How did the Korda family, a dynasty of Hungarian immigrants, navigate the volatile landscape of the 20th-century film industry to achieve international prominence? Michael Korda, a prominent editor and nephew of the famous Korda brothers, utilizes personal archives, family anecdotes, and historical records to reconstruct the lives of Alexander, Zoltan, and Vincent Korda. The text examines the intersection of personal ambition, artistic vision, and the shifting geopolitical climate of Europe and Hollywood during the mid-1900s. It argues that the family's collective success was as much a product of their shared cultural identity as it was their individual creative output.

Critics often praise the book for its intimate, observational prose and its ability to humanize figures who are otherwise relegated to historical footnotes. Readers frequently note that the text provides a balanced view of the family's professional triumphs and their complex, often difficult personal relationships.