Now brought completely up to date, the new edition of this classic work on documentary films and filmmaking surveys the history of the genre from 1895 to the present day. With myriad social upheavals over the past decade, documentaries have enjoyed an international renaissance; here Barnouw considers the medium in the light of an entirely new political and social climate. He examines as well the latest filmmaking technology and the effects that video cassettes and cable television are having on the production of documentaries.

About the Author:

Erik Barnouw (1908-2001) was a U.S. historian of radio and television broadcasting. Born in the Netherlands, Barnouw was Chief of the Library of Congress's Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division, and long headed Columbia University’s film division. He is best known for his history of U.S. radio and television, his history of documentary films, and for his film Hiroshima/Nagasaki, August 1945.