"The History of Hollywood" by Kieron Connolly offers an enthralling journey through the captivating yet tumultuous evolution of American cinema. Delving beyond the glitz and glamour, Connolly unveils a narrative woven with shadows, exposing the darker underbelly of Tinseltown. From the industry's inception, Hollywood thrived on ambition, excess, and exploitation. This book masterfully chronicles the rise of movie moguls, the intrusion of mobsters, and the intricacies of power struggles within the industry. Connolly skillfully navigates through scandals, addictions, and the disheartening plight of fallen stars, shedding light on Hollywood's profound complexities. Seamlessly blending meticulous research with engaging storytelling, "The History of Hollywood" unveils the gripping and often surprising tales that linger behind the silver screen. It's a captivating exploration of how money, fame, and ambition intersect, compelling readers to reassess the allure and the darker truths of this cinematic powerhouse.

Princess Fuzzypants here: For someone who is fairly cognizant of the history of Hollywood, there were really no big surprises in this book. I was well aware of the various scandals that involved the stars who were covered. Most were from the silent or golden age as I am sure there is at least another book or two with the current lot.

I did appreciate though that the author took care to preface some of the allegations that there was no solid proof. Naturally, there is no way that anyone can tell what the actual facts are since everything written is subjective. Still it is an interesting book that perhaps someone less aware of the history might find more fascinating. Four purrs and one paw up.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The book covers a more gossipy style of history, discussing the various crimes and scandals that have been associated with Hollywood over the years. It was interesting, but the information can be found elsewhere.

Wow this book was so packed with information and stories I had never heard of before. I thought I knew a lot about old Hollywood & the scandalous past but I was so wrong. The author did his research and did it well!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Dark History of Hollywood by Kieron Connolly is a well researched and informative read about the scandles and dark sides of Hollywood.
Some of the information I already knew in this book but the majority I didn't, which is always good as I love learning new things.
The book is divided into chapters covering; Founding Father's, Silent twenties, the studio system, the blacklist , the mob and sex and the stars. Its very clear the author put a lot of time and effort into this book as he's not just created content on scandles but also included political, cultural, business, and sociological information and implications through this history of Hollywood.

*arc review on netgalley

Such a well constructed book, covering so much material. Well layed out, the photography was the best compliment to the stories of Hollywood being told. Nothing was left out. A fun and entertaining book for anyone who interest is Hollywood.

There are good and bad points about this book and overall I’d say it’s a good read but it isn’t really a ‘history’ of Hollywood. Researching the author, I realised that the book is a reissue and was previously called "A Dark History of Hollywood" and that makes more sense. The subtitle here is a nod to that. The book dwells very definitely on the murders, exploitation, gangsters, corruption, and sex scandals of the early days of Hollywood and there are prurient elements here that I wasn’t fond of - talking of sex and homosexuality can get a little titillating.

Where Mr Connolly looks at the change from silent to talkies or the use of contracts for actors, he really does develop some fascinating stories. I hadn’t really thought of the emotional impact of the talkies on silent actors who were considered unsuitable for the new era. They had been big stars, stalwarts of the industry, and were effectively out of work overnight. Actresses and actors on contracts who refused to work on a film had that added to their term so a 10 year contract could last much longer than 10 years and the refusal months while that film was made with other actors were unpaid…

There is a lot here to like but I didn’t love it. A good place to start maybe to give you a basis to research stories you develop an interest in.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

Hooray for Hollywood!
This book provides an in-depth and thorough guide to the history of many aspects of the Hollywood dream factory over the last century or so which certainly doesn't stint in covering the many scandals which have always lurked within Hollywood's seedy underbelly.

If you are a lover of Hollywood history, this book is for you. Well chaptered, deeply researched and enterainingly written. There are a lot of anecdotes that I hadn't read before. It explained the evolution of the industry in a fresh way.

My thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books for a copy of “ The History Of Hollywood” for an honest review.

