80 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards

Dapper Robert Osborne, the genial, knowledgeable host of Turner Classic Movies, who visits me in my bedroom every night (in a nicely-tailored suit...), has written the exact reference source which a movie buff like me needs. In conversational Osborne style, there is a thoughtful foreword about the formation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the creation of its annual Academy Awards. Then the rest of the book is laid out decade-by-decade, with an essay about the decade itself, and a short introduction to each year in that decade. Each year's essay covers what made that year different from any other -- perhaps describing new trends in filmmaking or acting, highlighting changes in Academy rules, pointing to controversies or personality clashes, and adding interesting anecdotes about the ceremonies themselves.The best thing about the book is that every nominee in every category for every year is listed. The winners are clearly marked. The book is easy to use and has an exhaustive index. This is the epitome of Oscar guides.For years, I have been relying on  The 1999 Academy Awards Handbook (Academy Awards Handbook) , a compact paperback compendium of Oscar nominations and winners, to quickly locate who won Best Actor in 1955 (Ernest Borgnine for "Marty") or which movie Meryl Streep won her first Oscar for ("Kramer vs. Kramer"). It's a handy little book -- easy to use and cheap. The drawback to the book is that it only lists the complete nominees for the "Top Six" categories for each year (Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Movie and Director). The rest of the categories list the winners only. Also, I had been keeping the book up-to-date by adding my own lists every year. I was so ready for a new reference guide. And here it is.The whipped cream and cherries on top are the wonderful photographs throughout the book of exciting Oscar moments and important Hollywood figures. I especially love that the original theatrical poster for the Best Picture winner from each year is displayed in full color. The book also has fascinating quotations from the text of particularly memorable acceptance speeches. In addition, the book has a chapter at the end which lists the date and time, venue, and host for every Academy Awards ceremony, as well as an intriguing list of Academy Award records and oddities which have occurred in Oscar's first 80 years.The book is beautifully crafted and made to last. It should withstand years of page-turning, book-marking and buttered popcorn stains. It is printed on heavy, shiny paper stock and covered in a gorgeous red and black dust jacket with the gold Oscar statue depicted. It's a book to be proudly displayed on the coffee table, or placed near your television set so that you can refer to it often.I have only had it a few days, and already I have used it to browse through for pleasure, and to look up statistics on several movies which I was watching. Bravo, Mr. Osbourne! You have done movie fans everywhere a wonderful service with the release of this stellar reference book.I give this volume my highest recommendation. If you love movies, you HAVE to own this book. If you are trying to come up with the ultimate gift for the movie lover, this is it.

A book to treasure thru the years. A great reference book, especially for movie lovers, like me. A beautiful book.

Great reference book on the Oscars but lacking in the movie star glamour photos one would expect. Photos are predominantly small in size and in black & white. While you would expect black & white photography for the first 45 or so years of the Oscars, the later 35 years of this 80 year history should have been in color... black and white photos were used in this book to save on printing costs.

I had bought Mr Osborne's book with this title, when it was the 50 years of Oscar and loved it then, so when this came out i figure enough time had passed to add a few more movies so i bought it too. I wasn't disappointed,all the info, you as a movie buff, can want is here, any trivia question can be answered here too.If you love movies and how they are made, then this is the book for you.

Oscars for every year since 1927 with appealing photos and pertinent facts from the Best Picture to lesser awards. The comprehensive book includes the history of the Motion Picture Academy and bio's of past and present stars, supporting actors, directors, writers and all things Oscar, from Alan Alda to Darryl Zanuck. Also includes notes on world wide locations.Drama, comedy, mystery, romance and westerns, it's all here. 439 pages including a thorough index.

If you expect to read amazing stories or radical opinions about the Oscar, you will be disappointed; it's the official story, which means that It could be better described as a useful but characterless encyclopaedia or data base.

If you've got a question, This book has the answer. I especially liked the letters from the actors and directors concerning their wins. Worth every cent. Notable photographs that take you back.

This book is fact-filled about the Oscars from time they began on 1921 to present. I thought the book could have more color-photos of the movies and not so many black-and-white photos. Book also could have moe anecdotes and more fun-filled entertaining facts about Oscars.

80 Years of the Oscar, well, actually if you have the previous book 70 Years of the Oscaryou are only getting 10 NEW Years of the Oscar and 70 previously published years of Oscar.

I've been wanting to buy this book for some time. It dropped to £13 for one day and bought it and boy, was I pleased I didn't pay full price for this! What a disappointment.This is a catalogue of winners. Nothing else. 95% of all pictures are black and white. Admittedly anything before the 70s was only b&w, but apparently it was cheaper to print in b&w everything and only have some pages printed in colour.There is no glamour, no pictures from the awards, nothing. Just lists of winners and losers and some pictures from the movies (mostly in b&w).