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Table of Contents
About the Book
The definitive biography of Johnny Carson, the entertainer who redefined late-night television and American culture, told through intimate insights and riveting accounts of his legendary career and complex personal life.
In 2002, celebrated Esquire writer Bill Zehme landed one of journalism’s most coveted assignments: the first and only major interview Johnny Carson granted after retiring from The Tonight Show. The resulting piece portrayed Carson as more human being than showbiz legend, and after Carson’s death Zehme began work on this “immensely informative and insightful” (The Minnesota Star Tribune) biography. Though illness prevented him from completing the project before his death in 2023, the pages he left behind illuminate one of the most inscrutable figures in entertainment history, what New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman called “one of the great unfinished biographies.”
Zehme traces Carson’s rise from a magic-obsessed Nebraska boy to a navy ensign in World War II to a burgeoning radio and TV personality to, eventually, host of The Tonight Show. He also captures the turmoil, and anguish that accompanied the success: four marriages, trouble with alcohol, and the devastating loss of a child. Completed with help from journalist and Zehme’s former research assistant Mike Thomas, Carson the Magnificent is “perceptive and beautiful” (Library Journal), offering an honest assessment of who Johnny Carson really was.
In 2002, celebrated Esquire writer Bill Zehme landed one of journalism’s most coveted assignments: the first and only major interview Johnny Carson granted after retiring from The Tonight Show. The resulting piece portrayed Carson as more human being than showbiz legend, and after Carson’s death Zehme began work on this “immensely informative and insightful” (The Minnesota Star Tribune) biography. Though illness prevented him from completing the project before his death in 2023, the pages he left behind illuminate one of the most inscrutable figures in entertainment history, what New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman called “one of the great unfinished biographies.”
Zehme traces Carson’s rise from a magic-obsessed Nebraska boy to a navy ensign in World War II to a burgeoning radio and TV personality to, eventually, host of The Tonight Show. He also captures the turmoil, and anguish that accompanied the success: four marriages, trouble with alcohol, and the devastating loss of a child. Completed with help from journalist and Zehme’s former research assistant Mike Thomas, Carson the Magnificent is “perceptive and beautiful” (Library Journal), offering an honest assessment of who Johnny Carson really was.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (November 5, 2024)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9781451645293
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Raves and Reviews
“Terrific.” —Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune
“Shimmers with nuance and wonder.” —Booklist (starred review)
"Perceptive and beautiful.” —Library Journal (starred review)
"Splendid...nuanced....Carson’s fans will appreciate the glimpse behind the curtain." —Publishers Weekly
“An immensely informative and insightful account of the personal and professional life of this heretofore inscrutable entertainment icon...Full of compelling vignettes.” —Glenn C. Altschuler, Minnesota Star Tribune
“Like so many biographers before him, Zehme at times felt as if he was at risk of being buried alive by the research, a journalistic hoarder haunted by the question: What if I’m missing something? His spirit can rest easy. Carson the Magnificent delivers the man in full while keeping the mystery of what made him tick alive.” —James Wolcott, Washington Post
“A memorial of the monoculture…Carson the Magnificent harks back to an era when doom and scroll were biblical nouns and Carson’s Tonight Show was a clear punctuation mark to every 24-hour chunk of the workweek.” —Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times Book Review
“An entertaining look at not only a unique figure in 20th-century popular culture but also a bygone era in American television.” —Kirkus Reviews
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