In this accessible introduction to early and silent cinema, which is currently enjoying a renaissance, both academically and in the popular imagination thanks to 'The Artist', Keith Withall provides both a comprehensive chronology of the period until the birth of sound and also a series of detailed case studies on the key films from the period - some well known (including Griffith's 'The Birth of a Nation', Eisenstein's 'Strike' and Chaplin's 'The Kid'), some perhaps less well familiar (including Murnau's 'The Last Laugh' and Oscar Micheaux's 'Within Our Gates'). As well as covering in detail the major film-making figures and nations of the period, the author also provides insights into the industry in less well documented areas.