The Moguls and the Dictators: Hollywood and the Coming of World War II
The research is impeccable and the footnotes are copious, and, despite the number of players involved, the story that Welky tells is nothing less than riveting. His rich anecdotal material transcends any potentially scholastic tone, and as a reference source it is worthy of being 'Kindled.'(Charles L. HoytInternet Review of Books)These are fresh retellings of old sidebar legends... There have been other works that treat this area, but few match the quality of interweaving the worlds of movies, diplomacy, and the temper of the times (especially as seen in the minds of the ‘moguls’).(Thomas Cripps, professor emeritus, Morgan State University)Well-written and absorbing new history.(J. HobermanFilm Comment)A superbly researched account of the Depression/pre-War years in Hollywood.(Empire)To his credit, Welky's 'Essay on Sources' alone makes the book worthwhile. But there is another approach—that of a historian, not a cinema studies scholar or humanist from a related discipline—that enables him to mine the studio archives and discover material that might elude another's eye.(Bernard F. DickJournal of American History)Lively study... What makesThe Moguls and the Dictatorsengrossing is its ability to bring the period, its events and its main protagonists vividly to life.(André KaenelCercles)The Moguls and the Dictatorsis an abundantly detailed, highly informative book that serves both as a useful reference text and as an engaging story, and it is an original and valuable addition to interwar film scholarship.(Hannah DurkinSCOPE)A fascinating and convincing portrait... Thoroughly researched and engagingly written,The Moguls and the Dictatorsnot only adds to our understanding of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s but also provides a valuable model for thinking about the interaction of business and cultural history.(Benjamin L. AlpersAmerican Historical Review)