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Kamala Speaks
This is the KINDLE eBook edition with extra chapters and extra pictures not available in the print version. It is the life story of a WWE pro-wrestler who overcame very real obstacles like murder, racism and losing both legs to diabetes. Kamala "The Ugandan Giant" was a tribal, monster-like character that wrestling fans feared everywhere in the 80s & 90s. Never speaking once during his 30 year career, we finally hear what it was like for James Harris to wrestle headline matches in every major promotion, against Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, The Undertaker, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, The Ultimate Warrior and more. After traveling the world, he now ironically looks out his back kitchen window each day from a wheel chair, immobilized as a victim of diabetes. "Kamala Speaks" is a story of inspiration; a wrestling-memoir loaded with touching anecdotes, humor and insight. It is not an angry/bitter tale told from someone harping on missed opportunity, but rather one of survival and hope for all.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2015
14 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
James Harris
390 books3 followersLibrarian Note:
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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 2, 2015
A straight forward look into the life and career of one of the most impactful and influential big men in the modern wrestling era. James and Kenny spend very little time with the "I was born and raised" stuff and get right to the meat and potatoes, the wrestling (which is pretty much what we all came for).
Each chapter has its own tone. Some are hard, insightful looks into Kamala's times in Continental Wrestling Association, Mid-South Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, England, Mexico, Japan, his three runs in the WWF, his brief time in WCW and the independents. Other chapters are filled with amusing and funny stories from the road involving Kamala and his friends (and not quite friends). If you're looking for laughs, dirt, or stories about Andre the Giant's legendary drinking (and pooping), you've come to the right place. Other chapters are straight-on serious, dealing with a tough upbringing, racism, family tragedies and health issues.
This was indeed a labor of love and the hard work put into this book has definitely paid off. I know this sounds cliche but this is a "must read" for any wrestling fan, especially those of us who grew up in the 80s and for younger fans wishing to get a glimpse at how things were back then. Kamala was one of the most unique and memorable wrestlers of that era and this book is a great document of his storied career.
Each chapter has its own tone. Some are hard, insightful looks into Kamala's times in Continental Wrestling Association, Mid-South Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, England, Mexico, Japan, his three runs in the WWF, his brief time in WCW and the independents. Other chapters are filled with amusing and funny stories from the road involving Kamala and his friends (and not quite friends). If you're looking for laughs, dirt, or stories about Andre the Giant's legendary drinking (and pooping), you've come to the right place. Other chapters are straight-on serious, dealing with a tough upbringing, racism, family tragedies and health issues.
This was indeed a labor of love and the hard work put into this book has definitely paid off. I know this sounds cliche but this is a "must read" for any wrestling fan, especially those of us who grew up in the 80s and for younger fans wishing to get a glimpse at how things were back then. Kamala was one of the most unique and memorable wrestlers of that era and this book is a great document of his storied career.
May 18, 2016
Pretty much the book version of a shoot interview. The co-author's hand gets a little heavy at times ("The use of these emergency communication systems predated any sort of mobile telecommunications" totally sounds like something a dude from the Mississippi delta would say). It also gets a little mean at times, as wrestlers are known to do ("The bleach-blond bottom heavy pig was pounding seeds like no tomorrow"). Generally pretty easy and fun, though, and I loved that Kamala loves the Mid-South territory as much as me. I selected this as an "easy read" in between Wuthering Heights and Faulkner, and I'd recommend that you do the same.
February 23, 2016
Those that know me know I'm a wrestling fan, especially from 1970s-1990s era (I write quite a bit on wrestling on my blog page), and like reading wrestling books. At first I was skeptical of this book, but this was an enjoyable surprise.
A little backstory is that the man that plays Kamala (James Harris) lost both of his legs to diabetes and the author decided to fund raise money to publish the book to help cover his medical costs. Harris was not the typical wrestler who lost his money by elaborate spending or on drugs, like some other older wrestlers may have done with their career. Harris tells in his book how he would not be paid more money, like other wrestlers, when they wrestled in main event matches, his pay was close to the same whether he opened the card or was in the last match.
