Carl Lanore's Review of Muscle Smoke & Mirrors

Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors, Vol. I by Randy Roach

Dear Mr. Roach,

Muscle Smoke & Mirrors. I've finished reading it. That's good in that I can finally recapture a large part of my life that was dominated by the reading of your book. I eventually had to keep it out of sight because I'd pick it up, start reading it, and unbeknownst to me a couple of hours would slip by. It's not good because my friend, Norm Komich, who loaned it to me (I've since purchased my own copy.) has informed me that you have not yet published Volume II. I'm sure I'll be delving into Volume I at times until I have my hands on Volume II.

Randy, during my 57 consecutive years in the Iron Game (competitive Olympic lifting, powerlifting, and strength training in general) yours is the most remarkable, absolutely extraordinary work of a focused niche of cultural history, Iron Game or otherwise that I have ever read. A "magnum opus" it is indeed. The style is obviously totally captivating, arresting, and at times stunning in its information and disclosures. Written as it is at a college level, the referencing puts its credibility beyond question. In short, it transcends the specific bodybuilding genre; it's a social commentary and as such I consider it a most valid inclusion to any list of required reading for the student of cultural anthropology, most certainly one studying this particular (peculiar?) segment of 20th century American society.

You've penned a definitive comprehensive, masterful piece of work. A historical legacy in itself, certainly worthy of citation by writers of American society of the 20th century.

Personally speaking, so many of the years 1951-1963 came back to me via Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors that had my wife not been here to occasionally distract me while reading it, I might well have slipped into a mental time warp until daylight of the next morning. SCARY!

My sincerest congratulations on Volume I, Randy. I await Volume II. EAGERLY!

And WOW! It sure is entertaining.

Cheers,
Richard G. Abbott

Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors