New Releases by Tom Shales

"A rollicking oral history of ESPN" (Boston Globe)—an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the network that changed how we watch sports. "A serious, impressive piece of work." — Entertainment Weekly It began, in 1979, as a modest idea of starting a cable channel to televise local sporting events throughout the state of Connecticut. Today, ESPN is arguably the most successful network in modern television history, spanning eight channels in the Unites States and around the world. But the inside story of its rise has never been fully told-until now. Drawing upon over 500 interviews with the greatest names in ESPN''s history and an All-Star collection of some of the world''s finest athletes, bestselling authors James Miller and Tom Shales take us behind the cameras. Now, in their own words, the men and women who made ESPN great reveal the secrets behind its success-as well as the many scandals, rivalries, off-screen battles and triumphs that have accompanied that ascent. From the unknown producers and business visionaries to the most famous faces on television, it''s all here. "A treat for sports fans." — New York Times " Those Guys Have All the Fun delivers a hell of a narrative . . . [and] an outstanding work of journalism." — Fortune "A revelation: what foes onto the TV screen turns out to be just the glossy tip of an iceberg of ugly backstage drama. Miller and Shales must be extraordinarily talented interviewers, because their subjects are surprisingly uninhibited and frank and willing to dish." — TIME

James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales''s definitive oral history of Saturday Night Live, hailed as "incredible" (Vulture) and "required reading" (People). When first published to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Live from New York was immediately proclaimed the best book ever produced on the landmark and legendary late-night show. In their own words, unfiltered and uncensored, a dazzling galaxy of trail-blazing talents recalled three turbulent decades of on-camera antics and off-camera escapades. Now decades have passed, and bestselling authors James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales have returned to Studio 8H. Over more than 100 pages of new material, they raucously and revealingly take the SNL story up to the present, adding a constellation of iconic new stars, surprises, and controversies.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning, nationally syndicated columnist of The Washington Post gives charming and revealing profiles of America''s greatest entertainers--the likes of Fred Astaire, Cary Grant and Rita Hayworth. Photos.

This article previews a television special, "Violence in the News: Helping Children Understand," in which Fred Rogers will explain how children react to seeing violence on the news and other television programs. He will offer advice to parents about how to calm and comfort children when they are exposed to shocking images.

Publishers of this collection of essays and 182 photos, the American Film Institute, was established in 1967 by the National Endowment for the Arts. Film Institute associates, plus Tom Shales, Leonard Maltin, Kevin Brownlow and others, provide dozens of interesting articles on specific motion pictures, prominent (and some nearly-forgotten) film makers, studios and genres. All of these are enriched by many unique illustrations, photos and in some cases, celluloid enlargements. The Foreword is by Gregory Peck.