informative reflective medium-paced

Absolutely amazing. As soon as I picked it up, I knew I wanted more. I plan on picking up Josie’s book on Stan Lee while I eagerly await her McMahon sequel.
Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, Josie is an incredible writer and this book will suck you in.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark informative medium-paced

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
vellichora's profile picture

vellichora's review

1.75
dark informative medium-paced

Overall, it's a well-researched book that might be illuminating for those unfamiliar with Vince McMahon, but for those who have followed his company and/or the industry, it doesn't bring anything new to the table.

I was expecting Riesman to recount the last two decades in more detail. Whereas Vince's life is covered extensively from childhood through 1999, the years between 2000 and 2022 are condensed almost perfunctorily in a single chapter titled "Coda." There's more to the story during that period that could've been fleshed out.

Topics such as Vince's purchase of his two main competitors—WCW and ECW—and the resultant monopoly are glossed over. Others, such as the XFL fiasco, the Invasion storyline and the deterioration then repairing of Vince's relationship with Steve Austin, are absent entirely. And that's just up through 2002.

The narrator does a poor job and her performance leaves a lot to be desired. She mispronounces words and names, betraying her unfamiliarity with the story she's performing. Her tone and inflections are more suited to library storytime for children than a serious historical account. This was especially glaring when the book recounted some of the more sensitive topics, such as sexual assault. I rated this edition one star lower because of her performance.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark informative medium-paced

Overall, it's a well-researched book that might be illuminating for those unfamiliar with Vince McMahon, but for those who have followed his company and/or the industry, it doesn't bring anything new to the table.

I was expecting Riesman to recount the last two decades in more detail. Whereas Vince's life is covered extensively from childhood through 1999, the years between 2000 and 2022 are condensed almost perfunctorily in a single chapter titled "Coda." There's more to the story during that period that could've been fleshed out.

Topics such as Vince's purchase of his two main competitors—WCW and ECW—and the resultant monopoly are glossed over. Others, such as the XFL fiasco, the Invasion storyline and the deterioration then repairing of Vince's relationship with Steve Austin, are absent entirely. And that's just up through 2002.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings