The captivating story of how The Sheik captured the imagination of a generation, conquered the wrestling business, and lost it all in a blaze of flame and glory He was the most vicious, bloodthirsty, reviled villain in the history of the ring. During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, he drew record crowds everywhere he went and left a trail of burned and bloody opponents in his wake. He was The Sheik: the mysterious and terrifying madman from Syria whose wanton destruction and mayhem are the stuff of wrestling legend. But what those legions of fans screaming for his head never knew was that The Sheik was really Eddie Farhat. From Lansing, Michigan, and the son of Arab immigrants, Farhat served his country proudly in World War II and was fulfilling the American dream through hard work and tireless dedication to his craft. And when he wasn't screaming unintelligibly and attacking his enemies with sharp objects, he was busy being the owner and operator of World Wide Sports, one of the most successful wrestling companies in North America. This is Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling's Original Sheik. For a half-century, the Sheik terrorized fans and foes, becoming wrestling's most feared villain. Yet away from the ring, Ed Farhat was a veteran, family-man and businessman whose real life was shrouded in mystery. For the first time, Blood and Fire tells the whole story. Brian R. Solomon is an educator and the author of several books on sports and entertainment. He is a regular contributor to Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Inside the Ropes, and the co-host of the PWI Podcast. For seven years, he was an editor for WWE. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and son. "I have never learned more about any pro wrestler from any single book than I did from the tour de force that is Blood and Fire. The veil of secrecy the Sheik shrouded his life and career in has been lifted by Brian Solomon's painstaking research. A book on pro wrestling's most mysterious figure has never been attempted; now that one has finally been written, it can be followed. Like its subject, this book is one of a kind. Wrestling fans should read it twice." - Jim Cornette, Wrestling Personality and creator and host of the Jim Cornette Experience Podcast Sales and Market Bullets - Full of never-before-heard facts about the Original Sheik, including historical context and fresh perspective on the impact he had on the business of wrestling. - The Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame posthumously in 2007 by his nephew Sabu and Rob Van Dam, who he trained. He also notably trained Muhammad Ali before the famous boxer-versus-wrestler match with Antonio Inoki in 1976. - The Sheik played a major part in developing the modern-day hardcore style of wrestling, which led to ECW and the wrestling revolution of the 1990s. His relevance as a wrestling figure cannot be overstated. - A co-host of PWI podcast and a former editor for WWE Magazine, Solomon had unprecedented access to those who knew kim, working with him, and were trained by him, including Terry Funk, Kevin Sullivan, Tommy Dreamer, Fred Curry, Al Snow, Rob Van Dam, Bill Apter, Dave Meltzer, Dave Burzynski, Bobby Davis, Killer Tim Brooks, and Terry Dart. - The Original Sheik wrestled in Japan throughout the 1980s, mainly with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling. He wrestled his last match in Japan, in 1998, at age 72. Audience - For readers of The Eighth Wonder of the World and Masters of the Ring: The Biography of Nature Boy Buddy Rogers - Wrestling fans new and old, especially collectors - Wrestling historians and nostalgia fans

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