CREATING AN EMPIRE: ESPN—The No-Holds-Barred Story of Power, Ego, Money and Vision That Transformed a Culture

Evey, founding chairman of the famous sports network, recounts his experiences as the cutthroat businessman central to the creation of what would become one of cable TV's most profitable and watched channels. He begins his memoir—the publication of which coincides with ESPN's 25th anniversary—by describing his relationship with his reclusive, eccentric, very wealthy boss, George Getty (of Getty Oil), and how that played into the Getty company's decision to put Evey at the helm of the burgeoning network. The narrative dashes back and forth between Getty's home in England, the oil firm's holdings in Mexico and Liberia, and, finally, to ESPN's broadcast home of Bristol, Conn. Less an analysis of ESPN's place in programming history than an egotistical blow-by-blow account of big business dealings, Evey's book barely illuminates the personalities behind the network itself (with a few brief exceptions) or the philosophy behind its success. Rather, it breathlessly extols the virtues of Evey's globe-trotting, big-check–signing bosses and adds excess drama to the stresses behind corporate mergers and acquisitions negotiated on Hawaii's beaches. In fact, Evey spends so much time detailing the various backstabbings and tough-guy business decisions he insists were necessary to the station's success, that when his tale ends with him being brought low by alcoholism and divorce, it doesn't inspire much empathy. (Sept.)