INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"Riveting, essential reading." --Rick Perlstein, author of
Reaganland
The definitive biography of Vince McMahon, former WWE chairman and
CEO, charts his rise from rural poverty to the throne of one of the
world's most influential media empires--and features never-before-seen
research and exclusive interviews with more than 150 people who
witnessed, aided, and suffered from his ascent.
Even if you've never watched a minute of professional wrestling, you are
living in Vince McMahon's world.
In his four decades as the defining figure of American pro wrestling,
McMahon was the man behind Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, "Stone Cold" Steve
Austin, John Cena, Dave Bautista, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, and Hulk
Hogan, to name just a few of the mega-stars who owe him their careers.
For more than twenty-five years, he has also been a performer in his own
show, acting as the diabolical "Mr. McMahon"--a figure who may have more
in common with the real Vince than he would care to admit.
Just as importantly, McMahon is one of Donald Trump's closest
friends--and Trump's experiences as a performer in McMahon's programming
were, in many ways, a dress rehearsal for the 45th President's campaigns
and presidency. McMahon and his wife, Linda, are major Republican
donors. Linda was in Trump's cabinet. McMahon makes deals with the Saudi
government worth hundreds of millions of dollars. And for generations of
people who have watched wrestling, he has been a defining cultural
force.
Accessible to anyone, regardless of wrestling knowledge, Ringmaster is
an unauthorized, independent, investigative chronicle of Vince McMahon's
origins and rise to supreme power. It is built on exclusive interviews
with more than 150 people, from McMahon's childhood friends to those who
accuse him of destroying their lives. Far more than just an athletics or
entertainment biography, Ringmaster uses Vince's story as a new lens
for understanding the contemporary American apocalypse.
