This is a mostly linear history of the show, from Shopper's Bazaar to Pat's retirement. Along the way, he's got first-hand interviews with Susan Stafford, Bob Goen, Rolf Benirschke, lots of key production people and a bunch of contestants. He didn't get Vanna, Pat or Chuck, but he weaves in their comments and quotes from other (always attributed) sources. It's a fun read, and even if you think you know all the steps (and missteps) along the way, you're bound to learn something new every few pages. I certainly did.
I like and admire both Adam Nedeff and Wesley Hyatt as authors, and as human beings. The biggest difference between them is that Adam will tell you a story, and Wesley will give you All The Facts. It's not a coincidence that some of Wesley's best works are more along the line of reference books, like Bob Hope On TV or the practically indispensable Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Wes will not let any time change, ratings report or specific date of, well, just about anything go undocumented. If you don't care about that level of detail, you can let a lot of it wash over you. Still, my only quibble is that the sheen tonnage of it it threatened at times to overwhelm the narrative.
