David Lean: A Biography by Kevin Brownlow
Hardback and eBook

An in-depth biography of David Lean. Brownlow traces Lean's life from his strict upbringing to the memorial services held for him after his death. There are in-depth chapters on all of Lean's films as well as a large collection of photographs. Brownlow's research included many extensive, personal interviews with David Lean. A complete filmography, including editing credits, is provided at the end

David Lean-An Intimate Portrait by Lady Sandra Lean with Barry Chattington
Out of Print

From the inside jacket: "Lady Lean has written a highly personal account of her late husband's life and work, combining the testimony of David's friends and colleagues with over 300 images, many of which are previously unpublished. David Lean - An Intimate Portrait is a unique, often moving study of an extraordinary man...who is still perceived by many in the cinema industry today as the ultimate film-maker."

Beyond the Epic: The Life and Films of David Lean by Gene D. Phillips
Hardback and eBook

Using elements of both biography and film criticism, author Gene D. Phillips examines the screenplays and production histories central to Lean’s body of work and interviews actors and directors who worked with Lean. Phillips also explores Lean’s lesser-studied films, such as The Passionate Friends, unearthing new details. This in-depth examination of Lean in a cultural, historic, and cinematic context makes Beyond the Epic truly unique—a vital assessment of a great director’s artistic process and his place in an evolving film industry.

David Lean and His Films by Stephen M. Silverman
Hardback, Paperback, and eBook

An in-depth examination of David Lean's films from In Which We Serve to A Passage to India. The book contains a wealth of photographs, many previously unseen, as well as a many behind-the-scenes stories. Also includes an introduction by Katharine Hepburn

David Lean's Dedicated Maniac Memoirs of a Film Specialist by Eddie Fowlie and Richard Torne

From blowing up the bridge on the River Kwai and covering the Spanish countryside in fake snow during Doctor Zhivago...to being urinated on by Robert Mitchum, Eddie Fowlie multifaceted film specialist, adventurer and all-round troubleshooter led a remarkable career. From modest beginnings in a quiet London suburb and armed with little more than bagfuls of confidence and a steely determination, he broke into the movie industry during Hollywood s golden era, working with some of the world s leading film directors. But it was his unique relationship with David Lean that provided him with some of the most cherished years of his career. The two were a perfect foil for each other, becoming close friends and work colleagues until the end of the director s life. Fowlie s candid life-story is also a hilarious roller coaster ride by one of life s mavericks a true dedicated maniac.

David Lean: Interview by Steven Organ, ed.
Hardback and Paperback

David Lean: Interviews offers the reader the most thorough and complete compendium of illuminating interviews with the director, several of which are exclusive to this edition. Lean speaks openly about his process and his passion for film, revealing a complicated and talented artist who at times shows great bravado, while at other times exposes deep insecurities. The volume chronicles the career of one of cinema’s most popular and groundbreaking filmmakers.

Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age at the American Film Institute by George Stevens Jr.
Hardback, Paperback, and eBook

Here are the incomparable directors Frank Capra, Elia Kazan, King Vidor, David Lean, Fritz Lang (“I learned only from bad films”), William Wyler, and George Stevens; renowned producers and cinematographers; celebrated screenwriters Ray Bradbury and Ernest Lehman; as well as the immortal Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini (“Making a movie is a mathematical operation. It’s absolutely impossible to improvise”). Taken together, these conversations offer uniquely intimate access to the thinking, the wisdom, and the genius of cinema’s most talented pioneers.

Interviews With Film Directors by Andrew Sarris
Hardback, Paperback (out of print)

The article is a transcript of parts of an interview conducted by Gerald Pratley in Madrid during 1965 for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Lean talks about the conversion of Doctor Zhivago from a novel to a film, filmmaking and directing in general, and how he feels about film critics. Andrew Sarris introduces the interview with a brief commentary on Lean's directorial career, and a filmography is provided at the end.

Lawrence of Arabia: 30th Anniversary Pictorial History by L. Robert Morris & Lawrence Raskin
Hardback and Paperback (Out of Print)

An in-depth look into the production of Lawrence of Arabia from script to its final incarnation in 1989. Contains many behind-the-scenes photographs as well as production documents. The book also provides a thorough history of the reconstruction of Lawrence for its 1989 re-release. Forward is by director Martin Scoresese.

The Making of David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia by Adrian Turner
Out of Print

Published only in the UK, this book present an -in-depth look into the production of Lawrence of Arabia. Includes stills taken directly from the 70mm print. Author goes into great detail on the controversy surrounding Michael Wilson's screen credit.

