I was supposed to be booing and hating him. He was the one wrestler that I always wanted to meet and now will sadly never have the chance to. His first book "In the Pit With Piper" was a great read and a recounting of Roddy's life and career from his point of view. This book however pulls even fewer punches about his life and career and is rich with commentary about him from those who knew him the best and loved him the most. Give it a read, you will not be disappointed.

The hot rod rowdy Roddy Piper one of the greatest wrestlers and a history of wrestling no matter which organization in what you got is what you got baby face or heel he was still the hot rod one of the most awesome wrestling characters in history very great book about a very great man whom I loved as a wrestler and who now I love is a human being after reading his story thank you for all the memories hot rod and thank you for the book

Good read. Had just enough back story with actual facts and remembered history by family and friends without producing one sided story telling and bs that never happened as in other wrestlers books. Funny and heartfelt. Roddy would be proud of his kids for picking up the slack writing a very entertaining read. If the kids do decide to write another book I would read it. Also had a good mixture of wrestlers telling stories about the Hot Rod from 3 different decades.

Great book for any real Wrestling fan. Best part about it is that it isn't only about the man himself, but also a bit of his children's point of view. Must buy for any true fan of wrestling!

If you're a fan of Roddy Piper chances are you've heard at least a few of the stories in this book. But there's still plenty there for even the most die hard fans. You get the real stories behind a lot of the myth he created for himself and told so many times we just thought they were the real deal. Sadly the book had to be largely completed by his children but I think that actually ended up giving a little more insight into the real person he was behind the wrestling persona, and he may have played down some of those aspects out of modesty had he finished the book like he'd intended.

A great book about the legendary wrestler, actor, personality Roderick Toombs better known by his ring name: Rowdy Roddy Piper. A very interesting read as we go into the life story of one of the most entertaining people in both wrestling and the entertainment industry. Contains life stories that will tell you what made Roddy such an interesting individual! :)

This is a great look at the life and times of one of my favorite wrestlers. If you have ever heard the stories about how kind "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was, this book is a great confirmation. If you haven't heard that before, you need to read this book.

Very good book written by two of his kids. Really interesting stories of some of the old territories. Very heart felt. Highly recommended.

I had the pleasure of meeting Roddy Piper exactly two weeks before he passed away at what would be his final autograph signing. I have met many wrestlers, many celebrities but Roddy was by far the nicest. He started asking me questioned. How was things going, how was the family doing. It was like we were long lost friends reuniting. Had him sign his DVD and he went into details about certain matches. Got ready to use my then new cell phone for a selfie and it wasn't working. He told me take your time, I have all day. I want you to get the best picture. I was told that even after his signing he went across the street to a local fire hall and posed for some photos. Two weeks later he was gone. I am still in shock and I feel so bad for his family because I know he was so close to them and found out that even more after reading this book that his kids completed. Roddy was a wrestling icon, a talented actor, a loving father and husband and I can tell you he treated his fans like they were his friends.

This is the second book written by Roddy Piper or his family. The first was far less satisfying than this book. Written not long after Piper passed away, his son and daughter wrote a far more real picture of Piper the man than the first book did. We get to look at his difficult upbringing and the tough life that he endured before becoming a wrestler. At this point, life remained hard with long trips on the road, little money and lots of beatings in the ring while he mastered his craft and gained the respect of the older more established wrestling talent. Once Piper was a star, he never looked back in wrestling, he was the number one bad guy in the WWF in the 1980's and perhaps ever. Outside of the ring, things were different. Personal demons were affecting him and he tried to beat them by taking loads of drugs and drinking heavily. Eventually the years of ring wars affected his body to the point that he took a break from the ring in 1987 to pursue an acting career. This was successful to the point of one great film (They LIve) but through various reasons, he never reached the fullest potential. This is a very honest and enjoyable book looking at the life of a true wrestling icon, someone who lived his life to the fullest and left a legacy that will endure. All too often biographies are filled with countless tales of sporting contests and anecdotes from outside of the ring but lack that personal touch of looking at the subject at home. This book gives us a picture of the real Roderick Toombs.