There are great stories in the book, from funny road stories to mishaps in the ring, to locker room brawls he saw between the wrestlers. He tells how his original character , with the idea of Memphis booker Jerry Jarrett and Jerry "The King" Lawler created the Kamala character from Uganda, and first calling him "Kimala." Harris talks about how the legend of Andre the Giant being sch a nice person was false (even almost pulling a gun on Andre and carrying a knife into the ring when he wrestled him), to finding out that his pay was the same throughout his WWF/WWE career when he wrestled Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, or Jake Roberts.
The Kindle version has a few extra chapters, which includes how the book was funded, written by the author, which was very interesting, to several wrestlers writing their comments about Harris and his Kamala character, which is a great bonus. Also, thanks to Jim Cornette, there is an extra section of photographs of Harris from Cornette's personal collection.
This was a very good read, even though at times Harris seems to talk about the race card more than I care to read, but this was common throughout the wrestling world in that era. Even though he talks about it a lot, it does not come off as whining ,so it is not that distracting, as opposed to several other wrestling books.
This was a great read and entertaining. Harris was a great villian who did sell out places like Memphis, Mid South, and even main evented cards in the WWF/WWE, yet still drove a truck on his off time. This is a great story that wrestling fans need to read.
A little backstory is that the man that plays Kamala (James Harris) lost both of his legs to diabetes and the author decided to fund raise money to publish the book to help cover his medical costs. Harris was not the typical wrestler who lost his money by elaborate spending or on drugs, like some other older wrestlers may have done with their career. Harris tells in his book how he would not be paid more money, like other wrestlers, when they wrestled in main event matches, his pay was close to the same whether he opened the card or was in the last match.
There are great stories in the book, from funny road stories to mishaps in the ring, to locker room brawls he saw between the wrestlers. He tells how his original character , with the idea of Memphis booker Jerry Jarrett and Jerry "The King" Lawler created the Kamala character from Uganda, and first calling him "Kimala." Harris talks about how the legend of Andre the Giant being sch a nice person was false (even almost pulling a gun on Andre and carrying a knife into the ring when he wrestled him), to finding out that his pay was the same throughout his WWF/WWE career when he wrestled Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, or Jake Roberts.
The Kindle version has a few extra chapters, which includes how the book was funded, written by the author, which was very interesting, to several wrestlers writing their comments about Harris and his Kamala character, which is a great bonus. Also, thanks to Jim Cornette, there is an extra section of photographs of Harris from Cornette's personal collection.
This was a very good read, even though at times Harris seems to talk about the race card more than I care to read, but this was common throughout the wrestling world in that era. Even though he talks about it a lot, it does not come off as whining ,so it is not that distracting, as opposed to several other wrestling books.
This was a great read and entertaining. Harris was a great villian who did sell out places like Memphis, Mid South, and even main evented cards in the WWF/WWE, yet still drove a truck on his off time. This is a great story that wrestling fans need to read.
February 22, 2022
The story of Kamala is mostly sad, and James Harris deserved better; in wrestling, life, and especially editing. The tone of this typo-ridden book is very Jekyl & Hyde, and I'm guessing the awful jokes and some of the mean-spirited takes are those of collaborator Kenny Casanova, who should have spent less time trying to be Mick Foley, and more time proofreading.
March 25, 2015
If your only view of James "Kamala" Harris was his character on tv prepare to be blown away. The most insightful and truthful wrestling book ever written. Nothing was held back in this amazing man's life. I hope many upon many of you will feel the same way after you have read this amazing book.
January 2, 2026
I believed.
I had to. I was twelve years old when I first saw Kamala, and professional wrestling was still real to the vast majority of us. Many of the pro wrestlers who wrote down their thoughts for this book were right. Kamala the Ugandan Giant may have been the greatest gimmick of all time. He played it so damn well.
