From dimly lit streets to glamorous apartments, world-weary detectives to irresistible femmes fatales, The Rough Guide to Film Noir shines a searchlight into cinema"s darkest and most dangerous corner.
The origins: Noir"s evolution out of a heady brew of hard-boiled fiction, gangster movies, German Expressionism and French films of the 1930s
The history: How noir developed, decade by decade, focusing on the most groundbreaking movies and the subsequent emergence of neo-noir
The canon: 50 essential films, from early masterpieces like The Big Sleep and Touch Of Evil through to neo-noir classics including Chinatown and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The icons: Profiles of legendary performers such as Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck, great directors like Fritz Lang plus key cinematographers, composers and designers
And more: Film noir across the globe, favourite locations, its impact on other genres and the best books, magazines and websites