Lucia (English & film & media studies, Rider Univ.; Framing Female Lawyers: Women on Trial in Film), Roy Grundmann (film studies, Boston Univ.; Andy Warhol's Blow Job), and Art Simon (film studies, Montclair State Univ.; Dangerous Knowledge: The JFK Assassination in Art and Film) have created an outstanding collection of 90 new essays chronologically examining the history of American film. The books open with an introduction to the time period covered and include a brief explanation for the set's arrangement. For example, Volume 3 covers 1946–75, and the introduction notes that 1975 saw the release of Taxi Driver, a film discussed in several essays, easily found using the index, and referred to by Simon as "the last urban road film of the era." The high-quality essays feature eye-catching titles such as "Pink-Slipped: What Happened to the Women in the Silent Film Industry?", "The Gun in the Briefcase; Or, the Inscription of Class in Film Noir," and "Let 'Em Have It: The Ironic Fate of the 1930s Gangster." They provide a comprehensive and multifaceted overview of American film from its beginnings, covering political, cultural, social, and economic factors such as the Great Depression and World War II; the studio system; the black list; changing audiences; and race, class, and gender. In addition, there is a strong focus on the multitude of elements of film, such as production, distribution, camera techniques, lighting, editing, use of voice-overs, mise-en-scène, etc. VERDICT The physical volumes are attractive, though the approximately 200 black-and-white photos are insignificant to the value of the collection. Access is enhanced by a 37-page index. Highly recommended for lovers of film, film history, and American culture.—Susan L. Peters, Univ. of Texas, Galveston