Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Creation of the Twentieth Century

The life and times of a comedy genius

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the life of Buster Keaton, silent movies, comedy, or the early days of cinema. Film critic Dana Stevens—who is also one of the hosts of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast—presents in the life of Buster Keaton within the context of his times. This is less a biography than a cultural history (as the book's subtitle indicates). For example, a chapter about Keaton’s rough-and-tumble childhood in Vaudeville leads to a look at the history of child labor in the United States; the production and plot of Buster’s 1920 short film One Week (about newlyweds’ home construction that goes comically awry) spins off into a short history of the “kit house” craze of that period. 
Stevens’ research is impressive and her respect for Buster Keaton as a man and an artist is palpable throughout the book.