300: Rise of an Empire: The Art of the Film

Typically, unless I am buying a textbook, I don’t want to spend a whole lot; however, the sequential art titles offered by Titan Books are worth every penny they are priced at. Larger than most laptop screens, this book is a stunning piece of visually history. Peter Aperlo has brought together the entire process from design concept to final movie rendering. While this book strays away from historical accuracy, unlike the first 300, the attention to detail, CGI, and acting more than makes up for it. This book leads readers through the often-daunting process of playing the part with grueling hours in the gym and non-stop fight training to lead viewers to believe they truly are Spartan and Persian warriors. As you dive deeper into the book, you are given a rare glimpse of the fine-tuned detail from the iconography to the massive detail of the CGI environments that had to be created for so many different points in the movie.

The stunning imagery within this book will surely provide readers with a newfound appreciation for the time, ingenuity, and perfection that goes into making a movie, and books such as this one deserve a sacred spot on display within any home library.