Iceman: My Fighting Life
by Chad Millman, Chuck Liddell
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Book Reviews of Iceman: My Fighting Life
Book Review: www.knucklepit.com
Summary: 5 Stars
ICEMAN: My Fighting Life
by Chuck Liddell with Chad Millman (Dutton Books)
© Marc Wickert October 1, 2008
www.knucklepit.com
UFC former Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell delivers 303 pages of full-contact writing here, starting from his childhood when he was raised by his mother, Charlene, and his grandparents. Whilst the Iceman calls his father "the guy I would refer to as the sperm donor", his grandfather `Pops' was the man who initially taught Chuck how to handle himself.
In ICEMAN: My Fighting Life, Liddell reveals everything from how he was inspired to get his first Mohawk haircut after attending a Slayer concert to how he first linked up with John Hackleman and John Lewis, and the impact they've had on his fighting career and his life.
Chuck pulls back the curtain and invites the reader to take a guided tour with him into the lifestyle of one of the world's most successful ultimate fighters. There are also some personal views of MMA's most successful promoter, Dana White, and how Dana and the Fertitta brothers gathered up the UFC pile of ashes, then picked up the pieces and created the world's fastest growing sport.
Although ICEMAN: My Fighting Life is regarded as an autobiography, there are stacks of helpful tips from the Octagon legend throughout the book, including `My thoughts on how to throw a knockout punch' and Chuck's weekly training program.
Chuck even talks about the many, many women in his life and gives advice to young guns on `How to impress your girlfriend'.
ICEMAN: My Fighting Life definitely gets Knucklepit's tick for excellence.
Book Review: A man can never have too many belts
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes, WOW is right. Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Chuck "The Iceman " Liddell tells it all. Excellent book, very detailed, and would highly recommend to any Chuck fan or MMA fan.
Chuck is not only one of the greatest fighters ever to step into the octagon, he is down to earth, a good father, and a loyal friend to those who know, work and train with him. Money, fame and fortune has not changed him and his love for fighting. He would be just as content fighting in his backyard for free to prove he is the best.
One of his most intriguing fights he talks about in detail that I was amazed by his courage and toughness was the Vale Tudo Championships in Brazil. A brutal thirty minute war with Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons, whose record at that time was 13-2. Chuck's only second career fight and he beats a heavily favored veteran fighter in his own back yard. No rounds, no gloves, no breaks, very few rules. Not many men as determined or as brave as Chuck would take on such a challenge. When Chuck saw Pele the next day, he said his face looked like the Elephant Man's.
Quote from book. "Winning that fight earned me my first magazine cover. Naturally, it was Full Contact Fighter. It also put me on the international map as a mixed martial arts threat. Most important, it helped me realize what I could do in the ring. I knew I had the talent to go far in this sport."
And far he did, winning the UFC LHW title in 2005 against Randy Couture, and defending it four times. After watching his incredible performance against Wanderlei Silva on December 29, 2007, I believe he will win his title back soon.
Book Review: The Iceman Cometh ... and smites his Opposition
Summary: 4 Stars
MMA icon and Mohawk-coiffed Chuck Liddell offers his first person autobiography in "Iceman." After reading the pathetic Matt Hughes book - "Made in America" - Hughes makes Liddell seem like freakin' William Shakespeare. "Iceman" is a highly entertaining read if you are a MMA fan, regardless of whether or not you are a Liddell fan. Liddell's rise in MMA has roughly paralleled the emergence of MMA as a fringe activity - "human cockfighting" - to a more mainstream sport.
You get the inside story of Liddell's training methods, his preparations for his fights, what it's like to be on the set of "The Ultimate Fighter" and his friendship with Dana White. Chuck Liddell comes off to me as a fairly carefree happy go lucky guy who doesn't get too high after wins or too low after losses. He is no saint, and after reading the book you might suggest that his nickname not be "Iceman" as much as "Swordsman."
The story is not complete, of course. At age 37 or 38, Liddell may have a few fights left in him. The book was written before he beat Wanderlei Silva in December 2007. If Liddell's career continues as long as Randy Couture's, he may have to sharpen the pencil for a sequel.
If you are an MMA fan, you will enjoy and savor this self-portrait of a modern day gladiator.
Book Review: Lot's of inside information
Summary: 5 Stars
This book was everything the Matt Hughes effort wasn't. Liddell speaks in detail about his fights, his overall strategies, and specific tactics against particular opponents. The man comes across as likeable and intelligent. He does us a favor by sparing us stories of his childhood years, and skips right to the meat of the book.
I learned a lot of interesting things; Dana White trained at the same gym as Chuck Liddell - so did the Fertitta brothers. Liddell lost his manager because of a disagreement over TUF2 - the man thought he should have been paid more money and Chuck realized this was necessary both for the sport and his recognition. The UFC launched their TUF reality show completely on their own dime and then pitched it for free to any network willing to take a chance! These are the kinds of things I really wanted an insight into and Liddell's book delivers in spades. The Matt Hughes book, in contrast, gave me nothing.
I wasn't a fan of Chuck's prior to reading this novel, but I am now. It's obvious that he cares passionately about the MMA game and I hope he manages to recapture the LHW belt.
Book Review: Very entertaining but lots of filler
Summary: 4 Stars
Have never been a big Chuck Liddell fan - I always felt he was overrated; seeing him get destroyed by Quentin Jackson in Pride kind of confirmed my feeling - but I enjoyed this book immensely. Lots of good stories told throughout - though he does repeat one or two - and plenty of detail on his fights. I was definitely entertained - I read the last 200 pages of the book in a single sitting, something I never do anymore.
My only knock would be that there's lots of filler or empty space throughout. The book is divided into a whopping *47* chapters (one of which is a single page!) Each chapter comes with a blank page. So right away you've got 47 pages of nothing in a 300 page book. The chapters also include a half-page header on them that's essentially worthless - so another 23 pages of nothing. 70 pages of nothing in a 300 page book is a lot, IMHO.
Still, that criticism is only enough to knock the book down to 4 stars. This is an excellent read for any fan of Liddell or MMA in general. Recommended.