Archive for the 'Book Reviews' Category

Sam Sheridan’s first book, A Fighter’s Heart, has become a favorite of MMA enthusiasts since its 2007 release. It chronicled Sheridan’s travels around the world, training and talking with many of the fight games’ biggest names, on a quest for insight on what drives them to win — and to find his own “fighter’s heart.” Along the way were stops with Brazilian Top Team in its heyday, a stint with Fairtex in Thailand, where he fought a Muay Thai bout, and a time in Iowa, including an MMA bout, under the tutelage of Pat Militech.

Last month, Sheridan released his follow-up, A Fighter’s Mind, where he turns his focus on the mental game of the world’s fighters and trainers. He describes it as “a gift back to the fighters who gave me so much in the first book. A book for fighters, and we are all fighting something.”

Sheridan spent a few moments with Total-MMA to talk about the book last week.

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More than a month has passed since his death in Brazil, but sadly, we still don’t know what really happened to Arturo “Thunder” Gatti. It remains uncertain as of this writing if he died of suicide, as Brazilian authorities ruled, or if a full autopsy which has begun by Canadian officials will reveal he was murdered by his wife, as was first suspected.

What is clear is that he will be missed in many circles, one of which includes the opponent Gatti was most associated with, “Irish” Micky Ward. Last year, Ward was the subject of a book from longtime Boston sportscaster Bob Holloran, Irish Thunder. It offers a strong if not quite perfect portrait of its strong but never perfect subject, and particularly of the trilogy with Gatti which defined Ward’s career.

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There have been a ton of autobiographies from MMA champions released in the last year or so. Here at Total-MMA we have reviewed releases from legendary champions (and controversial figures) like Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, and my favorite of the bunch, Chuck Liddell. Forrest Griffin, a good-but-not-legendary-fighter who has avoided any controversy in his career, may strike you an odd choice to offer a worthy addition to that MMA library. You’d be right on all counts: his “Got Fight?” which was released by HarperCollins a few months ago, is a worthy addition, and… it’s a pretty odd one.

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Critics continue to rave about Total MMA. See for yourself at your local bookstore or buy online.

MMA Payout

“Total MMA. The title itself comes off with a touch of hubris at first glance. The depth and breath of MMA is held with this book’s 400 odd pages, eh? But shortly into the book, it is clear that author Jonathan Snowden has presented probably the most complete look at the sport offered so far, something that is made even more enjoyable by the infinitely readable way the book is presented. The book gives depth and context to the watershed moments in MMA, but without going to the point of minutiae. While his tome is packed with information, Snowden is able to present his information in a matter of fact but reader friendly narrative that makes the thick-ish book a surprisingly quick read.”

411Mania

“Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting, written by Jonathan Snowden, accomplishes its goal of telling the history of the sport in an easy-to-read and entertaining manner. Most important of all, the book is informative and detailed with pages of references that provide Snowden a factual basis so you can be sure he is not writing fiction out of thin air.”

AngryMarks.com

“Snowden covers all aspects of MMA’s development with equal care, from the rise of vale tudo in Brazil and worked shoots in Japan to the refinement of a pankration style of fighting in the US as Olympic wrestlers sought other means of making a living when their Olympic dreams ended or faded away. The U.S. story is much better known and told than the other stories in this book but that doesn’t make Snowden’s coverage any less exhaustive or fascinating to read, particularly during UFC’s “dark days” when they weren’t on cable and were barely available via satellite.”

Twoshedsreview.com

“Hand on heart, I really can’t speak too highly of this book. Snowden has done a great job in documenting what is the fastest growing sport in the world today, and it’s a great read. In fact, I have to admit that I felt a little sad when I finished reading it.”

PWIPOP

“This book is easily the definitive piece of work detailing the history of mixed martial arts and should be read by anybody with even the smallest interest in MMA.”

More Reviews after the Break
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As the sport of Mixed Martial Arts grows, as does the public’s interest with the fighters, the personalities and the history of the sport. Of course, to meet that demand that means that publishers are going to start to demand books on the subject are available. With that being said, Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting by Jonathan Snowden sets itself away from the rest of the pack by doing what nobody else has done; present a thorough history of Mixed Martial Arts dating back to the inception of Judo and everything else leading up to modern Mixed Martial Arts. Not only is it the information that sets Total MMA apart, but the narrative style and passion the writer has for the sport of MMA.

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A few years ago, Jonathan Snowden, an attorney-turned-soldier in the US Army, looked for a substantial book on the rise of mixed martial arts.

Unable to find one, he wrote one himself.

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It’s another polished performance for the “Golden Boy.”

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In this new and comprehensive history of MMA find out:

The origins of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and why the Gracies try so hard to obsure them.

Just how crazy the Lion’s Den was (Hint: pretty crazy)

Which MMA promotion is owned by the descendants of mafia entrepreneurs?

How close was Zuffa to giving up on MMA entirely?

Which country boy went from box office bust to the sport’s best bad boy.

How MMA came into prominence in Japan. And how it fell from favor.

And more…..

The Wrestling Observer calls Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting “The best book on the real history of MMA that I’ve seen…The book is thorough and honest…This book really is so great I couldn’t put it down.”

Ask for it at your local bookstore or order online.

From Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The best book on the real history of MMA that I’ve seen will be released next month, called “Total MMA,” by Jonathan Snowden, published by ECW press. The 400-page book dates MMA back to the days of the fathers of judo, Jigoro Kano and Mitsuya Maeda (better known in some parts of the world as Conde Koma). Maeda did a lot of pro wrestling and carnival con style wrestling in North America, and wound up in Brazil, the original teacher of Carlos Gracie. It covers both the Japanese, Brazilian and American history of MMA up to the present including the ups and downs of the early UFCs, the heyday of Pride, the modern era up through the build-up of Lesnar vs. Couture. The book is thorough and honest and tells, at least over the 15 years that I know how things evolved. It doesn’t run from the pro wrestling connection, and goes into the UWF movement that preceded true shooting, and covers the first generation of Pancrase largely for what it was and wasn’t. This book really is so great I couldn’t put it down and this week I hardly had any time to be reading a huge book. I don’t necessarily agree with all the conclusions but agreed with the vast majority, and understand where he was coming from on all of them. It’s a thorough history dating back to the turn of the 20th century, covering the heydays in Brazil, Japan and major UFC opposition groups over the past 15 years in North America.

Total MMA is available in stores the first week of December. Perfect holiday gifts…I assure you.

Anyone reading Total-MMA.com will know at least some of the Randy Couture story, but his recently published memoir, Becoming the Natural, which landed on the NY Times best seller list last month, may offer a surprise. Always lauded as an inspirational figure, Couture’s book, co-authored by longtime MMA journalist Loretta Hunt, ends up surprisingly downbeat.

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