The Hollywood History of the World: From One Million Years B.C. to Apocalypse Now [Hardcover]

George MacDonald Fraser (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Where history is concerned, Hollywood has often altered facts to suit filmmaking purposes, but filmmakers have sometimes been faithful to history as well. Examining seven admittedly idiosyncratic "ages," the author here juxtaposes what "actually happened" with illustrated examples of the Hollywood treatment. Looking at the Ancient World, he examines One Million Years BC , The Ten Commandments , Cleopatra and Quo Vadis , among others. For the chapter titled "Knights and Barbarians" he extols The Vikings , which "ought to be shown regularly to schoolchildren as a fine image of the distant past" and in "Tudors and Sea Dogs" praises Captain Blood for its truthful attention to the ethics of buccaneering. In "Romance and Royalty" Fraser laments the fact that Charles II, who led a perfectly filmic life, has never been adequately treated on celluloid. In the chapter on the British Empire he pays a backhanded compliment to Charge of the Light Brigade : "the script, holding nothing sacred, has plundered Indian Mutiny history at one pointand got it right." The Pilgrims, the Civil War, the old West, the roaring '20s, WW I and II and Vietnam are also examined in this arbitrary and opinionated, irreverent and immensely enjoyable study. Fraser is also the author of the Flashman series of (accurate) historical novels. Photos.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Writing in a witty and entertaining style, the authora novelist and screenwriterhere assumes the role of apologist for the historical film. He believes that this film genre has been unfairly maligned, and contends that ". . . nothing has been more influential in shaping our visions of the past than the commercial cinema." Fraser divides history into seven ages and compares films with the actual events upon which they are based, discussing the merits as well as the weaknesses of these films. Enhanced by numerous photos and laced with historical facts, movie trivia, and personal insights into filmmaking, this is lively and interesting. Robert Logsdon, Indiana St. Lib., Indianapolis
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Beech Tree Books (September 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688075207
• ISBN-13: 978-0688075200
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a joyous and witty book., March 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hollywood History of the World (Hardcover)

This is not a dry scholarly study but a witty, droll, and entertaining book in its own right. Fraser has apparently seen every historical film ever made; it goes without saying that films set in Regency England and Mary Stuart's reign in Scotland are throughly scrutinized by Mr. Fraser, along with "One Million Years B.C." and "Ben Hur." Fraser peppers the book throughout with his own knowledge of history without ever getting pedantic. A real treat for movie buffs and fans of Fraser's novels.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Lovers of Costume Drama, October 21, 2005

By 

Dana Carpender (Bloomington, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hollywood History of the World (Paperback)

I bought this book when it first came out in the '80s, and it has gained that most honored spot for a book -- the bookcase right next to my bed. It's an old friend; I've read it over and over. It's hugely entertaining, and remarkably informative as well. I joined Netflix largely to get access to many of the wonderful old movies I'd read about in Fraser's book, and I've learned all sorts of tidbits of history.

Also fascinating are the many illustrations showing contemporary portraits of the historical characters portrayed and the actors who played them. Much of the casting and costuming has been remarkably good -- in particular, in The Private Life of Henry VIII, Merle Oberon's costume as Anne Boleyn is a dead-on copy of the clothes Anne wore in a portrait. Read this book and you'll have a new respect for how much history Hollywood has gotten right.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In the Days When Hollywood Tried to Get It Right, November 9, 2007

By 

H. S. Wedekind "Mr. Weekend" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hollywood History of the World (Paperback)

This was a very entertaining and unstuffy book to read comparing actual history and historical figures with Hollywood's interpretation of them. Surprisingly, Hollywood did a pretty good job of it, most of the time. It also contains over 200 pictorial comparisons of paintings of historical figures with photos of their Hollywood look-a-likes (or not), e.g. Charlton Heston as Cardinal Richelieu; Charles Boyer as Napoleon; Henry Fonda as a young Abraham Lincoln; and a truly remarkable photo of Ben Kingsley as Ghandi. (On the other hand, cute and perky Doris Day looked nothing like the coarse, drunken, manish Martha Jane Canarray - aka "Calamity Jane.") the author, George MacDonald Fraser, best known for his series of comic novels about the misadventures of the Victorian era rogue Harry Flashman, writes in his usual, easy going and humorous style that is guaranteed to keep the reader's interest high. This is a difficult book to put down. I recommend it to movie and history buffs alike.