As with most modern wrestling biographies, this one is full of the behind-the-curtain stuff most of us never knew about, the ribs (practical jokes), the shifty promoters, the long car rides, the poor paydays. Sadly, Harris' story also has more than its fair share of racism attached to it, from those bad payoffs to the days when promoters kept one token black man on the roster so he could at least check the box for demographic variety on his card every night. For black wrestlers like Harris, there was no merit system. Oftentimes when he called a promoter to ask for a job it was, "Sorry, we already have a black guy." How stupid.
Harris burst onto the scene for me when he reached World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. WCCW expanded into various markets in the early 1980s and that meant Saturday mornings in the northeast. His entrance, the fact that his handlers had to keep him from charging into the audience, his lack of ability to speak English, these factors all contributed to him seeming like the real thing. In a world of super heroes and super villains, Kamala absolutely fit the latter role. He was an uncontrollable wild man intent on destroying whatever good guy was placed in his path.
And the more that I think of it, it wasn't hatred we had for him. It was fear. When he faced the Great Kabuki during the Parade of Champions in Dallas, despite the fact both wrestlers were heels, there was no question for who I was rooting. I hated Kabuki. He was evil personified. Kamala was just an unstoppable beast. I immediately started cheering for Kamala.
As much as I knew about a public figure like Kamala, even coming to know he was just a guy from Mississippi as kayfabe broke for good, there were many things I didn't know about James Harris. This book digs deeply into some heartbreaking family matters, though for long stretches such affairs are kept quiet. In the end, though, I feel like I knew Harris, which is, of course, the goal of any biography.
I'm sad that he's gone, and for the way that the last decade or so of how his life went. I'm glad the WWE elected him into their Hall of Fame, though I wish Harris was around to see it happen.
And I'm glad that after all these years, I finally got to hear Kamala speak.
I had to. I was twelve years old when I first saw Kamala, and professional wrestling was still real to the vast majority of us. Many of the pro wrestlers who wrote down their thoughts for this book were right. Kamala the Ugandan Giant may have been the greatest gimmick of all time. He played it so damn well.
As with most modern wrestling biographies, this one is full of the behind-the-curtain stuff most of us never knew about, the ribs (practical jokes), the shifty promoters, the long car rides, the poor paydays. Sadly, Harris' story also has more than its fair share of racism attached to it, from those bad payoffs to the days when promoters kept one token black man on the roster so he could at least check the box for demographic variety on his card every night. For black wrestlers like Harris, there was no merit system. Oftentimes when he called a promoter to ask for a job it was, "Sorry, we already have a black guy." How stupid.
Harris burst onto the scene for me when he reached World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. WCCW expanded into various markets in the early 1980s and that meant Saturday mornings in the northeast. His entrance, the fact that his handlers had to keep him from charging into the audience, his lack of ability to speak English, these factors all contributed to him seeming like the real thing. In a world of super heroes and super villains, Kamala absolutely fit the latter role. He was an uncontrollable wild man intent on destroying whatever good guy was placed in his path.
And the more that I think of it, it wasn't hatred we had for him. It was fear. When he faced the Great Kabuki during the Parade of Champions in Dallas, despite the fact both wrestlers were heels, there was no question for who I was rooting. I hated Kabuki. He was evil personified. Kamala was just an unstoppable beast. I immediately started cheering for Kamala.
As much as I knew about a public figure like Kamala, even coming to know he was just a guy from Mississippi as kayfabe broke for good, there were many things I didn't know about James Harris. This book digs deeply into some heartbreaking family matters, though for long stretches such affairs are kept quiet. In the end, though, I feel like I knew Harris, which is, of course, the goal of any biography.
I'm sad that he's gone, and for the way that the last decade or so of how his life went. I'm glad the WWE elected him into their Hall of Fame, though I wish Harris was around to see it happen.