Arrived on time and in great condition. A special thanks to the family of Rowdy Roddy Piper for finishing the journey that he started and for telling his story in such detail. I have been a fan of Hot Rods all of his career even when I was supposed to be booing and hating him. He was the one wrestler that I always wanted to meet and now will sadly never have the chance to. His first book "In the Pit With Piper" was a great read and a recounting of Roddy's life and career from his point of view. This book however pulls even fewer punches about his life and career and is rich with commentary about him from those who knew him the best and loved him the most. Give it a read, you will not be disappointed.

The hot rod rowdy Roddy Piper one of the greatest wrestlers and a history of wrestling no matter which organization in what you got is what you got baby face or heel he was still the hot rod one of the most awesome wrestling characters in history very great book about a very great man whom I loved as a wrestler and who now I love is a human being after reading his story thank you for all the memories hot rod and thank you for the book

Good read. Had just enough back story with actual facts and remembered history by family and friends without producing one sided story telling and bs that never happened as in other wrestlers books. Funny and heartfelt. Roddy would be proud of his kids for picking up the slack writing a very entertaining read. If the kids do decide to write another book I would read it. Also had a good mixture of wrestlers telling stories about the Hot Rod from 3 different decades.

Great book for any real Wrestling fan. Best part about it is that it isn't only about the man himself, but also a bit of his children's point of view. Must buy for any true fan of wrestling!

If you're a fan of Roddy Piper chances are you've heard at least a few of the stories in this book. But there's still plenty there for even the most die hard fans. You get the real stories behind a lot of the myth he created for himself and told so many times we just thought they were the real deal. Sadly the book had to be largely completed by his children but I think that actually ended up giving a little more insight into the real person he was behind the wrestling persona, and he may have played down some of those aspects out of modesty had he finished the book like he'd intended.

A great book about the legendary wrestler, actor, personality Roderick Toombs better known by his ring name: Rowdy Roddy Piper. A very interesting read as we go into the life story of one of the most entertaining people in both wrestling and the entertainment industry. Contains life stories that will tell you what made Roddy such an interesting individual! :)

This is a great look at the life and times of one of my favorite wrestlers. If you have ever heard the stories about how kind "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was, this book is a great confirmation. If you haven't heard that before, you need to read this book.

Very good book written by two of his kids. Really interesting stories of some of the old territories. Very heart felt. Highly recommended.

A very entertaining read. I have been a Roddy Piper fan most of my life. Had always hoped to meet him, thank him for his years of entertaining and get an autograph:) Even though that dream will never come true reading this book was the next best thing. Truly enjoyed all the stories in the book that made this man a legend.

What an incredible book. Started by Roddy and finished by his children. Great stories that were never told before are great to read. He was a true legend that started it all and his legacy still lives on. Highly recommended!!

Ariel and Colt Toombs have done a fantastic job with this book. One of the best books I've ever read. Great insight on one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Highly recommend this!!!

An interesting story of a wrestler who was an icon . A loyal friend and family man to those who knew him.

Roddy started this book, and his children finished it. I loved every minute of this read. It's a perfect blend of his life as a child to his antics in wrestling.

I love love love Roddy Piper and loved reading about his life. The writing in this book could have used some help but otherwise enjoyable for a Piper fan.

Loved it! Just a great read from beginning to end. Highly recommend it! Miss you Roddy! Love you! God bless your beautiful family who is carrying on your legacy.

Hotrod is one of the reasons I love wrestling. He is so much more then a pro weather and this book shows that. This book shows that he is a loving father and husband. I would recommend this book to anyone not just wrestling fans

Powerful and illuminating. You forget it was helped being made by Rowdy's kids. Then they make a personal observation. If you like sports, sports entertainment, Rowdy Roddy Piper or just what people do and sacrifice to achieve their dreams.

If you are a fan of his you can't go wrong buying this book. Well written, full of tales from childhood thru his death. He was a good man, a great entertainer and a even better Husband and Father

Roddy piper's life is interesting and its fun to get to know how he grew up but the writing jumps all over the place

This is to go in my son's Christmas stocking. As he is a huuuuuuge WWE fan, I know he'll love it

Well written. Highly recommended if an old school wrestling fan. God bless Roddy!

