This is one of the most excellent guides to horror film written for laymen such as myself that I've read to date. Starting with a brief introduction to the genre and its roots in Gothic literature, it ranges from early silent films - the usual suspects such as Der Golem and Cabinet of Dr Caligari, as well as rarer treats as Haxan - to films made in 2005. Over 300 films are covered with at least a substantial paragraph each - all informative and entertainingly written (including a hilariously wry take on the reactionary moral stance of Exorcist) - and the book is richly illustrated throughout with well-chosen stills from many of these films. Interspersed among these individual entries are substantial essays on various sub-genres (zombie films, giallo, serial killers etc), influential authors (HP Lovecraft, Stephen King etc), and each decade from the 1930s onwards has its own chapter with an introductory essay summarising the best and worst trends of that decade. This would make a very handsome present for any fan of horror, and speaking for myself I have spent many enjoyable evenings browsing and dipping into the book - either finding out what it has to say about old favourites, or discovering many new titles to hunt for.