And I'm glad that after all these years, I finally got to hear Kamala speak.
March 27, 2024
If you had told me that the autobiography of a cannibalistic Ugandan professional wrestler would move me to tears multiple times, I would have told you you were crazy.
I grew up watching James Harris brilliantly portray the character of Kamala, and the mix of his intimidating presence and flawless comedic timing as Kamala struggled to figure out how to pin his opponent, encountered technology, wailed and cried his way through interviews with Mean Gene, made him a favorite with my friends and I.
There are some great behind-the-scenes stories here, but the real revelation was learning about his struggles with racism, pay inequality, and finally his own health.
His friendship with Koko B. Ware is absolutely beautiful, and the few instances where it was mentioned brought me to tears. Koko was another favorite of mine, and he seems like a really great guy.
The book is ghostwritten terribly by Kenny Casanova, who claims to be an English teacher and a Fulbright Scholar, but the grammar and sentence structures are often impenetrable, and I had to read more than a few sentences over and over to try to decipher what he was try to say. But the story of James Harris was worth the struggle.
James Harris passed away in 2020, and I wish I had read this book before his death, so I could have reached out and thanked him for the smiles he brought me throughout his career. He truly lived the gimmick, and he will be missed.
I grew up watching James Harris brilliantly portray the character of Kamala, and the mix of his intimidating presence and flawless comedic timing as Kamala struggled to figure out how to pin his opponent, encountered technology, wailed and cried his way through interviews with Mean Gene, made him a favorite with my friends and I.
There are some great behind-the-scenes stories here, but the real revelation was learning about his struggles with racism, pay inequality, and finally his own health.
His friendship with Koko B. Ware is absolutely beautiful, and the few instances where it was mentioned brought me to tears. Koko was another favorite of mine, and he seems like a really great guy.
The book is ghostwritten terribly by Kenny Casanova, who claims to be an English teacher and a Fulbright Scholar, but the grammar and sentence structures are often impenetrable, and I had to read more than a few sentences over and over to try to decipher what he was try to say. But the story of James Harris was worth the struggle.
James Harris passed away in 2020, and I wish I had read this book before his death, so I could have reached out and thanked him for the smiles he brought me throughout his career. He truly lived the gimmick, and he will be missed.
April 26, 2024
I've been a longtime fan of Kamala, or more appropriately, James Harris. Having been familiar with the basic details of his tragic downfall near the end of his life, I had immense respect for him as one of the all-time underappreciated heels of pro wrestling. He also has been incredibly outspoken throughout his career on the injustices he had faced in the industry, and his 2014 autobiography Kamala Speaks did not disappoint. Kamala packs his entire life story into what is very evidently a passion project for the giant, ranging from hilarious road stories to incredibly tragic stories about his family and his double amputation and subsequent poverty. Kamala is an incredibly earnest, personable storyteller and it translates so incredibly well in this book. He may be one of the liveliest wrestling authors I've covered so far. This was also the debut of noteworthy wrestling book publisher Kenny Casanova, who really gives fans bang for the buck with a slew of photos and additional comments and stories from Kamala's peers. It's truly a shame that Kamala never got the appreciation or success he deserved, but I'll honor him as one of my favorite wrestling authors by far.
October 4, 2017
Thought it was really good. I'm a wrestling fan and remember his matches with The Undertaker. I didn't know much about him so was looking forward to reading this. Shocking how badly he was treated with regards to payoffs considering how good he was and how he was in main events everywhere he went once he became Kamala. Personally I think Vince McMahon should help James Harris out with his medical bills considering all he did for the WWE. Unlike some he didn't do drugs and was never an issue to work with as you'll find out if you get this book.
January 9, 2025
Fun read for what it was. Sad to hear how screwed over he was by promoters, especially Vince McMahon, but not too surprising really. The wrestling business has always been a business where they used up who they could and spit them out when they no longer need them. They don't think about the individuals only the bottom line for the company. It boils down to what the wrestler can do for the company at that time. Dollars.
