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 thirty 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 co-creator, 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.

A collection of skits, cartoons, and photos involving David Letterman's late-night television show.

LATE NIGHT BUMPERS /// Foreword by David Letterman -- Official 40th Anniversary Edition of the classic bumper photography seen before and after commercial on Late Night with David Letterman, photographed by Marc Karzen -- including anecdotes about shoots plus behind-the-scenes images all shot from 1982-1992. Hardcover 72 pages book size: 10" x 8.25" Printed in USA

Focuses on the final six weeks of the Late Show with David Letterman, and combines interviews with more than 20 Late Show crew members, Ryan recaps and analyzes the last 28 episodes wrapping up Letterman's 33-year late night career. The writers, directors, producers, and stage managers offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on these shows. Find out what it takes to write a Top Ten list, and what it was like working at the Ed Sullivan Theater.

"Determined Look: Stories of a Youth Football Coaching Legend" is written by Three Year Letterman, a thirty-nine-year old college dropout who lives in a Northeast Georgia. He is the coach of a youth football dynasty. Unlike many youth sports coaches, Coach Letterman angrily rejects the notion that the purpose of youth sports is to have fun. He instead adopts a win-at-all-costs approach. This sometimes involves him intentionally trying to make players quit, recruiting players that he knows are too old for the league, and "altering" residency papers. Coach Letterman is also very proud of the fact that he "rakes in $29.35 an hour plus bennies and a cell phone" and "lives in an apartment complex with a pool and computer lab." He lettered for three years in high school football at wide receiver. He still wears his letter jacket to this day and stands in the student section when he watches high school football games. He's also a rabid University of Georgia football fan who takes takes pride in the fact that he barks at opposing fans. This book includes twenty-eight chapters of Coach Letterman offering youth coaching tips and opining on a variety of topics. Topics include "How to Attend a High School Football Game and Post-Game Field Party in Style," "Turning the Local School System from Adversary to Co-Conspirator," and "How to Dominate a Deposition."

When it comes to the lifestyles of American Express Black Card holders, you'd never know we're in a recession. This Land Was Made For You and Me (But Mostly Me) is a hilarious catalog of the absurdly extravagant lifestyles, impossibly glamorous escapes, and pet projects of North America's one percenters. From fiberglass Baobab tree houses in the foothills of the Rockies with machine-gun ports at every level, to a four-star open-air restaurant precariously balanced atop the leafy rainforests of the Amazon basin, longtime friends and mutual fans McCall and Letterman have created an Architectural Digest-style satire of the (obscenely) rich and famous. Featuring beautiful hand-painted illustrations in McCall's inimitable style and the brilliantly caustic wit of both authors, This Land takes you on a dizzying tour of vacation homes and resorts at once utterly ridiculous and eerily plausible.

It's a story that's as big as the manipulations of Hollywood's most feared power brokers and multi-million-dollar negotiators - and as personal as the effect on executives of being snubbed by a party invitation.