The Story of Film Hardcover – 26 Sept. 2011

Essential reading for anyone interested in the subject. Cousins sometimes has to do some mental acrobatics to keep the perspective divorced from the traditional western narrative. I suppose that is also one of the book’s strength. I found the TV-series anbut much and did not care for his voice. The book is better.

A nice big book full of movie stills and a plenitude of prose to enlighten one's understanding and weary the eyes. I got a copy because, in a moment of abstraction, I quite unintentionally dumbed the tv-series box-set I owned into a bag of stuff destined for the thrift store. The book was much cheaper and requires no leccy to make it work, one can dip in for as long as one likes, a page or a chapter at a time. See, in their way, books are more versatile and robust than other forms of entertainment.

A truly marvellous book!My copy did not have the smart dust-jacket, shown in the ad - so not quite so presentable!But still excellent value, for the price!

I bought this for my son who is doing a master's in film production. He found it to be hugely informative and was delighted with it.

Having been in the industry for over 5 decades, and from a family with its roots in 19th Century theatre, and the beginning of movies, I bought this for a young friend, who is making steady, very respectable progress as a movie actress. Unlike a lot of drama school graduates, she doesn't think she knows everything, and constantly asks questions, particularly about those members of my family, who were in the industry, right at the beginning. After my 50+ years, I've also worked out that I don't know everything, so bought her this for Christmas. Having cautiously thumbed my way through parts of it, so that it remain pristine, I wish It had been around when I started in the early 1960s. Although my family, and their friends told me far more than I could have ever got, by going to drama school, for those interested in movies , for more than just the 'fame', this is money well spent.

This series impressed me on the TV, but I only got to see 2 parts of it. I recorded one and found it compelling, but Mark's accent had me confused once or twice, so I opted for the book rather than the DVD. I do feel the book is more accessible for me as I have the leisure to assimilate without the audiovisual overload I had from the TV broadcasts. Mark is superb at drawing disparate cinematic threads together, but it's easier for me to read than watch!

A wonderful journey through the history of film. The breadth and scope of this book is amazing and I found it hard to put down. I also have the DVD, which I would highly recommend. They make essential viewing/reading for anyone who is interested in film. It has inspired me to watch some films I would have previously been unaware of.

An incredible achievement. If one was trying to convert someone to film then this book would be the perfect start. It gives the reader an excellent overview of the history, art and cultural importance of cinema with a warmth that comes from an enormous knowledge and love for this medium.

fast delivery, in due time, product with the expected characteristics

Tutto ok. Consegna rapidissima. Per amanti cinema mondiale.

I really like Mark Cousins. He's not only a great documentarian, but also a great film scholar. What sets this apart from other film textbooks that I've read is how inclusive it is. Not a lot of film historians focus on what was coming out of Africa in the 70s, or Iran in the 90s, and if they do it's only in a way that's related to the West. Cousins really tries to break out of that mold by making the history of cinema about innovation and creativity. Though this might not sound like much, his method really creates a history that's more international, and therefore more accurate, than what you would get from a standard American Textbook---which, no surprise, a lot see the west as the end all be all of film.Cousins' history is in many ways a lesson in humility.As it turns out many countries considered third world contributed just as much to cinema as America, France, or the UK did. This is a revolutionary and empowering idea! I certainly wasn't taught this in film class when re-watching Psycho and Citizen Kane for the 100th time.I will say that the book is very much a text-book, in that is not really for light reading and difficult to read at times. Given the themes of the book, and Cousins deep knowledge of history, this is forgivable even though the book can be quite a slog at times. Still, for anyone who wants to get a broader knowledge of movies outside of America, this is an invaluable resource. There's so much to films that goes beyond America, and that is one of the many things Cousins' can teach us.

En referencia a la parte logística, el paquete arribó a tiempo y en perfectas condiciones. sólo da la impresión que utilizan cajas demasiado grandes para las dimensiones de los productos.En cuanto a la obra y el autor, sencillamente me siento afortunado de haberme topado con este libro. El tamaño del proyecto fue gigantesco y con todo, el autor demuestra una gran sencillez y hace accesible una pieza de conocimiento de este arte para que pueda ser leída por cualquier interesado y no sólo por profesionales. Se escribió con un lenguaje claro y se hace una revisión muy equilibrada de toda la historia del cine hasta los primeros años del siglo XXI, incluyendo reseñas y análisis de los movimientos artísticos en todos los continentes, no solamente del cine occidental. Es un trabajo extraordinario, merecería ser leído por grandes públicos, aunque eso lógicamente no sucederá.

Mark Cousins is my god