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Wrestling With the Devil: A Story of Sacrifice, Survival and Triumph from the Hills of Naples to the Hall of Fame
Wrestling with the Devil follows a Southern Italian boy, Antonio Russo, on a journey across nations and into the far reaches of his soul. He is separated from his family at the age of ten and placed alone on an ocean liner in the Bay of Naples- sacrificed for his parent's dream of a better life. In Italy Antonio runs through the fields, works on his family's farmland, and roasts chestnuts over the fire in the evenings with his grandmother. But his parent's goal was to rise from the impoverished life they were living. They found a way to do this but it would mean parting with their eldest child. They did the unthinkable, and thus begins the journey of this young boy's life.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 4, 2016
This book took forever to finish, but it was life getting in the way and not the book. I really seem to gravitate to memoirs from the POV of immigrants to America who are grateful and genuinely love America. I love how they don't turn their back on where they came from and their family and who they are, but they still assimilate to live the American dream. I guess I love reading about when the "melting pot" idea comes out right.
America gets beat up a LOT in the press and the world in general seems to look down on us and laugh at us. With this election cycle, who can blame them? But it hurts to be so disrespected by others, so it's nice to see people from outside of America come here and really appreciate this wonderful country. We're not all bad. Not all angels either, but I don't think we deserve being so looked down upon as if we are the devil.
I am only giving this book four stars and not five, because while the beginning was quite built up and fleshed out, the ending seemed very rushed. His childhood, which was really quite interesting, felt more real than his adult years when he became a wrestling coach. I loved reading about his family and their life together and their strong work ethic. His mom sounded truly amazing and I wish I could have met her and tasted her food!
I am not overly into wrestling, but even I, who live in a cave and under a rock, recognized some of the names of the people he trained with. Very impressive and so interesting how life can turn out.
I would definitely recommend this book to wrestling fans and to those who are interested in reading about an immigrant experience coming to America. He didn't come over yesterday, so it's more history than current affairs, but I love reading about history and learning from it, so this worked for me. Highly recommended, 4 solid stars!
My thanks to NetGalley and Gemelli Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
America gets beat up a LOT in the press and the world in general seems to look down on us and laugh at us. With this election cycle, who can blame them? But it hurts to be so disrespected by others, so it's nice to see people from outside of America come here and really appreciate this wonderful country. We're not all bad. Not all angels either, but I don't think we deserve being so looked down upon as if we are the devil.
I am only giving this book four stars and not five, because while the beginning was quite built up and fleshed out, the ending seemed very rushed. His childhood, which was really quite interesting, felt more real than his adult years when he became a wrestling coach. I loved reading about his family and their life together and their strong work ethic. His mom sounded truly amazing and I wish I could have met her and tasted her food!
I am not overly into wrestling, but even I, who live in a cave and under a rock, recognized some of the names of the people he trained with. Very impressive and so interesting how life can turn out.
I would definitely recommend this book to wrestling fans and to those who are interested in reading about an immigrant experience coming to America. He didn't come over yesterday, so it's more history than current affairs, but I love reading about history and learning from it, so this worked for me. Highly recommended, 4 solid stars!
My thanks to NetGalley and Gemelli Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
June 16, 2013
I am a massive wrestling fan. From the classic wrestling era to now, I'm always interested in seeing just what drives them to put their bodies on the line night in and night out.
This book is different. In fact it's more than different. It's much more than a wrestling book. It's a book about one man's massively inspirational journey through life and I have to admit that this is one of the best books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Go to http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs... to read the full review of this amazing story.
This book is different. In fact it's more than different. It's much more than a wrestling book. It's a book about one man's massively inspirational journey through life and I have to admit that this is one of the best books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Go to http://curiosityofasocialmisfit.blogs... to read the full review of this amazing story.
June 23, 2013
This book is THE reason the IOC needs a reality check on their consideration of dropping wrestling as an Olympic sport! The sport gave young Antonio something to grab hold of as he struggled with his new life in America. It is what allowed him to rise above and make something of his life. Not only did he excel in the sport but he committed himself through the sport of wrestling to inspire others!
July 11, 2012
This book is all about surviving the process of becoming American against all odds. It's a great story by an author who is honest and who remembers how things felt.
I know nothing about wrestling and I don't think I have ever even seen a whole match, but I even liked learning about wrestling! It was, after all, his key to open the doors that lead from blue collar to white collar life. Talent is talent.
From the author's foreword, I gather that Grandpa/Nonno is the legend giver in his family and I can see why. I read this story straight through without stopping to eat or sleep. I found it very satisfying and almost comforting in its openness.
