The Hardcore Diaries is the third autobiography of New York Times best-selling author and former WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

 wrestler Mick Foley

Mick Foley

Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...

.

History

Foley's original idea for the book was a more behind the scenes look into Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon

Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...

 and the lead-up to WrestleMania

WrestleMania

WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...

. Foley, however, thought it would be difficult to write about the event without actually having a match in it, so he opted to write a journal-entry based book instead.

Content

The book is the third installment of Mick Foley's autobiographical series and begins where the first two books—Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks

Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks

Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks is an autobiography of former World Wrestling Entertainment and TNA wrestler Mick Foley. It details his life all the way from his upbringing in New York to winning the WWF Championship from The Rock in December 1998...

 and Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker than Wrestling

Foley is Good: And The Real World is Faker Than Wrestling

Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker than Wrestling is the second autobiography of wrestler Mick Foley, formerly of WWE and TNA. It details his career from January 1999 until his retirement in April 2000 at WrestleMania 2000...

— leave off. Unlike his other two books, The Hardcore Diaries is set up in a journal or diary-type format. He focuses mainly on his involvement with WWE in 2006, including his match at One Night Stand

ECW One Night Stand (2006)

ECW One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was held on June 11, 2006 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York....

 with Edge

Adam Copeland

Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....

 against Terry Funk

Terry Funk

Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...

 and Tommy Dreamer

Tommy Dreamer

Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...

. It also includes the creative process surrounding the match.

Some of the topics Foley also talks about are his trips with WWE to Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 and Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 and his work with the Christian Children's Fund

Christian Children's Fund

ChildFund, formerly known as Christian Children's Fund and China's Children Fund, is an international child sponsorship group based in Richmond, Virginia, United States...

. He also mentions considering joining Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

 at the behest of his friend Scott "Raven" Levy

Scott Levy

Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...

 in 2005. He also does not shy away from criticizing WWE management.

Reception

The book debuted in the number seven spot on the New York Times bestseller list in the nonfiction category.

The book had mostly positive reviews. Ryan Nation of SLAM! Wrestling

Canadian Online Explorer

Canadian Online Explorer is a bilingual online news and information site from Canada.A subsidiary of Quebecor Media, Canoe.ca is a leading local and national interactive media provider of news, entertainment and services, helping to inform and connect Canadians...

stated, "Overall, the book accomplishes what wrestling is supposed to do, which is to tell a story good enough that leaves fans satisfied yet wanting more." Steve Hughes, however, graded the book a C+ and stated, "Like a real diary, Foley goes from one thought to another. However, some of his thoughts aren't worth the proverbial penny, let alone 2,400 of them."