WWE 50

by Kevin Sullivan

From the creators of the official WWE Encyclopedia, WWE 50 gives you the behind-the-scenes knowledge to become the ultimate WWE fan!

Learn the Real Story Behind Key Events in WWE History:

The split from the National Wrestling Alliance.

Controversial figures and events from all eras.

National expansion and the perilous risk involved.

The legal and financial strife that nearly devastated WWE.

Triumph in the Monday Night Wars.

Innovations of WrestleMania, Raw, SmackDown, Survivor Series, and more!

With Stunning Visuals and Insider Commentary.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Biography

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2014

About the author

A graduate of Fairfield University, Kevin Sullivan began his sports-entertainment career in 1998 when he accepted a position within WWE. Over the course of the next decade, he played an integral role in WWE.com’s content creation process, most recently as the site’s Content Director. He also served as managing editor of WWE’s Raw Magazine.

Sullivan left WWE on a full-time basis in 2008, but continues to work closely with the company’s publishing department. His first book, the WWE Encyclopedia, became an instant hit and peaked at No. 8 on the New York Times best sellers list. From there, Sullivan teamed with Simon & Schuster to put out The WWE Championship: A Look Back at the Rich History of the WWE Championship. The 320-page narrative tracks wrestling’s most prestigious prize from its first days in 1963 all the way up to today.

Sullivan also wrote the New York Times best-selling WWE 50 book and co-authored the second edition of the best-selling WWE Encyclopedia. Additionally, Sullivan has penned seven children’s books for WWE, including biographies on Undertaker, John Cena, and Big Show.

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

World Wrestling Entertainment just surpassed their fiftieth anniversary and what better way to celebrate their history than with a massive coffee table book! Author Kevin Sullivan (no, not that Kevin Sullivan) takes the reader from the promotion’s early beginnings as Capitol Wrestling Corporation to the boom period of the 1980s, to the envelope-pushing programming of the late 1990s, all the way to the global media presence they are today.

Full color splash photos coupled with rare shots of items like Vince McMahon’s handwritten schedule from the tenth WrestleMania, early event programs, and throwback merchandise make this book a visual treat. Aside from the main narrative text, Sullivan inserts quotes from legendary performers and current-day grapplers. If you’re a big, big fan of the industry, there’s probably very little that you’ll learn but if you’re anywhere from a casual fan to a newcomer, it’s a great way to kill a few afternoons.

One thing worth noting is the consistent hypocrisy from Vince McMahon in regards to the Monday Night War. As we all know, history is written by the victors and when the dust settled on the battlefield for pro wrestling supremacy in 2001, Vince McMahon and WWE stood tall. However, the same thing is reiterated here just as it has been in prior documentaries, interviews, and books; the employees of WWE cried foul when it came to the fiercely competitive World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and their architect Eric Bischoff.

You see, the professional wrestling landscape we all know today is not what it used to be. Each promotion controlled a set space in the United States (and Canada) and was therefore responsible for bringing wrestling to the masses in their allotted divisions. However, in the 1980s when Vince McMahon took the reins from his father and purchased the then WWF promotion, he decided he wanted to be the defacto presence in the wrasslin’ industry. He embarked on an ambitious campaign across North America to buy out his competitors and offer exclusive contracts to the nation’s hottest performers.

What WCW and Eric Bischoff did in the mid to late 90s was essentially the same thing. Fortunately for Bischoff, he had the ultra-rich Ted Turner bankrolling these massive contracts he offered to main event level WWE stars, luring them to his promotion. Now WCW used lots of other dirty tactics as well (including giving away the odd taped results of Monday Night RAW) but the ability to steal talent and use their established star power was their bread and butter.

While I've always been a hardcore WWE fan as far back as I can remember and I’m glad that they won over that disorganized mess, it’s hard to find any sympathy for a man who essentially did the same thing to everyone else in the country. I always cringe when I read/hear about this stuff because it’s simply not a valid complaint. Essentially, you reap what you sow.

[SAM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This counts!

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book on a whim at a bookstore. I was chasing my 1.5 year old son through the store when the big shiny golden "WWE" logo on the cover caught my eye. So the book's cover definitely is eye catching, and the inside is just nice to look at. There are tons of big colorful pictures throughout. Some picture choices and locations do seem somewhat arbitrary, though, as they don't always add anything to the words and only feel loosely connected. The huge page size adds to the epic feel of the events and wrestlers depicted in the photographs.

So the book looks pretty. The actual content, the words detailing the 50 year history of the WWE, is hit or miss. I wish there was more about the regional days of the company. As much as I love the Attitude Era and understand its importance in saving and expanding the WWE, I think most people reading this book are already familiar with that era. The pre-Wrestlemania days, though, are more shrouded in mystery since there was obviously much less media coverage back then and very little video library. Still, the history included in this book is great and puts a lot of names and territories into context. The map illustrating the old territories is fantastic; it really puts into perspective all the names I've heard and read about over the years.

Another "miss" for the content is the rundown of every single Wrestlemania. There are several very important, very good Wrestlemanias but not all of them deserve this level of attention, especially to the detriment of including other material. Simply highlighting the one or two big matches from each Wrestlemania doesn't warrant wasting space listing all the other matches the cards.

One more "miss" is the 14 pages dedicated to a line graph illustrating the ratings for Nitro and Raw during the Monday Night War. That's a full 6% of the book containing nothing but a red line, a black line, dates, and random pictures. Not the best use of space.

