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Reel History: The World According to the Movies

by Alex von Tunzelmann
Atlantic. Oct. 2016. 344p. index. ISBN 9781782396468. $19.95; ebk. ISBN 9781782396475. FILM
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Historian/columnist for the Guardian von Tunzelmann (Indian Summer; Red Heat) has compiled her long-running column into this book, in which she looks at popular historical films and reveals how accurate or inaccurate they are. From the "Dawn of Time" (One Million Years B.C.) to "Living in the Now" (The Fifth Estate), the author dissects films across history and grades them on their entertainment and historical value. Some popular films, such as Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ, get ripped apart for their inaccuracies; others, such as 12 Years a Slave, are lauded for being both accurate and powerful. Von Tunzelmann is witty and knowledgable in her write-ups, but that won't suffice to keep the entertainment value of the book going throughout.
VERDICT History fun for cinephiles, but most readers will probably just flip through to find their favorite films and see if they made the grade.
Reviewed by Tyler Hixson, Library Journal , Jul 29, 2016
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