Quite a complicated individual.

Great book about a great man who lived an interesting life. Written incredibly well and the POVs were intriguing.

I thought I was getting a used book. I got a brand new unread copy.

I had a unique perspective on both pro wrestling, and ultimately Roddy Piper. My father wrestled his way through law school (Mercer/UGA), and later did legal work concerning the business. Namely, promoter Paul Jones and a few of the old-school boys. Professional wrestling was to me, what Little League baseball was, to other boys and dads. I never had time to be a "mark." Roddy Piper was brought in to Georgia Championship Wrestling, just as I was taking my 35mm & typewriter, to the world of heavy-metal music. Still, I got to see Roddy's "magic", both in, and out, of the ring. Later, the entire country, if not the world, did too. From 1976 to 1980, Dusty Rhodes put as many butts in seats, as cage matches and Andre The Giant. I never thought, I would see that again. I was wrong. Roddy immediately, caused me to stash my Texas cowboy boots, and buy a plaid, tartan sports coat. Cost me four-dollars at Goodwill (insert Piper pause)..."American"... (lol!) FF to the "Vinnie Mac" days. The hammer & nails of it: No Piper. No Hogan. No Piper. No WrestleMania. No Piper no WrestleMania? I think so. Gary Hart once correctly explained, that to have a great "face", you have to have a great "heel." Exactly! Roddy was the best heel in the biz then, and it could be argued the best ever. He had it all. He could "work", almost to the point of endangerment. Ask Greg Valentine. Or any dog collar. He was legit tough. Ask "Judo" Gene Lebell. Or any beer bottle. He could draw money. Ask Ole Anderson. Or Madison Square Garden. He could insult. Ask Hulk Hogan. Or The Hair Club For Men. Still, this book isn't just about "Rowdy" Roddy Piper the wrestler. It's about something much deeper. It's about Roderick George Toombs---the MAN. The friend. The husband. The father. For that... You'd have to ask those who knew him best... This book is their reply

What a great read. You would never know just how nice and thoughtful of a person he was behind the scenes.

Fascinating story about a larger than life figure. You really get to know the man behind the character and how the two would blend. A must for fans of Roddy Piper and wrestling in general!

My friend loves it

The definitive book on the career & life of the greatest not just personality in wrestling but a good man deep down highly recommend this book.

Nice tribute to an icon that left us too soon, as so many seem to do...

A great emotional journey. My fav wrestler of all time is sorely missed.

It took me 3 days to finish this book I couldn't put it down,enjoy it very much. Goes in depth from his childhood,wrestling,hollywood and Piper's entire life.

Enjoyed this book. Didn't want to put it down. If you like the old school wrestlers this is a book to buy. Enjoyed hearing about Roddy & his story.

Thank you for a great book. It was a great read on a wrestling legend and a great person. Highly recommend

Roddy was one of the most entertaining of all time.

great read great book

Amazing book about an amazing life! This book made me feel like I truly knew this legendary figure. I came in a big fan and came out a bigger fan.

I was a huge Piper fan during the 80's and was really touched by this biography. I appreciated the background and human side portrayed by his children and others interviewed for the book. Really well written.

Very good book

A very well put together collection of stories about the life of one of my favorite people. Sometimes funny sometimes sad all good.

Awesome. Life & times of Rowdy Roddy Piper. Big fan, you are missed,RIP.

I love HOT ROD!!! What can I say?

as a fan of piper and being half Scottish myself I found it to be a excellent book I would deffinitly recommend it

Great read

Great book, many lessons to be learned from this wonderful story of Roddy Piper.

Loved it. Give Roddy's kids credit for finishing the story their Dad had begun. I think he would be proud of this book.

Loved the stories, and the tribute, it was like being there with Hot Rod-Loved It

Awesome book!

Great book

Very insightful

in great shape

Huge fan of old-school wrestling, and huge Rowdy fan. Sadly, we lost Piper much too soon. I applaud the efforts of his family to get this book to press. It just wasn't one of my favorite WWE books ... And that should be expected since Rowdy was sadly taken from us too soon. If you're a fan of the 80s wrestling, add this to your collection. For me, it's worth owning. Just not as strong in the story-telling department as some of the other WWE books.

