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Ringmaster
- Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America
- Narrated by: Alyss Weissglass
- Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
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Publisher's Summary
This definitive biography of Vince McMahon, former WWE chairman and CEO, is “riveting, essential reading” (Rick Perlstein, New York Times bestselling author) as it charts his rise from rural poverty to the throne of one of the world’s most influential media empires. Featuring 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 and has helped foment “the worst of contemporary politics” (Kirkus Reviews).
Ringmaster built on exclusive interviews with more than 150 people, from McMahon’s childhood friends to those who accuse him of destroying their lives. “Smart, entertaining, impressively reported, and beautifully written. Wrestling fans will devour it, but everyone who wants to better understand this crazy country and one of its truly original characters ought to read it” (Jonathan Eig, author of Ali: A Life).
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What listeners say about Ringmaster
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Samuel
- 2023-07-15
The definitive wrestling history
As somebody who has absorbed a lot of wrestling history content. I can say with some authority if you only ever read one book on wwe history this is the one.
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- Mikaela Gorman
- 2023-04-17
Concise and comprehensive!
For someone who hasnt sat down and poured through literally every biography, autobiography, unauthorized biography and thousands of hours of interviews scattered across the internet, Ringmaster is a terrific companion to understanding the world of kayfabe, American politics, and the rise of Vince McMahon.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-03-30
Don't waste your time with this.
Please, if you are a true wrestling fan or even if you thought you would learn something about a polarizing figure like Vince McMahon, look elsewhere. There are far more entertaining ways to find out about Vince McMahon, if you don't actually know who he is of course. His story is pretty much known for any wrestling fan and there are no shortage of videos about his controversy. This book is just a copy and paste of every other story thats out there. Couldn't hit refund fast enough with this one.
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- Nicolas
- 2023-03-29
ALL INFORMATION EVERY WRESTLING FAN ALREADY KNOWS!
Absolutely NO NEW INFORMATION, NO ACTUAL INTERVIEWS AND ABSOLUTELY NO INVESTIGATIVE JORNOLISIM
EVERY QUOTE WAS TAKEN OUT OF OTHER WRESTLERS BIOGRAPHIES that everyone of us could've read ourselves! BARELY ANYTHING PERSONAL ABOUT VINCE JUST WWE HISTORY THAT ANYONE CAN WATCH ON YOUTUBE AND A&E BIOGRAPHIES! MOSTLY JUST BASIC WRESTLING HISTORY EVERY TRUE FAN HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR DECADES! IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A STORY ON VINCE MCMAHON YOULL BE HORRIBLY DISAPPOINTED
READ BRETT HEART'S BOOK AND WATCH DARK SIDE OF THE RING AND THE A&E BIOGRAPHIES AND YOULL KNOW EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK
SHAMEFUL JOURNALISM!!!!!! SHAMEFUL WASTE OF MY TIME!!!! And I am a true wrestling fan
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