James Dixon, Lee Maughan, Benjamin Richardson, Justin Henry (Foreword)
Lulu.com, 2015
Paperback, Ebook
Titan Shattered: Wrestling With Confidence and Paranoia is James Dixon's (History of Wrestling) follow up to the acclaimed Titan Sinking. Whereas Titan Sinking chronicled the ups and downs (mainly downs) of the WWF in 1995, Titan Shattered picks up where its predecessor left off and brings readers through the tumultuous timeline of 1996. This is the latest of a number of books written or co-written by James Dixon who is a member of the History of Wrestling staff and is part two of a proposed three part series. A complete list of their publications including their Raw Files, Superstar Series and Video Guides is available on the group's website.
This book is very similar to the first in terms of style and flow. Those who enjoyed Titan Sinking will not be disappointed. Dixon again provides a very thorough look at a period of change in the WWF. Again, the author successfully presents readers with a complete narrative of a 12 month period in WWF history, yet not one that is plagued by too many superfluous details or unimportant facts. One by one, Dixon presents the events and their conclusions in a chronological order. While there is a lot to digest due to the company's constant state of (de) evolution, the book has a great flow that will keep readers interested and informed. Again, Dixon and the History of Wrestling team deserve kudos for their extensive research and presentation. Perhaps even more than Titan Sinking, this book effectively uses sources when providing differing perspectives on the happenings of the WWF at the time.
Naturally, some readers will prefer Titan Sinking or the eventual follow up piece. Whereas the first book had a clear focus on the failures of 1995, Titan Shattered, as 1996 was a huge year for changes in the wrestling industry as a whole, has more issues to deal with and is less concentrated on one aspect of the promotion. Though the author does very well slaying each dragon, some may prefer a more concentrated piece as a few parts of the book require the narrative veering to behind the scenes of WCW. While some may question this, others will argue that it is near impossible to tell the story of 1996 WWF without providing a broader industry wide context.
Titan Shattered, like its "prequel" is very highly recommended.
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