Troubled Epic: On Location with Ryan's Daughter by Michael Tanner
Paperback and eBook

An unvarnished account of the troubled shooting of the film, both on and off camera, and how its stars – Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Trevor Howard, Christopher Jones and John Mills – coped with a year on Ireland’s west coast in 1969. The story is largely told in the words of local people who were drivers, extras, prop men, landladies, actors or mere observers. Also included is a gazetteer to the locations used on the Dingle Peninsula and elsewhere in Kerry to enable fans to follow in Rosy Ryan’s footsteps. With pictures and archive material, much never published before, this is the behind-the-scenes story of a film which changed the Dingle Peninsula overnight, saw more antics than usual by stars off and on set, and resulted in David Lean making no film for fourteen years.

Lawrence of Arabia (BFI Film Classics) by Kevin Jackson
Paperback

Lawrence of Arabia is widely considered one of the ten greatest films ever made--though more often by film goers and filmmakers than by critics. This study argues that the film is a unique blend of visionary image-making, narrative power, mythopoetic charm and psychological acuteness; far from being a Boy's Own Tale, it is one of popular cinema's greatest tragedies. This volume brings together a critical analysis of the film and an account of its tangled production history--combining these elements with the story of attempts by Alexander Korda and others to bring Lawrence's story to the screen.

Doctor Zhivago (BFI Film Classics) by Ian Christie
Paperback

Ian Christie contextualizes the film as an epic Russian love story and a Cold War classic, charts its production and reception, including the contribution of designer John Box, and discusses the unique history of the Bruce Pasternak novel it is based on.

Brief Encounter: BFI Film Classics by Richard Dryer
Paperback

In his lucid analysis of the film, Richard Dyer explores how its depiction of powerful feelings kept under wraps is a definitive example of a particularly English style of emotional restraint, but also how it spoke to a gay audience for whom this subject - forbidden love between ordinary people - had a special resonance.

This reissued edition features original cover artwork by Rania Moudaress and a substantial new foreword that revisits the film and recent readings of it, covering its enduring legacy and adaptation for theatre and television

David Lean (British Film-Makers) by Melanie Williams
Hardcover, Paperback, and eBook

This book offers comprehensive coverage of every feature film directed by Lean, yielding new insights on the established classics of his career as well as its lesser-known treasures. Its analysis prioritises questions of gender and emphasises the often-overlooked but highly significant recurrence of female-centred narratives throughout Lean’s career. Drawing extensively on archival historical materials while also presenting nuanced close readings of individual films, David Lean offers a fascinating and original account of the work of a remarkable British film maker.

David Lean and His Films by Alain Silver & James Ursini
Hardcover and Paperback (out of print)

This full-length work on David Lean begins with an analysis of Lean as a director and of his style of filmmaking. The book is then divided into chapters which chronologically trace Lean's directorial film credits. Plot synopses are only briefly presented; the emphasis is on the study of the films in the light of their thematic relationships to one another. Interpretation and evaluation of the films make up the majority of the text. A listing of Lean's other film-related activities and his aborted projects are provided along with a bibliography of writings about the director. A filmography with a complete listing of cast and crew credits is included. Stills from the films appear throughout the book.

David Lean by Howard Maxford
Paperback and eBook

A critical and historical examination of David Lean's films. The book contains a wide-array of photographs from Lean's films as well portraits of the director at work

The Art of David Lean: A Textural Analysis of Audio-Visual Structure by Catherine Moraltis
Paperback

The book is a breakthrough study of eight David Lean films including the less-known ones. Historically, books on Lean have concentrated almost exclusively on elements of pre-production, recurrent themes and biographical information. The current study attempts a textual analysis that concentrates on formal/structural aspects of Lean's work that include sound, music, black and white lighting and colour. Yet, the study does not limit itself to a formalist approach but attempts to discern the socio-cultural background against which the films were produced. The detailed scrutiny aims at giving a clear and precise view on how these structural elements function as catalysts in the intellectual understanding of the films in question, while it also attempts to examine the multiplicity of ways in which they intermingle with the other formal/structural film elements that determine the style and aesthetic qualities of the final product.

The Epic Films of David Lean by Constatine Santas
Hardcover and eBook

In this study, Constantine Santas seeks to restore these now undervalued epics to the elevated esteem they once held. Without dismissing the earlier works or regarding them as irrelevant to Lean's evolution as an artist, this book shows that the epics, if analyzed from certain vantage points, are as worthy as any of Lean's previous films. In addition to Lean's Academy-Award-winning blockbusters, Santas also provides close analytical looks at Doctor Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter, and the director's final film, A Passage to India.