Bought this book as a gift for my husband. He loved the book and could not stop giggling while reading it.

Loved it!!

I've finished 25% of this book, I'll probably be stoned for saying this, but so far it's disappointing. Very little actual dialogue about his wrestling, and I think it's his kids recalling the stories. Hoping it will get better the deeper I get into it, but it's not on the same level of the Road Warriors, Bret Hart, Storm's and several others.

Written with love and care with an insider's perspective rarely displayed in most bios, this book made me see "Rowdy" Roddy in a whole new way. His spirit and character shows through, not only in the revealing stories but the telling of it by his own children Ariel and Colt who have displayed great bravery in sharing a side of their father many never knew. As I read this book it struck me just how big a loss we've all suffered with his demise, as no doubt, there were more stories we'll never know, that he would've shared had his time not been cut short. I so wish I could have seen what the future held for this multi-talented, charismatic, courageous soul and am grateful for the window this book provides into a man so many of us were honored to know.

Iconic performer but more importantly class act one of the kindest human beings ever and in an industry where it's rare to find those traits he had them thank you Mr. Piper for your positive contributions to wrestling and I dare say without Roddy Piper there is no success for WWE

One of the best wrestling books deals with his fabulous career and a somewhat tormented personal life. He was a real legend and this book tells succinctly how it happened.

A little bit all over the place, but filled with many interesting anecdotes and history of the wrestling legend. Very good

great story

Awesome read

Love the man and the story

If you are buying this book you are a fan and most likely saw the WWE documentary in 2005. Don't for a second think this is just a written version of that no no no. This really does give you all that made Roddy, if you remember in the DVD he barley talks of his past and really just said he had to get out. You will find out why here. The book is written in a very much informative way expecting you to know of his past major work (WWE, WCW etc) and giving you great info and stories on his past in the independents. His kids wrote this with heap from friends and family but the read is enjoyable and you feel the family is there explaining each year of his life.

One of the better wrestling autobiographies I've read about wrestlers, fantastically written, emotional at times (especially about brother love receiving a message at the end) but overall I think everyone would enjoy this, whether they're a wrestling fan or not

amazing read up there with the best Pro Wrestling books around including Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley & all of the Chris Jericho Books! Rowdys kids did a great job. recommended for any pro wrestling fans!

Excellent

As recommended by the 605Superpodcast, this is a great read with a real depth of information of one of the biggest wrestling stars of the last 4 decades. You get to learn what a complex, driven and genuine person Roddy was. Lots of crazy stories from the road too.

Great read really goes into Roddys history and what he got up to

A very enjoyable biography of an excellent wrestler

Yep good copy and arrived no problem before scheduled date

I thought this book was absolutely stellar and everything that Roddy would want out of a memoir of his life. This book had me smiling as well as fighting back tears the whole way through. It's a story anyone can appreciate, not just wrestling fans because he was really so much more than that. He was a pop culture icon and this account of his life does him true justice. A great read from start to finish.

This was a really great book. Such a unique wrestler. I don't believe the true story of Roddy's upbringing has ever been told and it was fascinating how a guy could go from being such a troubled young man to becoming one of the most successful wrestlers in history. This is a must read for any wrestling fan.

Really good biography on Roddy’s life. I liked it better than his own autobiography. I think the more detailed is his beginnings in life is what I really enjoyed. If you are a Piper fan. This is a must read.

I Loved The Book! If you are any FAN of the HOT ROD or WRESTLING at all, you'll love this book that takes you on a long and painful yet lonely path to the sport of professional Wrestling!

This book is very interesting and very well written. Roddy was one of my favorite wrestlers and I am happy to read his story

Great read especially graduating from the same high school as Roddy Rowdy Piper and being taught by the same teachers with all their memories of the wrestling legend.

Great book! Amazing insight into the career and life of one of the all-time greats in wrestling. A must read for the wrestling fan.

Awesome awesome book.....I read it in a few days. Highly recommend

A Great read if you are and older wrestling fan.

Excellent book! Shipping was super fast! Highly recommend.

Great book.