A lively history of the Academy Awards, focusing on the brutal battles, the starry rivalries, and the colorful behind-the-scenes Hollywood drama.

Once an industry banquet, the Academy Awards are now a hallowed ceremony, complete with red carpets, sealed envelopes, and little gold men. But don’t be fooled by the pomp: the Oscars can also be a brutal battlefield, the place where Hollywood’s biggest power struggles play out.

In Oscar Wars, New York Times bestselling author Michael Schulman chronicles the remarkable history of the Oscars, and the personal dramas —some iconic, others never before revealed— that have played out on the stage and off-camera. Each chapter takes a deep dive into a particular conflict, from the ceremony’s turbulent birth at the hands of Louis B. Mayer and the tumult of the Hollywood blacklist, to the rise of underhand campaign tactics and the explosive reckoning over race that culminated in the chaotic anointing of Moonlight as Best Picture.

Featuring a star-studded cast of some of the most powerful Hollywood players of today and yesterday, meticulous research, and unforgettable anecdotes, this captivating history is a collection of revelatory tales, each representing a turning point for the Academy, for the movies, or for the culture at large.

‘Schulman has the perfect eye and ear for the telling, entertaining dramas . . . leading up to Oscar victory.’ Graydon Carter, former editor of Vanity Fair

‘Deeply researched and compulsively readable.’ New York Times

© Michael Schulman 2027 (P) Penguin Audio 2027