The Cinema of David Lean by Gerald Pratley
Hardback (Out of Print)

Begins with a chapter profiling Lean as a director. There are frequent references to comments made by those who have worked with him. Pratley also provides a biography which charts Lean's rise in the film industry. The remainder of the book devotes a chapter to each of Lean's fifteen films. In each chapter, a full listing of cast and credits is provided along with a brief synopsis of the plot. In addition, under a subheading entitled "David Lean," there is a direct quotation by the director about the film under discussion. These comments "are drawn from interviews with the author and from material provided by the BBC, CBC, the Rank Organization, Columbia Pictures and MGM." Each chapter concludes with comments by the author which briefly analyze and evaluate the films and sometimes include additional production notes. A transcript of an interview with Lean on the making of Doctor Zhivago and a chapter of pictures noting Lean's continued use of certain performers complete the book. Throughout, there are stills from Lean's films and on location pictures of the filming and of the director.

David Lean: A Guide to References and Resources by Louis P. Castelli and Caryn Lynn Cleeland
Out of Print

This books offers one of the first published analysis of David Lean's work. Castelli and Cleeland provide a brief biography of Lean. This is followed by an "extensive and comprehensive study of Lean's oeuvre....". The book also contains chapters devoted to references related to David Lean and his films. In particular a complete listing of reviews of all films; annotated guide to the writings on Lean; and archival sources including film distributors. Much of this information will be found on this site.

Lawrence of Arabia: A Film's Anthropology by Steven C. Caton
Hardback and Paperback

Caton examines Lawrence of Arabia through an anthropologist lens. "He poses important questions of ethnographic representation and the discourse of power. In seeking an answer he draws from situations in his own life, biographies of the film's key participants, and analysis issues relating to class, gender, colonialism, and cultural differences." One of the first published books to take an analytical approach to Lawrence of Arabia.

The Oxford Companion to Film by Liz-Anne Bawden
Hardback (Out of Print)

A brief assessment of Lean's rise in the film industry is provided along with a filmography. The article then briefly evaluates Lean as a director.

Film Directors Guide: Western Europe by Robert James Parish
Hardback (Out of Print)

The entry for David Lean consists of a chronological list of film credits, which notes those cases in which Lean received a producer or screenplay credit in addition to a director credit. A picture of Lean directing on the set of Great Expectations appears with the listing.

The Film Encyclopedia by Ephraim Katz
Hardback and eBook

The entry for David Lean consists of a brief biography followed by a complete filmography.

Icons by Denise Worrell
Hardback (Out of Print)

Originally written as a background profile report for Time Magazine’s cover story on the release of A Passage To India, Worrell presents a lengthy and detailed profile of David Lean including many quotes from Lean. A large portion of the profile discuss the development and eventual production of A Passage To India while the remaining goes into a thorough background of Lean’s upbringing and professional career.

Dictionary of Film Makers by Georges Sadoul
Hardback and Paperback (Out of Print)

The listing provides a one-paragraph summary of David Lean's film career with comments on his directorial credits in chronological order through 1970. An official filmography appears at the end of the listing.

The International Encyclopedia of Film by Dr. Roger Manvell, ed.
Hardcover (Out of Print)

The listing chronologically traces David Lean's film career, briefly commenting on his films and analyzing their thematic relationships to one another. It concludes with a brief statement profiling Lean as a director and quoting him on shooting for editing. A picture of Lean directing on the set of Oliver Twist appears with the listing.

The Movie-Makers by Gene D. Phillips
Hardcover (Out of Print)

A lengthy section on David Lean discusses Lean as an auteur, mentioning that few to date have studied Lean from that perspective. A brief biography of Lean's film career is provided, and quotations from Lean appear throughout the article. Quoting Lean's fascination with the character "who refuses to face defeat," Phillips analyzes David Lean's films in terms of this theme, which Phillips attributes to Lean as auteur. Throughout the analysis, Phillips provides brief synopses of the films. He deals in greater detail with the "trilogy of movies which examine three men of courage and imagination who seek to make their personal visions a reality": Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago. Stills from Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, and Ryan's Daughter appear with the article, along with a picture of Lean directing Lawrence of Arabia. A filmography is provided.

A Biographical Dictionary of the Cinema by David Thomson
Paperback and eBook

The one-column listing for David Lean begins with a filmography of Lean's directorial credits. A brief assessment of his film career follows with a short generally negative critique of Lean's films in general and of his style of directing.

The American Cinema: Directors and Directions (1929-1968) by Andrew Sarris
Hardback and Paperback

In the context of a "film history," Andrew Sarris classifies some 200 directors into 11 different categories based on an aesthetic criteria. He provides a filmography of each director along with a brief commentary analyzing the director's style of filmmaking. The listing for David Lean contains his film credits up to 1965. Classifying Lean in the category of directors who offer "Less Than Meets The Eye," Sarris briefly criticizes Lean's more recent film projects, suggesting that these big-budget pictures lack the artistry of some of his earlier works.