Ladies Who Punch

When Barbara Walters launched The View in 1997, ABC executives repeatedly told her that hosting the show would tarnish her reputation as a serious newswoman. Ten years later, The View was being watched daily in the living rooms of tens of millions of Americans and launched the careers of Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Joy Behar. But the daily chat-fest didn't just comment on the news; it became the news. As viewership continued to top the charts, a seemingly endless series of clashes among the stars (and their guests) and a revolving door of co-hosts earned front page coverage in magazines and newspapers. National headlines chronicled Rosie O'Donnell's feud with Donald Trump, Whoopi Goldberg's conversations about race, and Walters' struggle to maintain control of it all. Laced with humor and a cast of larger-than-life characters, this is both a chronicle of 21st century daytime television and a classic tale about power. With in-depth reporting and new interviews, this story takes readers behind the scenes where these very public figures struggled to balance image, ambition, friendship, and loyalty, while changing television forever.