I was relieved that in the last pages of the book we are told what became of Antonio, who and how he married and how his co-author came about. Great job, you two. Thank you for your tale.
I know nothing about wrestling and I don't think I have ever even seen a whole match, but I even liked learning about wrestling! It was, after all, his key to open the doors that lead from blue collar to white collar life. Talent is talent.
From the author's foreword, I gather that Grandpa/Nonno is the legend giver in his family and I can see why. I read this story straight through without stopping to eat or sleep. I found it very satisfying and almost comforting in its openness.
I was relieved that in the last pages of the book we are told what became of Antonio, who and how he married and how his co-author came about. Great job, you two. Thank you for your tale.
July 23, 2012
Although not the kind of book I usually read, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The story is told with such skill that I had a hard time putting the book down. It chronicles the life and fierce determination of a young immigrant, his struggles and his triumphs. I highly recommend it.
August 20, 2014
Wrestling with the Devil is an autobiography written by a mature man, Antonio Russo, with the help of his daughter, looking back on his well-lived life. Mr. Russo has overcome obstacles that only a few of us can say we've shared. He was an immigrant to America at the age of ten, without his parents and sibling.
The fearlessness, physicality and competitiveness the author had exhibited since childhood, inherited from his father's side of the family, combined with the hyper-competitive spirit from his mother's side of the family, to create in the author a dynamic energy that he, at times, had difficulty controlling. American coaches spotted these traits early on and wisely directed the author into competitive sports. The author found wrestling, a sport he excelled at.
I found it fascinating to read the mindset of an athlete. How does it feel to be so competitive? How does working up a sweat feel like therapy? It is foreign to me.
There is an underlying sadness throughout the book, a feeling of loss for the communal and family life in Italy. Just like many immigrants in the past and today, the desire for wealth and an easier life cost Antonio his family, for a time, and his peace of mind, for a long while.
Wrestling with the Devil is very well written, with the engaging first-person narrative voice of Antonio Russo. The text is clean of errors, and it is stylishly presented. I enjoyed every word of it! A wonderful read!
Read the full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
The fearlessness, physicality and competitiveness the author had exhibited since childhood, inherited from his father's side of the family, combined with the hyper-competitive spirit from his mother's side of the family, to create in the author a dynamic energy that he, at times, had difficulty controlling. American coaches spotted these traits early on and wisely directed the author into competitive sports. The author found wrestling, a sport he excelled at.
I found it fascinating to read the mindset of an athlete. How does it feel to be so competitive? How does working up a sweat feel like therapy? It is foreign to me.
There is an underlying sadness throughout the book, a feeling of loss for the communal and family life in Italy. Just like many immigrants in the past and today, the desire for wealth and an easier life cost Antonio his family, for a time, and his peace of mind, for a long while.
Wrestling with the Devil is very well written, with the engaging first-person narrative voice of Antonio Russo. The text is clean of errors, and it is stylishly presented. I enjoyed every word of it! A wonderful read!
Read the full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
August 12, 2013
From my book review blog at:
http://kickinbooks.wordpress.com/2013...
Through NetGalley, I was provided a copy of this book by Gemelli Press for the purposes of reading and review it. While it was provided to me at no cost, I am under no obligation to provide a positive review.
This book was done in a very relaxed narrative style with Hamilton telling the story of her father in his voice. I am a fan of that method, as it doesn’t feel as stilted as some memoirs or biographies.
Born in Italy to an Italian father and a mother with dual American and Italian citizenship, Russo was sent to America when he was ten to live family. Since he was born to a mother with American citizenship, his parents wanted him to establish his permanent American citizenship, and at the time he had to live in the United States for five years prior to his eighteenth birthday.
The trials Russo experiences during the trip to America by boat are enough to make you want to throttle the “family friend” who was supposed to look out for him, but essentially ignored Russo for the duration of the trip. For the first few months in America, Russo is bounced from family to family as each is encumbered with feeding, housing and clothing an extra mouth in post-World War II New York. Eventually, Russo ends up in Portland, Oregon, with an uncle, where he lives for several years.
A few years later, Russo’s father, mother, brother and sister join him, and the family is reunited in Portland. However, Russo has already on a rough road.
Knowing very little English when he arrived in America, Russo starts behind in his schoolwork and is behind throughout his school years. As a consequence, Russo ends up being a teen who’s not afraid to use his fists to solve a problem.
Being very athletic and having tried many sports, Russo eventually gets involved with wrestling in high school, and a new passion and outlet is found for him. Whenever times are hard and Russo is battling emotional or mental demons, complete exhaustion on the mats is his escape. Not only that, but he develops an aptitude for the sport, competing very well at the high school level.
