Looking for the best Documentary books? Browse our list to find excellent book recommendations on the subject.
- A Documentary History of the United States (Revised and Updated) (2018)
- Introduction to Documentary, Third Edition (2017)
- Documentary Storytelling (2015)
- For The Record: A Documentary History (Seventh Edition) (Vol. Volume 2) (2019)
- Documentary Voice & Vision: A Creative Approach to Non-Fiction Media Production (2016)
- The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down & Dirty DV Production (2014)
- Documentary Editing: Principles & Practice (2017)
- Making Documentary Films and Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentaries (2007)
- For The Record: A Documentary History (Seventh Edition) (Vol. Volume 1) (2019)
- A New History of Documentary Film: Second Edition (2012)
- Directing the Documentary (2014)
- First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History (2018)
- The Documentary Film Reader: History, Theory, Criticism (2016)
- American Labor: A Documentary Collection (2005)
- For the Record: A Documentary History of America (Sixth Edition) (Vol. 1) (2016)
A Documentary History of the United States (Revised and Updated) (2018)
Accompanied by interpretations of their significance by noted historian Richard D.
Introduction to Documentary, Third Edition (2017)
The third edition of Bill Nichols’s best-selling text provides an up-to-date introduction to the most important issues in documentary history and criticism. A new chapter, “I Want to Make a Documentary: Where Do I Start?” guides readers through the steps of planning and preproduction and includes an example of a project proposal for a film that went on to win awards at major festivals.
Documentary Storytelling (2015)
Documentary Storytelling has reached filmmakers and filmgoers worldwide with its unique focus on the key ingredient for success in the growing global documentary marketplace: storytelling.
For The Record: A Documentary History (Seventh Edition) (Vol. Volume 2) (2019)
For the Record features 264 primary-source selections―both textual and visual―drawn from a broad range of government documents, newspapers, speeches, letters, and novels. In the Seventh Edition, timely new selections on immigration allow students to better understand the issues of today.
Documentary Voice & Vision: A Creative Approach to Non-Fiction Media Production (2016)
Learn the creative and technical essentials of documentary filmmaking with Documentary Voice & Vision. This comprehensive work combines clear, up-to-date technical information, production techniques and gear descriptions with an understanding of how technical choices can create meaning and serve a director’s creative vision.
The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down & Dirty DV Production (2014)
To anyone who wants to make a doc but doesn’t have a lot of time, money, or experience, Anthony Artis says: “It’s time to get down and dirty!”―a filmmaking mentality that teaches you how to be creative with your resources and do more with less.
Documentary Editing: Principles & Practice (2017)
Documentary Editing offers clear and detailed strategies for tackling every stage of the documentary editing process, from organizing raw footage and building select reels to fine cutting and final export.
Making Documentary Films and Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentaries (2007)
The second edition of Making Documentary Films and Videos fully updates the popular guidebook that has given readers around the world the knowledge and confidence to produce their first documentary film. It traces two main approaches―recording behavior and re-creating past events―and shows you how to be successful at each.
For The Record: A Documentary History (Seventh Edition) (Vol. Volume 1) (2019)
For the Record features 264 primary-source selections―both textual and visual―drawn from a broad range of government documents, newspapers, speeches, letters, and novels. In the Seventh Edition, timely new selections on immigration allow students to better understand the issues of today.
A New History of Documentary Film: Second Edition (2012)
A New History of Documentary Film, Second Edition offers a much-needed resource, considering the very rapid changes taking place within documentary media.
Directing the Documentary (2014)
Directing the Documentary, Sixth Edition is the definitive book on the form, offering time-tested principles to help you master the craft. Ideal for documentary courses as well as aspiring and established documentary filmmakers, this book has it all, with in-depth lessons and insider perspectives on every aspect of preproduction, production, and postproduction.
First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History (2018)
Expertly authored by Colin G. Calloway, First Peoples has been praised for its inclusion of Native American sources and Calloway’s concerted effort to weave Native perspectives throughout the narrative. Emphasizing the importance of primary sources, each chapter includes a document project and picture essay organized around important themes in the chapter.
The Documentary Film Reader: History, Theory, Criticism (2016)
Bringing together an expansive range of writing by scholars, critics, historians, and filmmakers, The Documentary Film Reader presents an international perspective on the most significant developments and debates from several decades of critical writing about documentary. Each of the book’s seven sections covers a distinct period in the history of documentary, collecting both contemporary and retrospective views of filmmaking in the era.
American Labor: A Documentary Collection (2005)
This comprehensive compilation of documents integrates institutional labor history (movements and trade unions) with aspects of social and cultural history.
For the Record: A Documentary History of America (Sixth Edition) (Vol. 1) (2016)
The most extensive and varied collection of primary sources available.For the Record: A Documentary History features nearly 250 primary source selections, both textual and visual, drawn from a broad range of government documents, newspapers, speeches, letters, novels, and images.
Best Documentary Books You Must Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some documentary books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Screening Social Justice: Brave New Films and Documentary Activism
Author(s): Sherry B. Ortner
ID: 3644399, Publisher: Duke University Press, Year: 2023, Size: 1 Mb, Format: pdf
Making a Scene in Documentary Film: Iconic Filmmakers Discuss What Works and Why
Author(s): Maxine Trump
ID: 3684572, Publisher: Routledge/Focal Press, Year: 2023, Size: 6 Mb, Format: pdf
The Documentary Distribution Toolkit: How to Get Out, Get Seen, and Get an Audience
Author(s): Rachel Gordon
ID: 3164853, Publisher: Routledge, Year: 2022, Size: 3 Mb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not absolute. Some books are truly chart-busters according to Chicago Tribune, others are written by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant links you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.