James Andrew Miller & Tom Shales, 2011
It’s a long one at 745 pages but insanely good. Miller and Shales have mastered the oral history providing first hand accounts that reads much quicker than the page count.
If you grew up watching ESPN 24/7 like I did you, it’s a can’t miss. They get just about every on camera character that you’re familiar with to share history, gossip and complaints along with a lengthy list of behind camera names you’ve never heard of but are equally interesting. I can’t believe how easily I’ve forgotten the SC anchors I sat with every day for years. Rich Eisen, Dan Patrick, Craig Kilborn, Charlie Steiner, Linda Cohn, Bob Ley and on and on…
Some of the most interesting parts to me were the early details on ESPN’s formation and how the business struggled financially for awhile. Lot’s of business stories to go along with the entertainment side.
VERY good book…. only reason it didn’t get a 5 from me is because I liked the SNL book by these guys a little bit more.
Also Like: Live From New York, Powerhouse
The Settle Inn 