Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night" by Jason Zinoman

Monday, August 8, 2022

Review of "Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night" by Jason Zinoman

David Letterman

In this overview of Letterman's professional tenure, the author - Jason Zinoman - covers Letterman's entire career, starting when Letterman was a DJ on a college radio station, through his morning TV show, to his late night shows.

David Letterman early in his career

Letterman was always plagued with insecurities, which were instrumental in shaping his comedy. Letterman incorporated his discomfort with people into his skits and guest interviews, and was sometimes impatient or dismissive (or even hostile) to celebrities if they weren't good guests...especially if they were awkward, or shy, or didn't have good stories to tell.

Alec Baldwin and Drew Barrymore were good guests

Rubert Gee

Letterman did numerous skits with Rubert Gee, owner of the Hello Deli

Zinoman gives a comprehensive account of all the people (writers, producers, assistants, cameramen, etc.) who worked behind the scenes on Letterman's shows, as well as Letterman's agents, managers, and publicists. Letterman apparently grew more and more distant towards these ancillary folks as he got older (and crankier). Zinoman emphasizes the huge impact Letterman's one-time girlfriend, Merrill Markoe (who was his head writer for a while) had on his comedy - especially scripted sketches filmed outside the studio, which she wrote and produced.

David Letterman and Merrill Markoe

Merrill Markoe

There's a little bit about Letterman's personal life, including the attempted blackmail that induced the talk show host to confess to cheating on his wife 'on-air'.....and how this affected him.

David Letterman with Robert “Joe” Halderman, who tried to blackmail him

Zinoman writes a great deal about Letterman's comedy and how it evolved over the years....and he describes lots of sketches and jokes. The author watched a few thousand Letterman shows and interviewed lots of people, and it's clear he's extremely knowledgeable about Letterman and his career. The writer also discusses how Letterman affected subsequent late night hosts, and describes the 'comedy giant's' lasting imprint on entertainment.

If you're a Letterman fan, you'd love this book.

(I didn't write a comprehensive review of the book as there are plenty of great ones available.)

Rating: 4 stars

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Barb's Book Reviews

Monday, August 8, 2022

Review of "Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night" by Jason Zinoman

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