The Oxford History of World Cinema /

Nowell-Smith assembled an impressive group of world scholars to write the well-informed entries for this monumental work, but there is much repetition (which suggests that the book is meant to be read in, not read through), and the quality of the entries is not uniformly of high caliber. The treatment of Hollywood, both business and creative, is best; and the coverage of Europe and the Far East (except the Philippines) is fine. The sections on Africa and Latin America (especially Mexico) are totally inadequate, and contemporary British cinema is strangely misread. The best by far of the segments on genre is Rick Altman's piece on the musical. The book also includes 139 "Special Features" detailing the careers of notable contributors to world cinema. Would that they were all as balanced and perceptive as John Belton's piece on Howard Hawks. This reviewer wonders at many of the choices: among male directors, there are no entries for Bresson, Lean, Truffaut, Resnais, Allen, Walsh, Kieslowski, Jarman, or Greenaway; female directors are represented solely by Varda, Akerman, and Jodie Foster, and Guy Blache, Weber, Arzner, Von Trotta, Campion, Armstrong, Marshall, and Streisand are missing. These cavils aside, one cannot deny that the book will be indispensable. This reviewer just wishes it had been better. W. A. Vincent Michigan State University

Compiled by Nowell-Smith (coeditor of The Coming of the Book, Norton, 1985), this collection of essays by a host of international film authorities runs the gamut of movie history, from the silent screen of the 1890s to the contemporary world cinema. Novices and specialists alike will find much here of value, particularly the sections on non-Western nations (e.g., Turkey, Taiwan). Excellent special-feature articles‘primarily biographical‘are interspersed throughout, and more than 280 sharp black-and-white illustrations and a color inset add to the overall quality. Although lack of space prevents in-depth discussion of many themes, general coverage is uniformly good. A fine complement to Robert Sklar's Film: An International History of the Cinema (Abrams, 1993), this reasonably priced volume should be a top purchase for all film collections, if only for the handy, single-volume international scope. Recommended for all libraries.‘Anthony J. Adam, Prairie View A&M Univ. Lib., Tex. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

YA‘This text is jam-packed with a comprehensive yet readable history of world cinema. Prominent contributions and contributors are highlighted unobtrusively. Unlike recently published chronicles and CDs that rely on glossy illustrations, this quiet resource requires little more than fundamental research skills, but it rewards readers with a bounty of easily accessible and highly valuable information.‘Sue Callahan, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.