It was impossible to read this book because it was not accessible via Kindle. I am not sure why any publisher is still doing this.

James Cameron may not be the most prolific filmmaker of our time, but he is undoubtedly one of the most influential, with a near-manic passion for creating epic and original films.
He has two of the most successful films of all time to his credit – Titanic and Avatar – and along with the likes of George Lucas and Peter Jackson, he reimagined the possibilities of visual effects, which has rippled into just about every movie we see.
Nathan’s beautifully illustrated book is a biographical filmography of the Canadian director’s work which also takes a deep look at the man himself, and what drives him.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is really a 3.5 star review. The author is obviously a fan of James Cameron and has done a lot of research on the director. But since he is such a fan this biography is very biased. Everything Cameron has done is the best, the biggest, and wonderful. There is not a lot of new information included. Any failings are quickly overlooked. Fans of the director will enjoy the book. Others may find it a little too perfect.

Very interesting and informative….. James Cameron is the most successful filmmaker of all time by some margin. Which is something we tend to take for granted. The question at the heart of his story isn’t only how this came about, but what is it about Cameron that makes him such a universal storyteller? Cinema has had its godlike directors, lifting it up into new spaces, but he is their Zeus. The man who made the biggest film of all time, Titanic, then topped that by making the next biggest film of all time, Avatar. Encapsulating not only the magnitude of James Cameron as a filmmaker but the minutiae too – the incredible stories of an artist whose commitment to the medium knows few bounds. The tales behind the films are as epic as the films themselves. The astonishing making of The Abyss, much of it shot submerged in a decommissioned nuclear plant, could fill a book on its own. James Cameron: A Retrospective is an enthralling and beautifully illustrated film-by-film biography – from The Terminator to Aliens to Avatar 2 – of the most popular director in movie history.

It was a pleasure reading this book. It provides insightful backstories to film produced by James Cameron. I find it quite inspirational, reading about a young 22 years old James who gave up his job in order to pursue his passion. A lesson of determination, persistence and hard work.

James Cameron is an upcoming book by Ian Nathan.
In this book, Nathan covers all of the movies that James Cameron has made, with an emphasis on the movies themselves rather than Cameron.
I found this book to be a good introduction to these movies. There is a chapter devoted to each movie, which describes some elements of the movies, such as how they hired the main actors and how much the movie costed. The book also begins with a short biography of Cameron's early life, and how that informed his movies. I particularly like the pictures in the book. While most are just stills from the movies, a few (especially for Avatar) are the actual concept drawings, which were interesting to look at.
However, there is much I did not like about this book. My biggest gripe is how biased it is. Nathan is clearly a huge fan of Cameron, which is fine but I wish the book had been less opinionated. For example, every time Nathan mentions Cameron's rudeness or even abuse of his people, Nathan excuses it by talking about how passionate and sure of himself Cameron is. I would have preferred if Nathan only said that once, if at all. I also wish there was more information about each movie. The information is mostly random, such as some telling us the release dates and others not, or some describing where the movie was shot and some not, etc.
In conclusion, I found this to be an okay book. I would recommend it to someone who is looking for an introduction to all of James Cameron's movies, but I would not recommend to someone looking for a biography of Cameron or a more in depth biography of his movies.

Wonderful deep dive into the career of the great James Cameron. This book takes you through his career movie by movie with plenty of pictures from the films, behind the scenes photos, and quotes from the director himself and those closest to him. Highly recommend this to anyone who considers themselves a fan of Cameron's work and releasing just in time for the new Avatar film hitting theaters.

A photographical journey through James Cameron's career with vivid photos and recollections. For film buffs and fans of good movies.

James Cameron is arguably one of the most influential directors alive, but has received less scholarly attention than peers like Lucas or Spielberg, not to mention the likes of Kubrick. While I don't think his earlier films have been forgotten by any means - they remain very popular - they also don't get the constant marketing and attention that ongoing franchises like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings get. As such, Ian Nathan's retrospective is a timely reminder of what Cameron has accomplished in cinema.

The book covers each of Cameron's films chronologically, along with chapters about Cameron's ocean documentaries and upcoming Avatar films. It briefly touches upon films Cameron produced, like "Alita: Battle Angel," but mostly focuses on those films Cameron himself directed. The book does mention major events in Cameron's personal life, but mostly sticks to the films.

The stories behind some of Cameron's films are almost as amazing as the films themselves. Aliens, Terminator 2, and Titanic all had extensive behind the scenes drama, dangerous stunts, and game-changing technology ("Avatar" comes across as the only Cameron film with a smooth production history). Cameron himself comes across as a force of nature, a man with an indomitable work ethic who doesn't tolerate fools easily.

If anything, the book leans into the myth of James Cameron a bit too much. The book does veer a bit into hagiography. Nathan is obviously a fan of Cameron's work - he regularly calls him the most successful director alive - and has very little negative to say about the man or his films. There's no critical examination of why "Avatar" leaned so heavily into white savior tropes. There's also surprisingly little about Cameron as a person. The description of Cameron's friendship with Arnold Schwarzenegger were fascinating because they seemed to be a rare glimpse into Cameron bonding with someone on a human level.

This book is a great way to refamiliarize yourself with Cameron and his movies before his next Avatar movie - his first film in more than a decade - is released. I'm quite familiar with the history of cinema, but probably how singular his successes have been (Titanic and Avatar are two of the only films to make over a billion dollars that weren't tied to an existing franchise). The book is probably less appropriate for readers seeking a critical or scholarly examination of Cameron's works, or for readers primarily interested in a biography of Cameron's life.

In 1977, a 22-year-old special effects artist called James Cameron queued up to see Star Wars with his two friends. A few hours later, the young Canadian left the cinema in a state of rage.as he recognised George Lucas was doing everything he wanted to do himself. The next day, he quit his job and dedicated himself to filmmaking.
Within five years, he had at least partly achieved his goal, directing his first ever film, Piranha II: The Spawning, the sequel to an earlier horror helmed by future Gremlins director, Joe Dante.
Make no mistake: Piranha II was rubbish. But Cameron was on his way. The next forty years would see Cameron become one of the most successful filmmakers ever, creating a number of landmark movies, all for some reason, with titles starting with the letters, ''A' or 'T'.
The Terminator: The violent time travel classic which made Arnie a star. Aliens, a sequel which arguably surpassed even Ridley Scott's chilling original. The Abyss: a nightmare to shoot but nevertheless a great, if flawed, film. T2: Another great sequel. True Lies: A sometimes iffy action comedy. Then the box office wonders, Titanic and Avatar. And then lots and lots of Avatar sequels forever and ever into the future.
Veteran British movie writer, Ian Nathan has produced yet another intelligent, well-written pictrure book on one of the great filmmakers of our age.