Pat Laprade has been involved in pro wrestling for 15 years and has contributed to many women’s wrestling promotions, including SHIMMER and Femmes Fatales. He co-wrote Wrestling Observer ’s 2013 book of the year Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs as well as a biography of Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon. He lives in Montreal, Quebec. Dan Murphy has been a writer for Pro Wrestling Illustrated since 1997 and has overseen PWI’s annual female 50 ranking since its inception in 2008. He lives in Buffalo and has written four books on the history of his native western New York. Trained in the legendary Hart Dungeon, Natalya is a former WWE Women’s Champion. She lives in Tampa, Florida.

With rare photographs and an exploration of women’s wrestling worldwide — including chapters on Japan, Mexico, England, and Australia — Sisterhood of the Squared Circle is a priceless contribution to the history of professional wrestling.

Sisterhood of the Squared Circle presents the fascinating history of women’s wrestling, from the carnival circuit of the late 1800s to today’s hugely popular matches. With more than 100 wrestler profiles, find out how backstage politics, real-life grudges, and incredible personalities shaped the business. The careers of many well-known trailblazers, including Mildred Burke, the Fabulous Moolah, Mae Young, Penny Banner, Wendi Richter, Trish Stratus, Chyna, and Lita, are celebrated alongside today’s stars, like Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Bayley.

"I remember years ago I was at the Cauliflower Alley Club and Paul Boesch pointed out Clara Mortensen to me, saying she was the world champion of women’s wrestling before Mildred Burke. At that time, most people didn’t know there was women’s wrestling before Moolah. Boesch told me about names that almost nobody knew or remembered. Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy, in their book, change all that, as they tell the story of how women’s wrestling was born, grew, changed, and had its ups and downs all over the world. Sisterhood of the Squared Circle tells you about the stars of today who you may know and the stars who built the sport but are mostly unknown to modern fans." — Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer

“A concise, yet encyclopedic compendium of the past, present, and future of women's wrestling, Sisterhood of the Squared Circle is an essential addition to the home libraries of astute wrestling aficionados. We give it 4.5 out of five suplexes.” — Pro Wrestling Illustrated

“Pat Laprade and Dan Murphy's Sisterhood of the Squared Circle is full of anecdotes and trivia from over a century of wrestling.” — National Post

“All of the women they feature are written as the powerful, respected warriors that they were then and are now. . . Fighting ‘like a girl’ never sounded so good.” — SLAM! Wrestling

“Informative, entertaining and at times, even heart wrenching, Sisterhood of the Squared Circle is mandatory reading not just for wrestling fans but for everyone. . . Through original interviews and previous research, with a great assist from the critically acclaimed Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling documentary, Laprade and Murphy have made an essential contribution to pro wrestling." — Wrestledelphia.com

“The new book is organized as a series of short biographies of key players; when taken together, they form a tapestry that covers the entire industry.” — Orlando Sentinel

Sisterhood of the Squared Circle is an essential entry in the historiography of women's wrestling, breathing new life into voices that could all too easily have been lost. — I Maintain The Double Foot Stomp Is Silly blog

“Laprade and Murphy have both written extensively about wrestling and their knowledge shows. They have a clear passion for women’s wrestling and have as much interest in modern wrestling as they do in classic wrestling, so the book will appeal to younger fans. . . Laprade and Murphy have a thorough handle on their subject and have produced a valuable resource for anyone interested in the complicated and still changing world of women’s wrestling.” — PopMatters

“Any fan of the sport will find a new appreciation for the feminine aspect of wrestling.” — Shelf Life