Capitol Revolution: The Rise of the McMahon Wrestling Empire

by Tim Hornbaker

The definitive take on the McMahon family’s journey to wrestling domination

For decades, the northeastern part of the United States, better known to insiders as the territory of the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, was considered the heart of the professional wrestling world. Capitol territory — from Boston to Washington, D.C. — enjoyed lucrative box office receipts, and New York’s Madison Square Garden was center stage. Three generations of McMahons have controlled wrestling in that storied building and have since created the most powerful wrestling company the world has ever known.

Capitol Revolution documents the growth and evolution of pro wrestling under the stewardships of the McMahons, highlighting the many trials and tribulations beginning in the early 20th century: clashes with rival promoters, government inquests, and routine problems with the potent National Wrestling Alliance monopoly. In the ring, superstars such as Buddy Rogers and Bruno Sammartino entertained throngs of fans, and Capitol became internationally known for its stellar pool of vibrant performers.

Covering the transition from old-school wrestling, under the WWWF banner, to the pop-cultural juggernaut of the mid- to late-’80s WWF, Tim Hornbaker’s Capitol Revolution is the detailed history of how the McMahons outlasted their opponents and fostered a billion-dollar empire.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Sports

246 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever wonder how the McMahon family became sports entertainment tycoons? It’s all here in Tim Hornbaker’s Capitol Revolution: The Rise of the McMahon Wrestling Empire.

I received a free copy from ECW Press in exchange for an honest review.

Hornbaker goes back, waaaay back, to the beginning of the 20th century to discuss the roots of pro wrestling in the Northeastern United States. From there, he travels through time, spotlighting battles with the government and rival promoters, internal politics among the performers, all the way to the bustling 1980s where Vince McMahon Jr. would establish a death grip on the business, a death grip that still holds today.

At this point, I think half of all the knowledge I’ve learned in my life is made up of obscure pro wrestling history and trivia. That being said, Hornbaker’s look at the dominance of the McMahon family’s WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation) did manage to fill in a lot of gaps. However, I found the writing to be a little dry and some of the subject matter to be a little dull. This is no slight against Hornback as I’m going into this knowing a lot about the business and I tend to sway more toward the modern era of the 70s through to today rather than the early days.

Seeing as we’re probably never going to get a proper Vince McMahon Jr. biography – as long as he’s alive anyway – Capitol Revolution should satisfy those looking for an in depth telling of the McMahon family history and the events that led to their meteoric rise.

Also posted @ Every Read Thing.

Expected Release Date: March 17th, 2015

[Big John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amount of research that must have gone into this book is remarkable. I have been following wrestling since I was a tot and have read several books about wrestling (Titan Sinking, Death Of WCW, Sex Lies and Headlocks etc...) so I felt I had a pretty good grasp of wrestling (At least WWE) history from the 70's onward, but this book did a great job bringing me up to speed exactly how the WWWF was formed.

This book starts in the 1910's and follows the double-crosses, power plays and underhanded tactics that made the industry what we know it as today. It follows a handful of promoters (Including but not limited to the McMahon lineage) representing different regions of the country (Primarily New York, Boston, Chicago and LA) through the decades as they clash with their local athletic commissions, prima-donna champions, the waxing and waning of public interest in their "sport", the federal government, TV networks, and most importantly, each other. The shifting alliances and double-dealing among promoters in every decade seems to be a constant, and one can draw several parallels to the famous Monday Night War era of the WWE/WCW/ECW.

I wish I could give this book a perfect 5 star review. I am grateful everything I learned in this book and will probably re-read it at least once. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this book neglects to show the personalities of wrestlers and promoters that are portrayed in it. I know more about Jess McMahon and Vincent J McMahon's tactics and business dealings than I did before reading this book, but I cannot say I learned much at all about the men themselves. The same goes for many of the wrestlers, who weave in and out of the story abruptly without much more in the way of description than where they were from, their age, and a detail or two about their wrestling style.

Obviously Mr. Hornbaker should be praised for writing this book, which is wonderful resource for anyone interested in professional wrestling. But this is a book about professional wrestling, which is known for it's larger-than-life characters in and out of the ring and I yearned for more information on men like Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz. I learned so much about what they did, but I did not learn about who they were and for me that keeps this book from perfection.

Also, as other reviewers have noted, I do not understand why Hulk Hogan is on the cover (Marketing I assume). He is mentioned maybe twice at the very end of the book.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

The definitive take on the McMahon family’s journey to wrestling domination...

I have been a fan of the WWF/WWE since Hulkamania. I have seen the way the company has changed over those years and have been impressed (for the most part) with the way the McMahon family do business. Which is what led me to wanting to read this book...

I don't really know how I felt about this book. At times, it felt like I was reading a dusty history textbook, filled with names, dates and places that seemingly had nothing to do with the subject of the book. I will admit that by the quarter-mark of the book, I was already considering quitting - it was that dry a read...

Getting beyond that point, it did improve as far as the topic of the book went. We met the first of the McMahon's to get involved in the wrestling circuit. A slow process dragging out the information (which was extremely informative, if not just a little flat in execution) and we finally reached a point where the McMahon's were running the show - from the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation) until the current period.

It does fill in a lot of gaps in the history of pro-wrestling - it is one of the only sports that I know that rarely pays tribute to its former champions (apart from the Hall of Fame) an it was very interesting to read about some of the names that shaped the sport.

All in all, a fascinating account of the last century of pro-wrestling...just a little flat to read at times.


