"Superman fans, take warning; you will not want to know any of the gut-churning facts contained herein. And you will not be able to stop reading. Good luck."
- Patton Oswalt, actor and comedian

Producer Ilya Salkind once described the Superman mythology as a Greek tragedy. That label may well apply to the repeated attempts to adapt the pop culture icon for the big screen.

Superman vs. Hollywood arrives in bookstores in time for the character's 70th birthday, and there may be no better present for his fans. From the radio days of the 1940s to the Bryan Singer film, the Man of Steel's Tinseltown woes are examined in a narrative that spans decades.

Readers will discover how Marlon Brando was crucial in preventing a stabbing at a production dinner for 1978's Superman the Movie; the myriad theories on the death of George Reeves, with comments from those present only hours before his death; why Steven Spielberg was turned down for directing duties; how an inept stuntman reduced TV's Superboy to unconsciousness...and more.

The personal and professional sacrifices made by those involved in a Superman production mirror the hero's own battles with Kryptonite: the ventures have resulted in lawsuits, fistfights, broken friendships, and shattered careers.

The turbulence is more than just the story of a misplaced American hero: it's a cautionary tale of Hollywood ego and excess.

With a foreword by comics scribe Mark Millar, Superman vs. Hollywood is for anyone interested in the struggles in making audiences believe a man can fly.