Overview

The author of the New York Times bestseller Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep returns with a lively history of the Academy Awards, focusing on the brutal battles, the starry rivalries, and the colorful behind-the-scenes drama. America does not have royalty. It has the Academy Awards. For nine decades, perfectly coiffed starlets, debonair leading men, and producers with gold in their eyes have chased the elusive Oscar. What began as an industry banquet in 1929 has now exploded into a hallowed ceremony, complete with red carpets, envelopes, and little gold men. But don't be fooled by the pomp: the Oscars, more than anything, are a battlefield, where the history of Hollywood--and of America itself--unfolds in dramas large and small. The road to the Oscars may be golden, but it's paved in blood, sweat, and broken hearts. In Oscar Wars, Michael Schulman chronicles the remarkable, sprawling history of the Academy Awards and the personal dramas--some iconic, others never-before-revealed--that have played out on the stage and off camera. Unlike other books on the subject, each chapter takes a deep dive into a particular year, conflict, or even category that tells a larger story of cultural change, from Louis B. Mayer to Moonlight. Schulman examines how the red carpet runs through contested turf, and the victors aren't always as clear as the names drawn from envelopes. Caught in the crossfire are people: their thwarted ambitions, their artistic epiphanies, their messy collaborations, their dreams fulfilled or dashed. Featuring a star-studded cast of some of the most powerful Hollywood players of today and yesterday, as well as outsiders who stormed the palace gates, this captivating history is a collection of revelatory tales, each representing a turning point for the Academy, for the movies, or for the culture at large. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Full Product Details

9798212205221

Table of Contents

Reviews

At once clear-eyed and dishy, this is the ideal resource for anyone who has always wanted to sneak backstage. -- Emily Nussbaum, author of I Like to Watch Equally insightful and dishy, it is a must read for anyone interested in the shocking, absurd, thrilling, and fascinating inner workings of the Hollywood machine. -- Billy Eichner, comedian Fast-paced and fun but also a serious, well-reported piece of cultural history...Schulman appreciates the glamour without sugar-coating the grit. Entertaining and informative, the book provides welcome escapism without guilt. -- Julie Salamon, author of The Devil's Candy

Fast-paced and fun but also a serious, well-reported piece of cultural history. With wit and an impeccable sense of timing, Schulman appreciates the glamour without sugar-coating the grit. Entertaining and informative, the book provides welcome escapism without guilt. -- Julie Salamon, author of The Devil's Candy I devoured this book! Even for a pop-culture obsessive like myself, it floored me in terms of how much I didn't know about the history of Hollywood and the Academy Awards. The patterns it finds across the decades is surprising and delightful. Equally insightful and dishy, it is a must read for anyone interested in the shocking, absurd, thrilling, and fascinating inner workings of the Hollywood machine. -- Billy Eichner, comedian

Author Information

Michael Schulman is the author of the New York Times bestseller Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep and a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he has contributed since 2006. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and other publications. He lives in New York City. Charlie Thurston has appeared on stages across the country, including Trinity Repertory Company, Arden Theatre Company, Baltimore Center Stage, Intiman Theater, Chautauqua Theater Company, and Riverside Theatre. Charlie holds an MFA in acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available