After graduation, because his grades were average at best and college was not an option, Russo begins working in a local meat market, eventually earning journeyman status. Along the way, Russo’s younger brother Pete competes exceptionally well in high school wrestling, earning a scholarship at Arizona State University.
Once in college, Pete begins working on his coach, encouraging him to give Russo a chance at a scholarship. The coach invites Russo to campus, where he makes the team.
Will Russo do well in college since he struggled in high school? How will he do in competition? Is there anything waiting for him when his wrestling career is over? I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out.
I really enjoyed this story since I love reading stories about people facing challenges and trying to overcome them. While I’m not a big wrestling fan, the author does a good job of not getting too heavy in terminology and details of specific matches, but provides at least enough to tell the story effectively. Plus, as I noted earlier, the relaxed narrative tone makes this an easy, smooth read.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
http://kickinbooks.wordpress.com/2013...
Through NetGalley, I was provided a copy of this book by Gemelli Press for the purposes of reading and review it. While it was provided to me at no cost, I am under no obligation to provide a positive review.
This book was done in a very relaxed narrative style with Hamilton telling the story of her father in his voice. I am a fan of that method, as it doesn’t feel as stilted as some memoirs or biographies.
Born in Italy to an Italian father and a mother with dual American and Italian citizenship, Russo was sent to America when he was ten to live family. Since he was born to a mother with American citizenship, his parents wanted him to establish his permanent American citizenship, and at the time he had to live in the United States for five years prior to his eighteenth birthday.
The trials Russo experiences during the trip to America by boat are enough to make you want to throttle the “family friend” who was supposed to look out for him, but essentially ignored Russo for the duration of the trip. For the first few months in America, Russo is bounced from family to family as each is encumbered with feeding, housing and clothing an extra mouth in post-World War II New York. Eventually, Russo ends up in Portland, Oregon, with an uncle, where he lives for several years.
A few years later, Russo’s father, mother, brother and sister join him, and the family is reunited in Portland. However, Russo has already on a rough road.
Knowing very little English when he arrived in America, Russo starts behind in his schoolwork and is behind throughout his school years. As a consequence, Russo ends up being a teen who’s not afraid to use his fists to solve a problem.
Being very athletic and having tried many sports, Russo eventually gets involved with wrestling in high school, and a new passion and outlet is found for him. Whenever times are hard and Russo is battling emotional or mental demons, complete exhaustion on the mats is his escape. Not only that, but he develops an aptitude for the sport, competing very well at the high school level.
After graduation, because his grades were average at best and college was not an option, Russo begins working in a local meat market, eventually earning journeyman status. Along the way, Russo’s younger brother Pete competes exceptionally well in high school wrestling, earning a scholarship at Arizona State University.
Once in college, Pete begins working on his coach, encouraging him to give Russo a chance at a scholarship. The coach invites Russo to campus, where he makes the team.
Will Russo do well in college since he struggled in high school? How will he do in competition? Is there anything waiting for him when his wrestling career is over? I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out.
I really enjoyed this story since I love reading stories about people facing challenges and trying to overcome them. While I’m not a big wrestling fan, the author does a good job of not getting too heavy in terminology and details of specific matches, but provides at least enough to tell the story effectively. Plus, as I noted earlier, the relaxed narrative tone makes this an easy, smooth read.
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
February 22, 2017
This is about a 10 year old boy you lives in Naples.His parents sent him to America by himself to have a better life.He is tossed around to 8 different relatives homes in New York until an Uncle and Aunt in Oregon take him into their home.They are very good to him and he likes it there but it is very hard for him at school because he doesn't speak English very well.He finds something he really likes to do and that is wrestling.With the help of people he meets and a special coach he becomes very good at wrestling.This is an inspiring story and shows what anyone can accomplice if they try hard enough and with kindness from other people.
May 30, 2014
This story is about a man who at the age of ten was sent from Italy to New York by his family. The first part deals with his struggles of being moved around from one family to another and also having to learn English. When he was 12 he sent across country to Portland Oregon and from there after a few years he started high school a coach came up to him and asked him to try out for wrestling, he did and wrestled for 4 years during that time his parents finally came to the states and after about 2 years they also settled in Portland. His younger brother got into wrestling and by the time he finished high school with his good grades got a scholarship to Arizona State University. After a year the coach asked his brother to have Tony come out for a visit. Even though he had been out of school for a few years he was looking for wrestlers. He ended up beating the 5 guys he went up against but his grades were not good coming out of high school. The coach helped him get a job and enroll in a JC for one year and then reapply, which he did and was accepted, and given a scholarship to wrestle and he also worked on getting a degree. He finished with a masters and became a coach, a wrestling coach and after many years he finally won a state championship as a coach. A really fascinating story. I got this book from net galley.