May 16, 2018
Too bad Mr Harris never earned what he deserved
I have and continue to read stories from wrestlers who made their living in the ring traveling through territories.
Good read and recommend to any classic fan.
I have and continue to read stories from wrestlers who made their living in the ring traveling through territories.
Good read and recommend to any classic fan.
May 23, 2020
Wow
Cathartic..
Honest and definitely not sugar coated. Well written with a sense of personal parthesis that is often missing from sports biographies
Cathartic..
Honest and definitely not sugar coated. Well written with a sense of personal parthesis that is often missing from sports biographies
March 6, 2015
"Kamala Speaks" is a must-read for professional wrestling fans everywhere, a book that deserves to be a New York Times bestseller every bit as much as (if not more so than) other pro wrestlers' autobiographies such as Mick Foley's, Jerry "The King" Lawler's, Brett "Hit Man" Hart's, etc. Skillfully co-written by Kenny Casanova (who did occasional stints in the independent circuit as Kamala's mysterious masked "handler" Kim Chee), it details how James Arthur Harris overcame many adversities, such as abject poverty, a 9th grade education, and especially being born and raised in the disgustingly racist Jim Crow-era South (to put things in historical perspective, James turned 18 the year MLK was assassinated), en route to his wrestling career, starting off as "Sugar Bear" Harris (a lingering nickname from his high school football days) and getting mentored by old school greats like Bobo Brazil and Mil Mascaras, before becoming the legendary Kimala (the spelling of the moniker as originally envisioned by Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett) and Kamala (James' own creative turn with the character's name) the Ugandan Giant. Early on in his career, James/Kimala/Kamala also had to deal with and overcome racism amongst promoters, fellow wrestlers, and fans alike (and in the case of Puerto Rican fans, not necessarily racist, but just incredibly obnoxious and scary).
A highly readable, articulate, and entertaining book, with never a dull moment, filled with triumph (winning the Southern and USWA heavyweight titles, enthralling millions of fans via prime-time TV and Pay-Per-View matches against mega-stars like Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker)and tragedy (getting screwed out of much deserved pay for wrestling matches and merchandise alike, the senseless and brutal murder of his baby sister Hester and niece Shandra, his diabetes and eventual amputation of both legs, ending both his wrestling and his truck-driving careers) alike.
The book is also filled with laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes, from Andre the Giant's literally crappy personality, to Jake "The Snake" Roberts' devious serpentine practical jokes, to Harvey Wippleman's knack for nausea under stress, to getting poetic justice by (ahem) "exposing" an overly frisky female fan in a chapter titled "You Show Me Yours."
"Kamala Speaks" is also very uplifting and inspirational, as despite all of the aforementioned adversity, financial and physical alike, James/Kamala has maintained an incredibly faithful and positive attitude: "'Life is overcoming the obstacles that get in your way'....But I just 'keep on keeping on.' No matter how difficult the obstacle life has thrown my way, I have found the courage to overcome." (p. 36) OutSTANding attitude and work ethic!
Last but not least, I would like to note that all proceeds from the sales of this book go toward Mr. Harris' medical bills. Also, via http://www.kamalaspeaks.com , you can get a copy of the book autographed by both Messrs. Harris and Casanova. A very worthwhile cause!
A highly readable, articulate, and entertaining book, with never a dull moment, filled with triumph (winning the Southern and USWA heavyweight titles, enthralling millions of fans via prime-time TV and Pay-Per-View matches against mega-stars like Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker)and tragedy (getting screwed out of much deserved pay for wrestling matches and merchandise alike, the senseless and brutal murder of his baby sister Hester and niece Shandra, his diabetes and eventual amputation of both legs, ending both his wrestling and his truck-driving careers) alike.
