Paul Fischer and the Man who Invented Motion Pictures

In 1888, Frenchman Louis Le Prince shot the world’s first motion picture. In 1890, he boarded a train in his home country and vanished — never to be seen again. Just a few months later, Thomas Edison announced “his” own groundbreaking motion picture device — one Le Prince’s family thought looked unsettlingly familiar…

The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures pulls back the curtain on Louis Le Prince’s life and work, dispelling the secrets that shroud each — and sheds light, for the first time, on his disappearance…

“Absorbing… bring[s] sharp forensic skills and a cool head to a narrative that has become hijacked by wild conspiracy theories” — The Sunday Times (UK)

“A fascinating, informative, skillfully articulated narrative of one of the forgotten figures in cinematic history” — Kirkus (starred review)

“Vivid character sketches, lyrical descriptions of the art and science of moviemaking, and a dramatic plot twist make this a must-read” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Combines firsthand accounts with dynamic writing to bring the Victorian era to life. A remarkable cast of characters (including Le Prince’s equally fascinating wife, Lizzie) makes for compelling reading” — Library Journal

“A captivating whodunit [and] a lens on the development of cinema itself… Briskly paced and elegant… Indisputably dramatic” — Harper’s Magazine

“Absorbing, forensic and jaw-dropping” — Total Film

“Partly a fascinating history, partly a surprisingly twisted whodunit, and entirely an insightful story of human intrigue” — Deborah Blum, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Poisoner’s Handbook

“A gripping tale that holds its own against any Hitchcockian thriller” — New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

“Meticulous and entertaining… persuasively solves the 130-year-old mystery of Le Prince’s disappearance and death. A terrific book” — Jill Jonnes, author of Empires of Light and Eiffel’s Tower

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