We study the time structure, the frequency composition, and the shot to shot fluctuations of the radiation emitted by a free-electron laser starting from shot noise in the electron beam longitudinal distribution, taking into account slippage and finite bunch length effects. We find a very difkrent behavior when the bunch length, Eg, is much longer than the cooperation length, E"or of the order of a few 8,. The field evolution is dominated by slippage eÃects in both cases, and shows the presence of superradiant spikes.