"Silent Movies" by Peter Kobel review

The Wall Street Journal Online recently published a "Holiday Gift Guide," with many of the paper's columnist listing bargains and splurges as gift-giving ideas.

Film critic Joe Morgenstern, as one of his bargains, chose Silent Movies by Peter Kobel. His review:

"My first pick for the bargain basement is "Silent Movies," a sumptuous new book whose full title continues, "The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture." It retails for $45 but Amazon is currently selling it for $29.70, which is a steal. The author, Peter Kobel, has drawn on the staggeringly rich resources of the Library of Congress, and a forward by Martin Scorsese is followed by an introduction by the distinguished film historian Kevin Brownlow. This isn't a coffee table book, though any coffee table would be lucky to be graced by it. The excellent text manages the trick of being exhaustive without being exhausting, while the photos -- and stills, and posters, and lobby cards -- are enchanting."

It's available in the WTSM Store, and would make a great gift for the film lover on your list!