Film history: Theory and practice

The object of study in this book is historical writing on the cinema; film historiography. Although several specific case studies are presented, the primary concern is with the "big picture" - the larger questions that transcend any particular example of film historical writing. What precisely does film history claim to study? What is the nature of the knowledge gained through the study of film history?What materials do film historians work with? What approaches have film historians taken in their work How might these approaches be critiqued?