I read this book on my Kindle but I’m sure it would make a very attractive” coffee table “style book. I would do that as this is my vibe.

I’ve read many books on Hollywood over the years , so nothing was particularly wow and unheard to me, I still found the text interesting and there was a nice collection of photos. I adore the cover.
It deals with the dark side of Hollywood and it’s a very entertaining read for anyone interested in the history glitz glam rock and roll that is Hollywood..

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The History of Hollywood by Keiron Connolly. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

The History of Hollywood is a well-written book that hits all the big scandals of early Hollywood. It also looks into how the Hollywood system created the toxic lifestyles that led to most of the scandals and then covered them up. I give this book 5/5 stars.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Amber Books Ltd via NetGalley.

I found this to be a well-organized book and I liked the flow that the author portrayed. The pictures helped to move the progression of the book along through the ages. It was fascinating to read the behind-the-scenes of the Hollywood stars I have grown up watching.

An entertaining story of Holllywood via gossips. Entertaining, full of pictures and information
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

If you're looking for a comparatively short yet surprisingly comprehensive view behind the headlines & scenes of Hollywood, from its humble beginnings, through the golden age of cinema, to today, then look no further. I already knew about some of the stories in the book, but there were others covered that I had never heard about before. There are scandals, murders, rumoured dealings with the Mob, the McCarthy witch-hunts, right up to #MeToo, & Hollywood facing competition from the smaller screen & changing audience behaviours with people preferring to stream movies at home, etc. Let's face it, premieres don't seem to hold quite the fascination & prestige that they did - today's Hollywood (or at least the public version) is rather bland I think, I much prefer the Hollywood of James Dean & Marilyn Monroe.

This is a book that you can dip in & out of. There's lots of great photographs too which adds to its appeal, & it has a very laidback, almost 'having a gossip with friends' feel to reading it. If you're a Hollywood history buff then there might not be enough new information here for you, but for anyone like me who loves the whole mystique of the vintage Hollywood scene but hasn't read tons about it yet, then I'd recommend it as a starting point.

.My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Amber Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

What a brilliant insight into the chauvinistic history of Hollywood. It explains much of why we have gender inequality today. Fascinating.

I loved this book. It gave a quick history of Hollywood and movie business. It covers a variety of topics and tells interesting stories. I enjoyed the book a lot and I wish it was longer

An interesting collection of topics relating to Old Hollywood. A treasure trove for film fans.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This is a reprint with some updating from a previously published 2014 version. The original title refers to it as the “Dark History” and that is really the focus. This isn’t sensationalized but it focuses on the scandals, monopolies and corruption especially in the early days of Hollywood. The section headings include: Founding Fathers, Silent Twenties, Studio System, Blacklist, The Mob, Sex, Stars and Modern Hollywood. The book is very readable and the photos are great. I was aware of many of the scandals and corruption of the early days of Hollywood so not much of this is new for me. And if you don’t know stars like Grant, Gable, Pickford, Fairbanks, Sinatra etc. this may not be the book for you. There has been some add ins with mentions of more recent scandals like Woody Alan or Weinstein and the #MeToo movement. But the main focus is on the earlier days of Hollywood when studios welded almost unlimited power. I found it easy to read and follow. I would for sure check this out from a library but it is not something I’d choose personally for my coffee table or book shelf. Thank you to Amber Books Ltd., for the temporary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty decent history of Hollywood book. Felt like a table top book more than an actual novel. The pictures were superb and the writing was spot on and engaging. I would recommend this to anyone that would like an interesting read about the history of Hollywood and its scandal's

My thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books for a copy of “ The History Of Hollywood” for an honest review.

I read this book on my Kindle but I’m sure it would make a very attractive” coffee table “style book.
I’ve read many books on Hollywood over the years , so nothing was particularly new to me , but I still found the text interesting and there was a nice collection of photos..
It deals with the dark side of Hollywood and it’s a very entertaining read for anyone interested in the history of father movies.