Letterman

The Last Giant of Late Night

By: Jason Zinoman

Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom

New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman delivers the definitive story of the life and artistic legacy of David Letterman, the greatest television talk show host of all time and the signature comedic voice of a generation.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, David Letterman redefined the modern talk show with an ironic comic style that transcended traditional television. While he remains one of the most famous stars in America, he is a remote, even reclusive figure whose career is widely misunderstood. In Letterman, Jason Zinoman, the first comedy critic in the history of the New York Times, mixes groundbreaking reporting with unprecedented access and probing critical analysis to explain the unique entertainer's titanic legacy. Moving from his early days in Indiana to his retirement, Zinoman goes behind the scenes of Letterman's television career to illuminate the origins of his revolutionary comedy, its overlooked influences, and how his work intersects with and reveals his famously eccentric personality.

Zinoman argues that Letterman had three great artistic periods, each distinct and part of his evolution. As he examines key broadcasting moments - "Stupid Pet Tricks" and other captivating segments that defined Late Night with David Letterman - he illuminates Letterman's relationship to his writers and, in particular, the show's cocreator, Merrill Markoe, with whom Letterman shared a long professional and personal connection.

To understand popular culture today, it's necessary to understand David Letterman. With this revealing biography, Zinoman offers a perceptive analysis of the man and the artist whose ironic voice and caustic meta-humor was critical to an entire generation of comedians and viewers - and whose singular style ushered in new tropes that have become clichés in comedy today.

©2017 Jason Zinoman (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Scant Insight

My disappointment is that there just isn't enough of "David" himself in the story. That part of David he refuses to share, the vulnerable self we get to glimpse occasionally, has eluded us once again. While I do appreciate Zinoman's knowledge and insight, I still want the voice of David that apologized to his wife on national television, the one who grieved with us after 9/11, the one who knows when he's being a jerk and wants to do better, the one who will book an expert to explain a confusing time or major event (without laughs)......

Unfortunately for all of us diehard Letterman fans, David does not understood how much we admire and appreciate his imperfect intelligent funny self.

Fascinating Portrait

It was a well crafted, detailed, cohesive story. An interesting portrait of a complicated performer.

Tortured late night

Buskins’s Carson, Zinoman’s Letterman…such sad real life in late night celebrity. What will they write about the Fallon demons after his retirement. Happy is boring and does not sell books. There must have been a little happiness in the lives of these men while working the late night desk, unfortunately it will never be a part of a late night biography.

Humanity

I don’t know that I’m using the word humanity correctly. But this book shows that Letterman is human. Points out his fears and his flaws unapologetically but also points out many of his good characteristics. Also interesting to see him mature and change as he got older and grew while under the microscope of fame.

Fails to Capture What Made Letterman Great

While the book does a nice job of chronicling the various stages of Letterman's career, it fails to capture what made his show - at times - great. His personal demons and self loathing are chronicled in excessive detail while the skits and interviews are presented humorlessly. A reader who never watched his show would have no understanding why this apparently bitter, often cruel, man made it 30+ years on late night. It was depressing.

A life

Tremendously enjoyable vivisection of the work of a lifetime, and balanced examination of the humanity behind a cypher. The narration is competent, but doesn't sound like the voice of the author, but rather the voice of someone reading a book well, for which the gravitas works, but the tone of resignation is sometimes off.

Excellent.

Great narration. Well researched. Insightful and occasionally poignant. Doesn't dwell unnecessarily on childhood like many biographies. Superb read overall.

Big Harry Pride

For those of us raised on TV pablum Dave has been consistently refreshing unique authentic spicy and flavorful

Rate the man?

David Letterman the awkward king of comedy is now an even more uncomfortable legend. Lol

I enjoyed the honesty of this book

For those of us that enjoyed watching David Letterman over the years, this was filled with some of the nice and some of the not so nice things about David Letterman. I enjoyed this book because of it's honest telling of David's life and career.