As it was written with only a handful of the person's mentioned still alive, this volume in Brownlow's silent film trilogy does not posses the entertaining and often exciting anecdotes that made The Parade's Gone By and The War, the West, and the Wilderness such fun to read. However, being as it is a Kevin Brownlow book, it is chock full of information and is an invaluable guide for those seeking an exploration into the world of silent cinema and early nineteenth century American society..