The first investigative look at the extraordinary - and absurd - history of America's greatest mythological sport through the lives of the men and women who have starred in it A professional wrestler is more than just a sports hero or TV character. He (or she) is a demigod, a cultural icon. And these modern mytholigical characters have had a wider impact on our culture than one would imagine. Film politics, and modern folklore stem from their bravado. As David Shoemaker found while writing his popular columns on Grantlandand Deadspin, the fans of wrestling are numerous, culturally relevant, and profoundly interested in those iconic figures who have moved on to WrestleMania in the sky - and in how they shaped the minds of generations. The Squared Circle- Life, Death, and Professional Wrestlingis both a history of pro wrestling and a paean to its fans who, like the author, grew up worshipping a sport often derided as 'fake' in the wider culture. Wrestling's fans harbor real nostalgia for the sport and its spectacles, like the epic matches between Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt that caaptivated the country in the early 1900s - when wrestling and boxing were still duking it out to be the nation's pugilistic pastime - and the in-ring wedding of 'Macho Man' Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. From the folkloric life of Andre the Giant and the grim human realities suffered by the Von Erich clan to the racial barriers broken down in the South by Junkyard Dog and the Native American stylings of Chief Wahoo McDaniel and Chief Jay Strongbow, The Squared Circlehighlights not only the legends that became the mythology of a century but also the impact they (and the sport) had on the world around them. Shoemaker treats wrestling as the significant pop-culture phenomenon it is and acknowledges both its broader significance and wrestling fans' intelligence and sense of irony while fully exposing and exploring its myth-laden history, including the legends of the superstars, the misconceptions about the craft, and the fact that fans have always been in on the sport's fakery. 'Since the earliest days of pro wrestling,' he writes, 'the sport's otherworldliness has been its calling card.' Throughout the book, the stories of the wrestlers' weird lives and often bizarre deaths vividly illustrate the clash of wrestling's painful reality with its peculiar unreality. And by looking past the spandex and body slams,The Squared Circleshows how the offscreen world of wrestling is almost as fantastical as the one on-screen. 'Few people write about anything as well as David Shoemaker writes about pro wrestling. And if you're the type who dismisses it as a 'fake' sport, just know that this awesome book contains real characters, real betrayals, and very, very real death. That's great reading.' Drew Magary, author of Someone Could Get Hurtand The Postmortal 'If you believe that pro wrestling is not a sport, then you've never read David Shoemaker. No one else so ably demonstrates the real-life drama and competition that takes place between the lines of the scripted action. No one else shows how true this fake world can become for the fans, promoters, and, yes, pro wrestlers who practice the trade. If you are a fan of sports and entertainment or the murky world in between, you will devour this riveting book. And if you believe pro wrestling can't produce top-shelf sports writing, then, yes, you've never read David Shoemaker. He's the CM Punk of the genere, a.k.a. 'The Best in the World.' Dave Zirin, author of Game Over- How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down 'This is undoubtedly the best book about professional wrestling I've ever read. And I hate to admit this, but I've read many books about professional wrestlin