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Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears

  • Based on 263 reviews
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Description

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. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper (February 21, 2023)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 608 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062859013


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 13


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.66 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.25 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #23,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #25 in Movie History & Criticism #79 in Performing Arts (Books) #131 in U.S. State & Local History


#25 in Movie History & Criticism:


#79 in Performing Arts (Books):


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Nov 28 – Dec 4

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Fun, fulfilling and flabbergasting
Couldn’t let it go. The right dose of entertainment, historical education, and drama. I thoroughly enjoyed it, felt like watching the best TV series.
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2023 by Pinar Demirdag

  • Entertaining history lesson on Oscars!
I was born in the eighties and only saw Hollywood in the nineties. So half the book was foreign to me, but some was interesting and when it gets to some of the older actors and actresses (from where they are now), I could relate and getting to know their history was interesting. And ending off with La La Land and the Envelopegate was certainly reminiscent of the hooha in TV then in Oscar history. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2023 by Ridleysretro

  • Good read
Thoroughly enjoyable for any movie fanatic.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023 by Michael OLeary

  • Him, Again (and thank god for that!)
Michael has done it again! A pop culture storyteller legend of his time. There's no greater podium for him to bring to us than the subject he clearly loves and respects, and who shares the greatest stage of all - Mr. Oscar. He brings wit, fun, intrigue, hope, sadness, and love to each chapter, tied in a perfectly bedazzled bow. I find myself totally immersed in each period and each character as if he's creating the ultimate set design for these important cultural moments. As Steve Jobs says, you can't connect the dots forwards, but Michael sure as hell connected them backward - the great rollercoaster ride you will find. Get your ticket (book) now - the ride awaits. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2023 by Amazon Customer

  • Familiar Hollywood Stories
Oddly, given the topic, this isn't a book for real movie fans. Real movie fans will already know, inside and out, the battle over Citizen Kane, the lifelong feud between sisters Olivia DeHavilland and Joan Fontaine, the revolution of sound on film, HUAC and Trumbo, making the movie Sunset Boulevard, union attempts to crush Hollywood people, Harry Cohn as monster... and on and on. I was surprised how much detail was devoted to these well-covered histories over decades. The book is excellent on the birth of the Academy, however, including material that likely will be new to most people. My guess is this is the book you give to someone who's a movie fan but knows little about Hollywood's past. The rest of us have seen this history already, many, many times. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023 by Don of New York

  • What you won't find...
...is a comprehensive history of the Oscars. Instead Schulman focuses on several linchpin periods (the transition from silent to sound, World War II, the Black List, New Hollywood) and demonstrates the ways in which those conflicts played out in the Oscars. For someone like me, who doesn't keep up with film criticism or the industry, quite informative. On the other hand, if you are an avid reader of Variety or The New Yorker, this one may seem derivative and old hat. Schulman is a regular contributor to both and quotes himself extensively. Nothing like reading a passage about an actor, then going to Wikipedia for more background... and reading exactly the same passage! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2023 by Richard P. Jasper

  • Well-researched and extremely entertaining
I love the Oscars and Hollywood drama and this book checked all the boxes — it’s funny and filled with stories and anecdotes from the almost century of Academy Award history. You will learn, laugh, and gasp at some of the shenanigans that have gone on behind the scenes in the hunt for the coveted golden man. Film buffs will definitely find much to appreciate here, as will casual Oscar viewers. Love how the book is structured, too — around watershed moments/films/years that turned the tide. A great (and fast) read, highly recommend! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023 by Katie Vagnino

  • Incredibly well researched and an amusing delight to read
A must have book for anyone who enjoys film history and award show madness - it's dishy and deeply researched. Schulman weaves together such an amusing tapestry of streakers, backstabbers, the hustled and the hustlers that you can't put it down. It's like sitting next to the best person at a glamorous dinner party and they lean over and whisper "Want to hear a story about how Courtney Love almost bludgeoned someone to death with Quentin Tarantino's Oscar?" You have no choice but to lean over and drink it all in. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023 by Britt

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