Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon: The Greatest Movie Never Made

Alison Castle received a BA in philosophy from Columbia University and an MA in photography and film from New York University (NYU/International Center of Photography masters program). She is the editor of titles on photography, film, and design, including Some Like it Hot and The Stan

Slated for production immediately following the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick’s "Napoleon" was to be at once a character study and a sweeping epic, replete with grandiose battle scenes featuring thousands of extras. To write his original screenplay, Kubrick embarked on two years of intensive research; with the help of dozens of assistants and an Oxford Napoleon specialist, he amassed an unparalleled trove of research and preproduction material, including approximately 15,000 location scouting photographs and 17,000 slides of Napoleonic imagery. Based on the original 2009 limited edition which featured ten books hidden inside of a carved out reproduction of a Napoleon history book, this publication brings all the original elements together in one volume. Herein, all of the books from the original edition are reproduced in facsimile: correspondence, costume studies, location scouting photographs, research material, script drafts, and more. The culmination of years of research and preparation, this unique publication offers readers a chance to experience the creative process of one of cinema’s greatest talents as well as a fascinating exploration of the e

"You have to see it to believe it, which is appropriate when you consider Kubrick's obsession it could be that the project has found its perfect home as the most grandiose book ever made." (New York Magazine)"

Great to read informally I have to say I have never sat down and read this book in the normal way. Instead I tend to read it by browsing through and choosing a particular section and then just enjoying that section. The way it is set up, this kind of periodic enjoyment is perfect, as t. "One of my most treasured "books"" according to Lewis Shepherd. An enormous compendium of the encyclopedic research Kubrick did for his unmade film. What a fantastic project this book must have been, to retrace the research steps taken by that master Kubrick and then to present them in such a beautiful and rich form. Heirlo. Spectactular Beyond my expectations!