The second edition traces the development of the genre from the 1920s to the 1970s. The section on the documentaries of the 1970s is introduced by his own survey of the filmmaking of the period, "From Political Activism to Women's Consciousness," and accompanied by a selected list of documentaries of the 1970s together with photographs from a number of these films. The bibliography of works on documentary films and filmmakers has been expanded.

The second edition traces the development of the genre from the 1920s to the 1970s. The section on the documentaries of the 1970s is introduced by his own survey of the filmmaking of the period, "From Political Activism to Women's Consciousness," and accompanied by a selected list of documentaries of the 1970s together with photographs from a number of these films. The bibliography of works on documentary films and filmmakers has been expanded.