JOURNALIST • PRODUCER • AUTHOR
JOE BATTAGLIA
SPORTS JOURNALIST. AWARD-WINNING STORYTELLER. THRILLER AUTHOR.
Three decades of reporting from the world’s biggest sporting stages shaped the perspective behind his fiction.
AUTHOR OF THE AMAZON #1 BESTSELLER
BENEATH THE RINGS
#1 IN SPORTS THRILLERS
MARCH 2026
The Headline moment
MARCH 2026
#1 IN SPORTS THRILLERS
Beneath the Rings reached the #1 position in Amazon’s Kindle Sports Thrillers category, marking a major milestone in Joe Battaglia’s journey from award-winning journalist to bestselling novelist.
THANK YOU TO EVERY READER
This milestone belongs to the readers who discovered the story, shared it, and helped carry Beneath the Rings to the top of its category.
AMAZON RANKING CAPTURE | MARCH 2026
AMAZON BESTSELLER
Our most popular based on sales. Updated Frequently.
Best Sellers in Sports Thrillers
BENEATH THE RINGS
by Joe Battaglia
★★★★⯪ 127
Hardcover
$24.99
ranking captured march 2026
THE CURRENT HEADLINE STORY
BENEATH
THE RINGS
TWELVE ATHLETES DISAPPEAR.
ONE JOURNALIST STARTS ASKING QUESTIONS.
During the greatest sporting event in the world, twelve elite athletes vanish without a trace.
Nova Mendelsohn, a journalist no stranger to digging beneath the surface, refuses to accept the official story.
As she follows a trail of power, secrecy, and silence, the truth she uncovers threatens far more than the Games.
RECOGNITION
THE STORY
HAS BEEN NOTICED.
HONORS FOR JOURNALISM. RECOGNITION FOR STORYTELLING.
From decades in sports journalism to the literary recognition surrounding Beneath the Rings, Joe Battaglia’s work reflects a continued commitment to truth, craft, and stories that leave an impact.
SELECT AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2025 AMERICAN
WRITING AWARDS
2025 READERS’ CHOICE BOOK AWARDS
2025 LITERARY GLOBAL BOOK AWARDS
2026 INTERNATIONAL IMPACT BOOK AWARDS
2026 STORYTRADE AWARDS
LITERARY TITAN
BOOK AWARD
❝ “Recognition is gratifying. The responsibility to tell the story well is what matters most.” | Joe Battaglia
CAREER / STORY / EVOLUTION
FROM THE PRESS BOX TO THE PAGE
Every story begins somewhere. For Joe Battaglia, it began in the press box—and grew into a career built around observing closely, asking better questions, and telling the stories behind the moment.
01
REPORTER
Developing the instincts to find the story behind the headline.
02
JOURNALIST
Covering major events and the people who define them.
03
PRODUCER
Shaping compelling stories for broadcast
audiences.
04
AWARD-WINNING
Recognized for excellence, including two Sports Emmy Awards.
05
AUTHOR
Bringing journalistic insight into suspense-driven fiction.
❝ “The Experience Of A Journalist. The Perspective Of A Storyteller.” | Joe Battaglia
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE STORY
EVERY STORY
HAS ITS PEOPLE.
In Beneath the Rings, twelve elite athletes disappear during the Olympic Games. The people left behind refuse to accept silence. They are the ones who keep asking questions.
NOVA MENDELSOHN
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
Determined, intelligent, and unwilling to let the story go quiet. Nova digs beneath the surface when others walk away.
Jaber bin Faisal
The Shadow Broker
Jaber, a hardened survivor of Doha’s underworld, becomes an unlikely guide in the hunt for The Obsidian Hand.
Adil Rahmani
The Scribe
Once a truth-seeking historian, Adil now weaponizes propaganda for The Obsidian Hand, driven by loss and revenge.
Samir Haddad
The Sculptor
Once a celebrated surgeon, Samir now uses his medical genius for grotesque experiments, driven by betrayal and obsession.
Khalid Al-Masri
The Commander
Forged by war and loss, Khalid Al-Masri leads The Obsidian Hand with ruthless vengeance and deadly precision.
❝ “Behind every headline is a human being. Behind every silence, a reason we keep going.” | Joe Battaglia
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
STORIES THAT STAY WITH YOU.
From the press box to the page, Joe Battaglia has always been driven by one thing, truth. Readers feel that in every word.
❝“Battaglia writes with the eye of a journalist and the heart of a storyteller.”
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
★★★★⯪
❝A gripping, high-stakes thriller that pulls you in from the first page and doesn’t let go until the very end.
DANIEL K.
NEW YORK, NY
★★★★⯪
❝Joe Battaglia delivers more than a thriller. He delivers a reality we wish we didn’t have to face.
MICHELLE R.
CHICAGO, IL
★★★★⯪
❝As someone who lived through the ’96 Games, this book hit different. A powerful and important read.
ARIANNA S.
ATLANTA, GA
★★★★⯪
❝The perfect blend of suspense, heart, and investigation. Joe Battaglia is a master of his craft.
BRIAN M.
SEATTLE, WA
READ THE STORY EVERYONE
IS TALKING ABOUT.
THE STORY CONTINUES WITH YOU.
SOME TRUTHS STAY HIDDEN
Dive beneath the surface of the world’s greatest stage and uncover
the secrets they tried to hide.
Beneath the Rings is more than a thriller—it’s an experience
that will stay with you long after the final page.
SUSPENSE
A relentless thriller that keeps you turning pages.
IMPACT.
Inspired by real events. Rooted in journalistic truth.
JOURNALISM
Experience the story through the eyes of someone who lived it.
AWARDS
From a recognized voice in journalism and fiction.
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
JOE BATTAGLIA
JOURNALIST • PRODUCER • AUTHOR
FROM JOE’S DESK
Occasional dispatches on storytelling, sport, journalism, and new work.
NO SPAM. JUST STORIES.