In 1952, television history was made with the first broadcast of the Today show, NBC's groundbreaking early morning news program. Since then, each morning with the sun the a.m. network shows have eased Americans into their daily routines with smiles, news, and celebrity spots.Those behind the scenes, however -- the producers, anchors, crews, and staff -- tell a story vastly different than what viewers hear in the easygoing banter on the sets of Today, Good Morning America, and Morning News: a story of cutthroat competition, blind ambition, and personal tragedy. Kevin Newman, Lisa McKree, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Deborah Norville, David Hartman, Joan Lunden, Kathleen Sullivan--ll are part of a long list of those who have embraced the long, early hours and uncertainties of early morning television, and who have struggled to survive.Through interviews with dozens of producers, celebrities, journalists, and top advertising and network executives, best-selling author, Richard Hack, furnishesreaders with the uncensored truth behind the most competitive television format, such as: -- the lonely drug-addicted world of TV's first early morning star, Dave Garroway; -- the rise of a production assistant named Barbara Walters, and what she did to achieve her fame; -- the cutthroat competition to steal guests; -- the firing of David Hartman; -- the sabotaging of Deborah Norville; -- the truth about "Gumbelgate"; -- the multi-million dollar deals and the threats it took to secure them; < the tragedies of Katie Couric and Matt Lauer; -- and much more.