Paul
ARH

[Tyler Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating glimpse into the early-to-middle history of professional wrestling in America, and the way in which it ultimately came under the shadow of one Vincent Kennedy McMahon. The book is mostly focused on the political end of the wrestling world, with its heaviest focus on the owners of the territories that eventually became the NWA, but the thing I found most fascinated was the tidbits about the evolution of the movesets, the booking strategies, and the character work that eventually evolved into the style we now know as the art of pro wrestling. The history is sometimes very rote and dry, unfortunately -- there are long stretches of just discussing how so and so won the belt from so and so and how much so and so earned at Madison Square Garden, without much insight into whys and wherefores -- but when the author delves into the trivia and minutiae, it is nothing less than fascinating. Recommended for any pro wrestling enthusiast who wants to know more about the behind-the-scenes of the medium.

[Art the Turtle of Amazing Girth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The start of this was fine, it told a different story than his other two books, this one was actually about Vinnie Mac and his rise to the top of the wrestling world.
Then, the author decided to re-tell everything he'd said in the previous two books, but from a slightly different POV.
60% of this book is not what is advertised on the cover, it is just a rehash of the birth and fall of the NWA all over again.

I'm very happy I'm done with these books

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad that i finished the book. If you push through the halfway point, the book becomes vastly more interesting.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant historical wrestling book by Tim Hornbaker, definite must read if your curious about the McMahon family and the early days of the WWE. The book briefly mentions some of the other wacky and zany antics in pro wrestling and the corruption of the industry under the National Wrestling alliance, if your curious about the promotional wars his book on the NWA is definitely your next best read.

[Brian Olinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very niche book for only the most serious fans of professional wrestling history. If you fall into this demo, go out of your way to read the book. This is a fascinating account of The history of NYC wrestling and the the rise of the McMahon family’s promotional history. Some really interesting stories and information sourced by the author. A really well-researched book I highly recommend.

[Chip Rickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good history of the WWE and of professional wrestling as a whole. I think there could have been less history of the other companies and more of the WWE after Hogan won the title (which is where the book ends.) Hornbaker has covered quite a bit of that recent history in "Death of the Territories."

[Steven Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pacing and rhythm seem off, but one could really learn about this old pastime.

[Chad Walters-Shantal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember liking this book and enjoying it when I read it. I need to re-read this so I can give a more accurate rating and review.

[Scott Rosser]

I liked this book

This book was easy to read, and getting to know the back story of the early days of wrestling. I highly recommend this book.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best wrestling books I’ve ever read. Not just a history of McMahons in the New York territory, but also tremendous context of the American wrestling world as a whole.

[Paul Sherman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good research, so-so writing. Much more space spent on the time before the McMahons were fully involved in wrestling than on Vince Sr.'s later heyday of the 1970s.

[Sam Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Capitol Revolution offers an in-depth look at the New York-Washington territory in the 20th century, focusing on the three generations of McMahon promoters who controlled the territory, leading to Vince McMahon and the WWF's dominance of the industry in the 1980s. More in-depth and narrowly focused than David Shoemaker's Squared Circle, Capitol Revolution fills in an important chapter of wrestling history--the chapter which precedes the Rock 'n Wrestling era of the 80s which fans my age remember so fondly.

While on the whole this is a scrupulous and well-researched book, there are a couple of issues. The author's use of unfamiliar terminology, 'matchmaker' instead of the more familiar 'booker,' is curious. Is this the term popularized in the period, or an idiosyncrasy of the author?

Similarly, with all the talk of commissions and governing bodies, it would be nice for Hornbaker to explain just how fixed matches were during this era. Perhaps that's an impossible question to answer--but if so, saying so would allow the reader to use her imagination, instead of wondering if the author himself perhaps doesn't know the answer.

Ultimately, this is a valuable piece of wrestling scholarship, and the author has done an admirable job in bringing to life this neglected chapter in the story of pro wrestling. I'm glad this book exists.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you call your book "The Rise of the McMahon Wrestling Empire" and have a picture of Hulk Hogan on the cover, you might expect the book to be about Vince McMahon conquering his rivals through shady dealings and risky business. Instead this is a history of professional wrestling on the east coast and LITERALLY ENDS when Hogan wins the championship in 1982.

So what do you learn about Vince? Well, as other reviewers have stated, this is like a history text. You're going to hit the events of the various eras but learn little of the personalities of these men. So while I can say that I know quite a bit about the career of "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers as this point, I can't tell you much about what he was like as a person. That's not what I'm into personally--I'd really like a book that supplements this that supplies the "color commentary" so I know a bit about the boys. I know a lot about how power changed hands in Madison Square Garden and how the NWA worked along with the territory system.

Good, but incomplete.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good book on the history of professional wrestling, from the early days to the entertainment spectacle it has become today. The title is a bit misleading, however, as there is a lot more to the book than just the reign of the McMahons in the industry. All other wrestling leagues, such as the National Wrestling Association (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) are covered as well.

What makes this book stand out in my mind is the extensive research on professional wrestling in the first half of the 20th century. Even avid fans will most likely learn about new personalities they did not know about before. It might be a hard book to follow for casual or non-fans but for the hard-core fan, this will be a book to pick up.

[Delta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I respect a well-written, well-researched book and that's exactly what this is. While I'm not a huge wrestling fan, I can see why some people would find the sport interesting. This is by no means a biography; it is most definitely a history of the industry through the 20th century with brief descriptions of the people involved. If you are expecting to get to know the important figures and wrestlers, then this is not the book for your. Still, it is excellently written and structured.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**