The Grove Book of Hollywood

An entertaining, multifaceted anthology brings the glamour, glitter, and history of Hollywood to life in a collection of essays, articles, and reminiscences by John Huston, P. G. Wodehouse, Cecil B. DeMille, Frank Capra, Joan Didion, William Goldman, Preston Sturges, and other movie moguls, actors, directors, screenwriters, and critics.

The Grove Book of Hollywood is a richly entertaining anthology that brings Hollywood to life, in the words of the people who helped make it the city we know today. Movie moguls, embittered screenwriters, bemused outsiders such as P.G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh, and others all have their say. Organized in a chronological, decade-by-decade fashion, the pieces are fascinating not just in their own right, but also for the way they re-create the history of Hollywood and the film industry.

We encounter the first people to move to Hollywood, when it was a dusty village on the outskirts of Los Angeles, as well as the key players during the heyday of the studio system in the 1930s. We hear from victims of the blacklist and from the contemporary players who operate in an industry dominated by agents. Coming from a wide variety of sources, the personal recollections range from the affectionate to the scathing, from the cynical to the grandiose, and they offer a textured, multifaceted portrait of the city from its humble origins to the height of glamour.

Indeed, the book's scope is nothing short of astonishing. Here are John Huston on his drunken fistfight with Errol Flynn, Cecil B. DeMille on the challenges of filming The Ten Commandments, Frank Capra on working as a young man in the chaotic studio of the great comedic producer Mark Sennett, William Goldman on the strange behavior of Hollywood executives in meetings, and many more delightful selections. Perfect for browsing or reading straight through, The Grove Book of Hollywood is a must for anyone interested in Hollywood and the film industry.

"A superb anthology.... A feast for both those who love Hollywood and those who hate it."--J.G. Ballard, The Observer (London)

"Undoubtedly the best book I've ever read about Hollywood.... Silvester has created a rich tapestry to immortalize the mad, bad, wild and extravagant ways of the Babylon of the film industry."--Vincent Banville, Irish Times

"Highly entertaining and informative.... This kaleidoscope of memories, reflections, paybacks and honors is both a great read and a good popular introduction to Hollywood history."--Publishers Weekly

"The joys of this book are endless.... A masterly, magnificent anthology."--Sheridan Morley, Literary Review (London)

"A delightful collection, full of surprises."--Sean Macaulay, Mail on Sunday (London)

Christopher Silvester was born in London in 1959 and studied history at the University of Cambridge. He worked for many years as a reporter for the satirical magazine Private Eye and has written for various American publications, including Spy, The New York Observer, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker. He is also the editor of The Norton Book of Interviews. He lives in London.