This immense FAQ volume paints a picture for us that shows the gritty details behind the scenes of those gigantic green curtains -- the dark side of Oz. It's like an encyclopedia; it has the last word on everything The Wizard of Oz. This book is vast.

"MGM product had gloss."
Everything they touched was basically golden, but there's a reason for that; they hired the best, and they pushed for quality entertainment. MGM was rather like a city in itself, containing every amenity needed, and had a need for every type of career.

You can open the book to any page and find some interesting tidbits. I found it hard to continuously read for an extended time though. You do end up learning all sorts of things about how the movie came together -- including fine details such as how much Terry (Toto) was paid per week! My favorite part is in chapter 18, where it speeds through several rumors concerning Oz and attempts to relay its validity.

Although The Wizard of Oz movie made millions, it didn't make actual profit until 10 years later when a re-release took place. Can you imagine?! I was also surprised to hear that the beloved song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" almost didn't squeeze through the final cut. Would we have even remembered the film half so well if that song was omitted?! I ended up learning some shocking "secrets" about the making of the movie, about Judy Garland, and ALL the rest of the cast too. There is simply so much packed into this volume, it's crazy.

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Language level: 3 out of 5. Mild language/cursing.

Content level: 3 out of 5. A variety of adult themes are at least alluded to, but not too detailed.

Minimum age to read: 18 and up.

Overall? It's an exhaustive source that would make for a good coffee table book in the home of an Oz fan.

I absolutely hated the format of this book. It wasn't that it was a FAQ book, it was something about the formatting of the Kindle edition that was just atrocious in my e-galley. To me it was unreadable. Maybe it had tons of wonderful information and I would recommend seeking a print copy if you're an Oz superfan (as I most likely will eventually). It was a DNF for me in the mean time though.

I received a review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. Thanks NetGalley!