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About Shaun

Shaun Assael is an award-winning author, magazine writer, and producer. 

He’s also the author of four books: Wide Open, a chronicle of his life on the Nascar circuit; Sex Lies & Headlocks, the New York Times best-selling biography of Vince McMahon; Steroid Nation, which chronicles his decade-long reporting into America’s performance-enhancing drug underground; and The Murder of Sonny Liston, which re-examined the Las Vegas death of the heavyweight champion of the world.

In film, he co-executive produced Pariah, a feature documentary based on his Liston book, for Showtime. His most recent project is a three-part podcast about the life of Wilt Chamberlain, which he wrote and narrates. It will air on Amazon’s Wondery + platform beginning in Feb. 2024.

His latest book (scheduled for late 2024) is a true crime partnership with Dick Harpootlian, the South Carolina state senator and attorney for Alex Murdaugh. He continues to write for national magazines and consult on celebrity biographies.

Author
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Journalist
WINNER: Best Magazine Writing

WINNER: Best Magazine Writing

My debut in Smithsonian Magazine is this strange but true thriller about the swashbuckling 18th-century naturalist Andre Michaux. A pioneer of the New World, Michaux made hundreds of discoveries on his travels through the Appalachian Mountains that formed in his...

Cranky Yankee Blogger
The Dept. of (my) History. Part I

The Dept. of (my) History. Part I

In September 1999, ESPN Magazine sent me to Littleton, Colorado, to chronicle the aftermath of what was then the worst high school shooting in American history. For a glimpse at how little has changed in the last 25 years, here’s a look back at what I wrote about Columbine High School soon after the massacre.

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Interviews

The Botanist Is A Plant Podcast

Looking for a good 18th Century spy story? The wonderful folks at BYU’s Constant Wonder podcast (@cw_byu) gave me a half-hour to weave together the story of the legendary French naturalist Andre Michaux, who would have beaten Lewis & Clark to the Pacific if not for some amazing political intrigue involving Thomas Jefferson and a who’s who of quarrelsome Founding Fathers.

The podcast is adapted from my story in the new issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

Listen to “The botanist is a plant” here.

News & Updates
The Dept. of (my) History

Back in the day, Penthouse sent me to Las Vegas to interview Bodacious, the meanest rodeo bull who ever lived. I found him biding his time in a Home Depot parking lot. What could go wrong?

The Fast-Talking Billionaire

It’s not surprising that Greg Lindberg has his eyes on longevity. Accused of pilfering $2 billion from policyholders at his insurance companies, the 53-year-old faces being in jail until he’s 90. But that hasn’t dimmed his enthusiasm for his latest venture: Living forever through fasting.

Coronation Day: Macy’s Meets Oasis

May 6 — I’m in London this rainy morning. And watching the coronation is a little like watching the Macy’s Day Parade, if it was hosted by the Church of England. No one is lip syncing Frozen. But it still feels over the top. William & Harry are the Liam and Noel Galligher of Buckingham Palace — with William as Noel doing both parts…