This book has been a long time in preparation and in the course of it I have received
help from many quarters. I am grateful first of all to my contributors, and in par-
ticular lo those who, as well as diligently writing their own contributions to the
book, also acted as informal advisers on the project—notably Thomas Elsaesser, Charles
Musser, Ashish Rajadhyaksha, and A.L Rees. I also received specialist advice from Stephen
Bottomore, Pam Cook, Rosalind Delmar, Hugh Denman, Joel Finler, June Givanni,
David Parkinson, Jasia Reichert ,and, most valuably of all, from Markku Salmi. I had administrative help in the early stages from my niece Rebecca Nowell-Smith, and editorial assistance—all too brietly-from Sam Cook. For the last two years my Assistant Editor has been Kate Beetham, to whom my debt is indescribable. Lael Lowinstein helped with the bibliography.
Picture research was conducted by Liz Heasman, whose knowledge and judgement are
unrivalled in this tricky field. The tiresome work of tracing picture permissions devolved
on Vicki Reeve and Diana Morris. For this normally thankless task they deserve particular
thanks. And thanks, too. To my editors at the Oxford University Press. Andrew Lockett and
Frances Whistler, especially for their patience.