As much as those misses detract from the book, overall the content is very satisfying (maybe even Stratusfying?). The writing itself is clear, easy, and quick to read. Every major wrestler in WWE is given a spotlight. The origins of the two major shows, Raw and Smackdown, are detailed. The competition with and eventual annexation of WCW is laid out completely. Even ECW gets a little section of its own, although it only goes over ECW's reincarnation within WWE, otherwise ECW is not discussed unfortunately.

There is definitely enough here to entertain fans of all types, casual to hardcore. Just don't expect a complete history lesson of the entire 50 years.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to acompany the DVD. If you are a WWE fan and you want to know more about its history then this is a must have. It chronicles the last 50 years of the WWE perfectly.

I Recommend these other books:

WWE 30 years of Wrestlemania
WWE Encyclopedia 3nd Edition
WWE Ultimate Superstars Guide
WWE RAW The First 25 Years
WWE The Attitude Era

And you have the perfect library of history on the WWE.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would loved to have seen a full memorial section, although it did mention Chris Benoit and Owen Hart. A must see book for wrestling fans!

[Theo Girvan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vincent Kennedy McMahon

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but VERY ODD! As a long time aficionado of Pro Wrestling, it is always interesting to see how history gets re-written based on who is in charge or currently succeeding. But given the current wrestling landscape, you would think that the WWE would be able to overlook perceived slights and accurately portray their own history. How a historical book could cover the modern "Attitude Era" while giving so little mention to Mick Foley and Trish Stratus was astounding. You'll see slight mention of each and the occasional photo where they appear, but are not the focus, but you will not find any real breakdown or exploration of the career for either WWE Hall of Famer despite each being part of enormous success of the company at a time they were being destroyed by WCW. Add in too that Mick Foley had multiple legendary matches (like his Hell in the Cell Match against the Undertaker) and helped usher in the Hardcore Title (and era), I could not help but wonder what recent petty spat had him removed from the company's history. And for Trish Stratus, as an individual that truly elevated the entire Women's Division from titillating T&A antics into a period where numerous brilliant ladies showcased their amazing wrestling skills (Trish, Lita, Mickie James, Molly Holly, Jacqueline, Ivory, among others) and helped pave the way for all of the outstanding female performers that are not just working, but headlining today. And those two were just the most obvious cases. And when you notice omissions like that, you cannot help wonder what else is being whitewashed which causes you to lose confidence in how the history is being presented. So it is a very lovely book with lots of fantastic photos and details, but key omissions hurt the overall credibility for a book that positions itself as a historical account.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look back for fans of wrestling across the ages. Great photos, some cool stories behind big moments and characters. Slight demerits for being a little too laudatory of WWE's place in history (granted, it's their publication, but still) and for the staunch refusal to admit that the WWE was once the WWF - I know they lost the ridiculous court case against the World Wildlife Fund, but it's weird to have the WWF moniker basically erased from history.

[Chico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic for any Wrestling fan

[LinzP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me back!!!

[Stephen Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celebrating over 55 years of WWE superstars, with a free Topps trading card!!!!!

[Cass Novosel · Rating 4 out of 5]

'WWE 50' by Kevin Sullivan is a wonderful book that gives you a visual and written account of the fifty year history of the WWE. It shows you in-depth what the WWE was, is, and forever will be. This book is full of facts, pictures, and actual comments from stars in the WWE. This book is great if you want to learn more about the WWE in the beginning, in the golden age, the attitude era, and present. I thought this book was extremely helpful and taught me more about the WWE. This book shows you what the past of the WWE was like and for people like me who did not grow up in the golden era or the attitude era. It shows you what it was like and how each era brought you the WWE that we know and love now. 'WWE 50' shows you how wrestling started as a small promotion created by Vincent J. McMahon to a world renown, multimedia wrestling show. This book is extremely helpful for projects or if you are new to the WWE and want to learn more about its history, how it started, and pretty much anything you want to know about the WWE. This book is awesome and other than wrestling, it shows the WWE as a company that helps in charity, produces movies, toys, and books, and a leading company in the economy. This book deserves its four star rating, because even though it is not like a biography of the WWE, it is a visual representation of what really is the WWE. This book is truly a dictionary for the past fifty years of the WWE and I think anybody who is into the WWE and just pro wrestling in general should read this book.

[Cash · Rating 3 out of 5]

It really is interesting, but of course you get a somewhat skewed view as to what happened. I particularly liked the quotes from different wrestlers/personalities talking about particular things as they actually had some negative things to say where it was warranted. If you're a big wrestling fan, check it out. I personally prefer the Midnight Express Scrapbook though.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWE are 50 years old and have brought this Excellent (Giant) Book out to celebrate the history. To look back and review the last 50 years.
This is a little Guilty pleasure for me and I Really enjoyed looking and reading through this book.

[Ben Atwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history on WWE

Great starting point for those looking to get a brief and picturesque overview of WWE history. invested fans will get a kick out of it for sure.

[John Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good overview of the history of WWE.

[Kurt Zisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice coffee table book with great pictures and archives of WWE History. Somewhat incomplete but still an easy and fun romp.

[Tiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look into some of the history of the WWF/WWE. Great for collectors.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly pictures, but still a good read for a raining day. I did like the photos of inside WWE's corporate headquarters.

[Kaitlyn Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book from the moment I started it. The book talks about the history of WWE and how it went through great and tough times.

[Paul Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first quarter of the book with the older history stuff. The more recent stuff didn't really hold my interest much.

[Steven Spoelstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan for thirty years so this one was a shoe in for me. Great pictures and stories.

[Sahaand]

I think it is
a goood book

[Tyler lynch]

Tyler