There’s no business that’s more exciting than show business, and for almost a century Variety has been the bible for the entertainment industry. With colourful lingo that has enriched the language, a talent for spotting trends and events long before anyone else does, and statistics to back up its hunches, Variety is one of the most widely known periodicals in the world.

The Variety History of Show Business chronicles the movies, theatre, television and popular music with all the style, verve, and insight for which Variety is famous, all lavishly illustrated with revealing photographs. It’s a front-row seat for the dramatic events that have shaped the world of entertainment, from Hollywood’s modest beginnings as the capital of the movie industry to the explosive success of MTV on cable television. The musical that transformed Broadway? The first all-star movie? The show that launched tabloid TV? You’ll find all this and more in The Variety History of Show Business