August 12, 2013
This is truly an amazing story of the human spirit, of adventure, of perseverance, of a man rising above all obstacles and against all odds to carve out his place in America.
In this story you will learn of a young man placed on a ship bound for the United States at the age of ten with no money, no ability to speak English and no guarantee that anyone would even be at Ellis Island to greet him. You will also hear of his early life as a child growing up in Italy, as well as what caused him to gravitate to being a high school teacher and wrestling coach.
Through his eyes, voice and experience he tells an amazing story of overcoming the many obstacles he faced growing up in his new land; of his wrestling matches with the devil, as it were. There are many places where he came to monumental choices about the direction of his life; any one of which could have created an entirely different outcome for it.
I had to keep reminding myself that this is not a novel, but the true story of someone I have had the privilege of knowing for quite some time. Yet, there is so much of this story that I did not know. Hats off to Tonya for recording her father's story with such eloquence and to Tony for sharing his amazing life with us!
In this story you will learn of a young man placed on a ship bound for the United States at the age of ten with no money, no ability to speak English and no guarantee that anyone would even be at Ellis Island to greet him. You will also hear of his early life as a child growing up in Italy, as well as what caused him to gravitate to being a high school teacher and wrestling coach.
Through his eyes, voice and experience he tells an amazing story of overcoming the many obstacles he faced growing up in his new land; of his wrestling matches with the devil, as it were. There are many places where he came to monumental choices about the direction of his life; any one of which could have created an entirely different outcome for it.
I had to keep reminding myself that this is not a novel, but the true story of someone I have had the privilege of knowing for quite some time. Yet, there is so much of this story that I did not know. Hats off to Tonya for recording her father's story with such eloquence and to Tony for sharing his amazing life with us!
February 23, 2016
Book club book for Feb 2014, suggested by Carol J. who went to high school with the subject of the biography, Tony Russo.
Tony was sent to America by himself at age 10 and the author, his daughter, covers the wrenching separation from his family and time spent being shuffled from one relative to another. Just as he was about to be placed in a children's home in New York, an uncle in Portland stepped forward to take him in. Much of the book is set in Portland.
A rebellious and risk-taking boy and young man, Tony found an outlet for his aggression in high school and college wrestling, as well as on a private team sponsored by the Multnomah Athletic Club.
I can appreciate that this book would mean something more to Carol than it will to the rest of the book club members.
Tony was sent to America by himself at age 10 and the author, his daughter, covers the wrenching separation from his family and time spent being shuffled from one relative to another. Just as he was about to be placed in a children's home in New York, an uncle in Portland stepped forward to take him in. Much of the book is set in Portland.
A rebellious and risk-taking boy and young man, Tony found an outlet for his aggression in high school and college wrestling, as well as on a private team sponsored by the Multnomah Athletic Club.
I can appreciate that this book would mean something more to Carol than it will to the rest of the book club members.
September 12, 2015
This was an intriguing Memoir about a young Italian boy's journey from Italy to the United States. At just 10 years of age, he was placed on a ship, alone, to New York where he was entrusted to the care of a variety of relatives. His journey eventually led him to wrestling. While I no nothing about wrestling, and don't care for sports in general, I did enjoy reading about Tony's relationships with his family, friends, and coaches. One can't help but admire this family's extremely strong work ethic and family ties.
March 28, 2015
I found it incredibly hard to get through this book. It's very much a "he said this, I did this, I saw this, we did that" type of book, without any continuity or elegance. I wanted to put it down when I was about 10 pages in, but I try to give books a chance. By the time I wanted to put it down again I had invested too much time and felt I needed to continue. The story itself is interesting and inspiring, but the writing does not do it justice.
July 15, 2015
Wonderful story
As my son's were both wrestlers I really related to this story. It was a great tribute to a family who worked hard and to a young man who never gave up his dream. I truly loved this book and wish I could've met this wonderful family..
As my son's were both wrestlers I really related to this story. It was a great tribute to a family who worked hard and to a young man who never gave up his dream. I truly loved this book and wish I could've met this wonderful family..
June 21, 2015
Great American Story
I chose a 5 because it is a great story of determination and hard work. Well written, easy to read.
I chose a 5 because it is a great story of determination and hard work. Well written, easy to read.
December 26, 2015
Hard to put down
This book is well written and fun to read. A good story about perseverance and growing up. Tony learned to discipline himself and accomplished a lot in his life.
This book is well written and fun to read. A good story about perseverance and growing up. Tony learned to discipline himself and accomplished a lot in his life.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews