Oscar Wars

A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears

By: Michael Schulman

Narrated by: Charlie Thurston

Length: 21 hrs

Publisher's summary

The author of the New York Times bestseller Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep returns with a lively history of the Academy Awards, focusing on the brutal battles, the starry rivalries, and the colorful behind-the-scenes drama.

America does not have royalty. It has the Academy Awards. For nine decades, perfectly coiffed starlets, debonair leading men, and producers with gold in their eyes have chased the elusive Oscar. What began as an industry banquet in 1929 has now exploded into a hallowed ceremony, complete with red carpets, envelopes, and little gold men. But don’t be fooled by the pomp: the Oscars, more than anything, are a battlefield, where the history of Hollywood—and of America itself—unfolds in dramas large and small. The road to the Oscars may be golden, but it’s paved in blood, sweat, and broken hearts.

In Oscar Wars, Michael Schulman chronicles the remarkable, sprawling history of the Academy Awards and the personal dramas—some iconic, others never-before-revealed—that have played out on the stage and off camera. Unlike other books on the subject, each chapter takes a deep dive into a particular year, conflict, or even category that tells a larger story of cultural change, from Louis B. Mayer to Moonlight. Schulman examines how the red carpet runs through contested turf, and the victors aren't always as clear as the names drawn from envelopes. Caught in the crossfire are people: their thwarted ambitions, their artistic epiphanies, their messy collaborations, their dreams fulfilled or dashed.

Featuring a star-studded cast of some of the most powerful Hollywood players of today and yesterday, as well as outsiders who stormed the palace gates, this captivating history is a collection of revelatory tales, each representing a turning point for the Academy, for the movies, or for the culture at large.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Michael Schulman (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Narrator does a nice job of relaying this book

Charlie Thurston reminds me of a less salacious VH1 Behind the Music guy. The book overall is a good listen and there were a few details I didn’t know about especially the Olivia De Havilland and Joan Fontaine sibling rivalry. Intense! It’s a good addition to anyone’s cinematic literary collection.

Fasten Your Seatbelts

Such a fun listen overall. There are some narrative concepts that don’t translate well into audio format (such as when multiple films or actor experiences are cycled through — a bit jarring). But the information and Schulman’s style are so fun, a nice balance of the serious and the salacious.

Loved it!

So interesting, didn’t want it to end! Fascinating how all of the pieces of history come together to what we see now.

Great Fun!

This is a nice history of Hollywood and how it reflects American culture back to the audience. Interesting way of organizing it around several pivotal years of Oscar history. Lots of infighting and drama, but, hey, if you’re looking at a book with a title like this, that’s likely what you came for. Not a lot of new info (although I was new to the Hattie McDaniel info), but it’s nice to hear things put together in a timeline that flows like this.

Fascinating and wonderful

Absolutely wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the Academy and all the petty and absurdly strange feuds. I found myself stopping the book to go watch the movies that I had previously not watched. Such a great book. Only critiqué would be that the book ended kind of abruptly. Would’ve liked more of an editorial about the system itself. But still a fantastic book.

Loved it

Great dramatic story- loved it a lot eight more words here or there but done

Hollywood at its best...and worst.

What great, informative listen! I listened to this book in the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards and it serves as a perfect companion piece. Interesting chapters about everything Oscars. Highlights for me include the sibling rivalry between Oliva de Havilland and Joan Fontaine, the Miramax machine and the infamous 1989 Academy Awards telecast. Pure Gold!

Fun, Informative Look at Oscar

Oscar Wars is a very good, well-researched look at the most controversial Oscar races, from the figurative crime of Bette Davis not being nominated for Of Human Bondage to the actual crime of The Slap seen around the world.
Charlie Thurston proves with Oscar Wars and Demon Copperhead he is among the best narrators working today.

Great history and a really fun listen

Loved the history, and think it’ll be a book I come back to again and again as I want to remember the history of Hollywood and get inspired to rewatch all the classic movies mentioned.

Fascinating

Love the history, pacing and focus of the book. I also love the narrator and now look for him as an added plus to any book he reads.