The book is also filled with laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes, from Andre the Giant's literally crappy personality, to Jake "The Snake" Roberts' devious serpentine practical jokes, to Harvey Wippleman's knack for nausea under stress, to getting poetic justice by (ahem) "exposing" an overly frisky female fan in a chapter titled "You Show Me Yours."
"Kamala Speaks" is also very uplifting and inspirational, as despite all of the aforementioned adversity, financial and physical alike, James/Kamala has maintained an incredibly faithful and positive attitude: "'Life is overcoming the obstacles that get in your way'....But I just 'keep on keeping on.' No matter how difficult the obstacle life has thrown my way, I have found the courage to overcome." (p. 36) OutSTANding attitude and work ethic!
Last but not least, I would like to note that all proceeds from the sales of this book go toward Mr. Harris' medical bills. Also, via http://www.kamalaspeaks.com , you can get a copy of the book autographed by both Messrs. Harris and Casanova. A very worthwhile cause!
January 10, 2016
This is the story of Kamala. And it really does cover his whole life, from his early days growing up in the south, to his discovery of professional wrestling and his training. The majority of the book deals with his journeys through the territories, then finally making it to the WWF for several runs. The real strength of the book is the candid nature of James story telling. He tells the good and bad of his life without holding back. He also tells us a lot of his thought process for each decision he made and direction he took in his life and career. Since this book isn't endorsed by the WWE, we get a lot of backstage stories that wouldn't have been in the book otherwise. Harris talks about those he travelled with, as well as how business gets done behind the scenes. He talks about how despite being used to work with main event stars, he never made close to as much money as those he was wrestling against. It was a very interesting book and a easy read.
November 28, 2015
James Harris aka Kimala/Kamala really put forth an honest and no holds barred account of his life and wrestling career in this book. Lots of interesting stories and definitely funny anecdotes. Even fought back the urge to shed a tear quite a few times throughout. Harris is such a sweet and genuine human being. He definitely pulls no punches in how candid he is regarding his career, in that he's not very worried about how WWE thinks of him. Wishing James Harris good health and good luck with his life and post wrestling career!
July 3, 2021
Just an outstanding piece of work. Aside from maybe a few shoot interviews that almost no one saw, the story of James Harris' life and career was completely unknown. With the help of Kenny Casanova, Kamala's story comes live in vivid color. For someone who was such a huge star, it is a crime how poorly he was treated by the two biggest wrestling companies of his time. If you were a fan of wrestling in the 1980s and early 1990s, this book is a must read.
March 19, 2016
Some great stories about Kamala and a great time period in wrestling history. This book was written for a great cause, raising money for Kamala who was not in good health.
As a result, I am willing to overlook the fact that parts of the book are ripped straight from wikipedia.
As a result, I am willing to overlook the fact that parts of the book are ripped straight from wikipedia.
December 26, 2017
4.5 Stars
I really liked this book! A must read for any wrestling fan especially 80s WWF fans!
James/Kamala is underrated wrestler who had major spots against HOF’s.
After reading this book, he was also grossly underpaid!
Do yourself a favor and read Kamala Speaks!
I really liked this book! A must read for any wrestling fan especially 80s WWF fans!
James/Kamala is underrated wrestler who had major spots against HOF’s.
After reading this book, he was also grossly underpaid!
Do yourself a favor and read Kamala Speaks!
June 21, 2020
It's a good read. I've always enjoyed the behind the scenes of wrestling books. This book is for the casual fan and even the hardcore ones. This book is also for the nostalgia type fans such as myself.
June 15, 2021
If you loved wrestling as a kid, you will love this book. Getting 1st hand stories (good & bad) on my favorite wrestlers was amazing. I felt I was walking around as a wrestler myself in this book.
September 11, 2020
I quoted extensively from this very good autobiography in my Ringer obit for Kamala:
https://www.theringer.com/2020/8/11/2...
https://www.theringer.com/2020/8/11/2...
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews