About the Book:

HARD TO FIND BOOK, only a very limited number of copies are still available.

A Celebration of the Film Amistad by Steven Spielberg

This elegant volume commemorates the creation of an extraordinary movie, featuring: specially commissioned watercolours which served as "storyboards"; production and historical photos and documents; essays by director Steven Spielberg, producer Debbie Allen (who pursued the project for 13 years), and poet Maya Angelou; and a lengthy text on the making of the film about the fight for freedom by 53 Africans, who, in 1839, were captured as slaves and who rebelled on the Spanish slave ship Amistad.

What people say:

"For me, the story of Cinque and his heroism brought light into a time of great darkness: my childhood ... I remembered and I had hope." — Maya Angelou

About the Author:

Debbie Allen is the producer of Amistad, who brought the project to DreamWorks. She boasts an extensive career in the film and television industry, from acting to directing and producing. She starred in the such films as Fame and Ragtime, and is currently directing and producing television documentaries and shows.

Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014) was a world renowned African-American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer. She is the author of 12 best-selling books including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and A Song Flung Up to Heaven. In 1981, she was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. She became only the second poet in United States history to be asked to write and read an original work at the Presidential inauguration in 1993.

Steven Spielberg has directed, produced, or executive-produced seven of the 25 top-grossing films of all time (worldwide), including Jurassic Park and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. In addition, he directed and produced the multiple award-winning motion pictures Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Spielberg has also been recognized with Academy Award nominations for Best Director for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He won the 2002 Broadcast Film Critics Award for Best Director for his films Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can.