Noted film noir historians Alain Silver and James Ursini acting as editors concentrate in this work on the thirty key directors of the classic noir period. These include well-known luminaries such as Orson Welles Billy Wilder Nicholas Ray and Joseph Losey as well as lesser-known lights of noir such as Gerd Oswald Felix E. Feist Ida Lupino and John Brahm. Each article will include a short biography of the director a list of their major noir films as well as a deep analysis of the films themselves. The book boasts over two dozen collaborators from the world of film history and criticism. Lavishly illustrated with high-resolution photos illustrating the points made by the authors this book is a must for any aficionado of the American style of film noir.