Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America

This revelatory biography of Vince McMahon, the promoter who launched the careers of Hulk Hogan and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, argues convincingly that pro wrestling can explain contemporary America. Journalist Riesman (True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee) surveys McMahon’s life and career, touching on his abusive upbringing in North Carolina; reunion with his estranged biological father, the promoter for the Capitol Wrestling Corporation; and succession to the top of that organization, now the WWE. McMahon’s ambitious leadership of an enterprise built on its audience accepting a falsehood—that matches are not staged—cuts a chilling parallel to the political arena, Riesman notes, as antivax and election denial movements increase their influence. Longtime Donald Trump collaborator McMahon’s own political ties (his wife chairs a pro-Trump Super PAC) and checkered record running the WWE (allegations of rape and unfair labor practices, a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince) help Riesman’s thesis come down from the top rope: “There is no art form more intrinsically and blatantly American—in its casual violence, its bombastic braggadocio, its virulent jingoism, its populist defiance of respectability, and its intermittently awe-inspiring beauty—than professional wrestling.” It’s a knockout. Agent: Ross Harris, Stuart Krichevsky Agency. (Mar.)