This masterly history of the cinema from its beginning in 1895 right up to the present day was widely commended on first publication in 1973. For this new edition, the author, the film critic of The Times, has rewritten the second half of the book adding seventy-two pages and many illustrations to bring the book up to the 1980. There are over 150 stills - many from the author's own collection - and a filmography of 500 of the world's outstanding directors.