Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America
Sports biography, Business and economics, Sports and games
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NPR&’s 2023 Books We Love &“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.