It is just thirteen inches tall and weighs eight pounds, yet the Oscar has come to exert an hypnotic hold over film performers and audiences alike. This book uses the narrative story of an individual year as the basis of a much broader and historical canvas, to present a portrait of the film world today, and its personalities, finances and power-struggles. It also includes detailed lists of Oscar facts and figures, winners and losers. The author's other books include best-selling biographies of Prince Charles and Laurence Olivier.