DO NOT BUY

This book is totally misrepresented by its publisher summary. It is NOT NOT NOT about Oscar wars. It’s the author’s recitation of how woke he is in re: Oscars-so-white. Chapter after chapter is about Black actors’ struggles in Hollywood. The author presumably reads minds, even of dead people, when he tells you all about how so-and-so FELT and THOUGHT. It’s a bad rehash of Hollywood stories. It’s horrible. It plays the reader for a fool. It’s neither fun nor anything new. Don’t waste your money.

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Must-read for movie buffs and Hollywood historians

Could not stop listening to this! Schulman has such a brilliant way of laying out the chronology, themes, and eras, and framing them within American and global politics and trends. As a kid who obsessed over seeing everything on the AFI 100 and went to college to study theatre and film this was a thrilling and fascinating read.

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An interesting History of Hollywood through the lens of the Oscars

Because of the more recent petty scandals of the Academy Awards, you’d think going in this would just be tabloid fair. But the history of the Academy is so much more interesting and complex than that. This does a fantastic job of talking about Hollywood and the film industry from some of the most forgotten early labor issues and scandals. It’s much much more interesting read/listen than you’d even imagine.

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Catnip for Oscar Lovers

A thoroughly researched and entertainingly told history of the Academy Awards. Essential listening for fans of Hollywood and Oscar junkies alike.

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Nope

If you’ve ever encountered that person at the bar who has a story that you’ve already heard and you somehow subject yourself to hearing again, this “book” is that. Skip it this time.

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Fun Microcosm Of US Cultural History

Jammed pack with interesting stories of how Hollywood works or doesn't. Fun and fascinating. The US has always been the land of messes, but it is home.

Loved it!

So interesting, didn’t want it to end! Fascinating how all of the pieces of history come together to what we see now.

Really interesting and great jumping off point

Really well researched and fascinating to tell these stories with the Academy as the jumping off point. Great exploration of some important Hollywood historical moments and thoroughly explored.

As usual with these is it feels like the narrator didn’t do much pronunciation research, e.g. “Day Havilland” instead of De Havilland; “Marleen”instead of Marlene, spelling out HUAC instead of saying it as a word which is indicated in the text, but not as egregious as some.

Far better than I’d imagined

This was a really good book! Insightful, we’ll organized, and we’ll performed! A must read for movie and/or Oscar fans!

Thorough. Not always keeping your attention span, though.

As is the case many times with something that spans not just a decade, but a millennium of time, it’s trying to satisfy all ages, genders, races, and eras. And, as in the case of many, it’s almost impossible to pull that off. Very well researched, And the story flowed much more towards the latter half of the book than the former. A recommended read for those that are really gaga about the Oscars. But a pretty long one for those that don’t live and die by the Academy Awards.