The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History
by Gail Kinn and Jim Piazza
This is hands down, the best, most thorough Oscar book I’ve ever come across. And for a movie buff such as myself, who has hosted or attended an Oscar party every year since I was five, that’s saying something.
I’ll get the one downside out of the way: it was published in 2002, so nowadays it’s no longer complete. The good news is Gail Kinn and Jim Piazza have revised the book several times, and there’s a 2014 version that will include more Oscar history.
That one blemish out of the way, it’s time to rave. This book is humungous, and every page is beautifully designed, with glossy photos and classy color combinations to please the eye. Every inch of the page is used, but not in a tacky or overwhelming way. The sides are used for listing every nominee of every category each year—so many Oscar books only list “important” nominees, leaving technical, documentary, music, and costume nominations out. This book leaves no nominee behind. Each Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress are given half a page of glory, with a photograph and few paragraphs on their career or their performance that particular year.
Another fantastic and beautiful addition is included at the start of every decade, entitled “The Look of the Decade” in which a two-page spread with glamorous fashion shots educates or reminds the reader what the stars were wearing at that time. During each year, the host(s) are listed, and backstage trivia is mentioned about the ceremony itself. Why were some years hosted by several people, and which years did it rain? Yes, the book will tell you.
So, although this particular version will only take you through Chicago, you can pick up a more updated version, which I highly recommend. The author duo has collaborated on several more film books together, and I enjoyed the thoroughness of this one so much, I’ll probably read another. For those who love the Oscars, you need to add this to your collection.
I’ll get the one downside out of the way: it was published in 2002, so nowadays it’s no longer complete. The good news is Gail Kinn and Jim Piazza have revised the book several times, and there’s a 2014 version that will include more Oscar history.
That one blemish out of the way, it’s time to rave. This book is humungous, and every page is beautifully designed, with glossy photos and classy color combinations to please the eye. Every inch of the page is used, but not in a tacky or overwhelming way. The sides are used for listing every nominee of every category each year—so many Oscar books only list “important” nominees, leaving technical, documentary, music, and costume nominations out. This book leaves no nominee behind. Each Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress are given half a page of glory, with a photograph and few paragraphs on their career or their performance that particular year.
Another fantastic and beautiful addition is included at the start of every decade, entitled “The Look of the Decade” in which a two-page spread with glamorous fashion shots educates or reminds the reader what the stars were wearing at that time. During each year, the host(s) are listed, and backstage trivia is mentioned about the ceremony itself. Why were some years hosted by several people, and which years did it rain? Yes, the book will tell you.
So, although this particular version will only take you through Chicago, you can pick up a more updated version, which I highly recommend. The author duo has collaborated on several more film books together, and I enjoyed the thoroughness of this one so much, I’ll probably read another. For those who love the Oscars, you need to add this to your collection.