W.K. Stratton's definitive history of the making of The Wild Bunch, named one of the greatest Westerns of all time by the American Film Institute.
W.K. Stratton is the author of five books of nonfiction and three of poetry. He has written for Sports Illustrated, Outside, GQ, and Texas Monthly, and was named a fellow of the Texas Institute of Letters in 2017. He is a longtime resident of Austin, Texas.
In his detailed and passionately argued history of The Wild Bunch,
writer W.K. Stratton takes the debate to a higher level and
convincingly positions the film as the best Western ever made—and
among the greatest of movies. Stratton collects the kinds of
elements required for a lively movie backstory: a talented if
irascible director, quirky cast and crew members, a difficult
location shoot and a controversial reception by moviegoers and
critics. Best of all, he recounts how an idea becomes a film and
the creative, economic and fate-driven roadblocks it faces.
*Associated Press*
Reading W.K. Stratton’s fine book after watching The Wild Bunch can
make for a rich aesthetic feast.
*The Washington Post*
Definitive . . . Stratton’s book is part making-of chronicle, part
appreciation, part personal reminiscence. . . . He’s not a film
critic, but a passionate and knowledgeable generalist who knows how
to drill deep.
*Vulture*
Sam Peckinpah’s classic western is lovingly picked over in this
obsessive treatment of its making and reception.
*New York Times Book Review, in New & Noteworthy*
Insightful and engaging, Stratton’s book will hold the attention of
even those who despise the movie.
*Roundup Magazine*
No person of sensibility who has seen The Wild Bunch has not felt
the extraordinary richness of lived experience that courses
throughout the film. This is one of many things that lifts it far
above the action genre and the Western to the epic. It is a
singular achievement of W. K. Stratton’s book on its making that he
shows this was not adventitious . . . Stratton documents how
Peckinpah’s masterpiece became not only a great film but one of the
enduringly great artworks of the past century.
*Paul Seydor, author of THE AUTHENTIC DEATH AND CONTENTIOUS
AFTERLIFE OF PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID: The Untold Story of
Peckinpah’s Last Western Film*
Stratton’s book examines the history of the Western and details the
ambition and, at times, lunacy of making what has become an
American classic.
*Newsweek*
Muscular study . . . Stratton pulls together big strands of story:
the history of the Mexican revolutionary period, Peckinpah's own
fascination with Mexico, the history of U.S.-Mexico relations, the
history of moviemaking itself. . . Essential reading for fans of
the epochal (and reportedly soon to be remade) movie as well as
movie-history and Western buffs generally.
*starred review, 11 Early 2019 Books We Love, Kirkus Reviews*
Stratton paints a wonderfully full portrait of director Sam
Peckinpah and his quest for a more realistic depiction of violence
at a time when the brutality of the Vietnam War was increasingly
penetrating American living rooms. . . . What’s most striking here
is the depth of Stratton’s research, with attention given to every
aspect of, and player in, the film. This engaging, well-researched
book belongs in every library and in the hands of every student of
cinema.
*starred review, Library Journal*
Stratton does a fine job of putting the film in its historical
context . . . THE WILD BUNCH is a valuable addition to the
literature of American film history and will be greeted by Wild
Bunch devotees with adoration.
*starred review, Booklist*
Stratton’s thorough research yields a fascinating perspective on
how Peckinpah created a western of unparalleled realism and
intensity.
*Publishers Weekly*
My favorite kind of film books tend to be those that go behind the
scenes, that provide inside looks at how celebrated films were put
together, [THE WILD BUNCH] falls squarely in that category.
*Critic's Choice, Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times*
Stratton loves “The Wild Bunch” (he succinctly writes, ‘I've never
seen a better movie’), but this is not a gushing fan letter.
Stratton's meticulous research, exhaustive interviews and
scholarship all combine to create a fascinating portrait of a
maverick filmmaker working at the top of his game and pushing the
boundaries of moviemaking.
*Shelf Awareness*
Stratton's anecdote-packed book explores when, why and how The Wild
Bunch was made.
*Dallas Morning News*
Stratton has written an ambitious and lively history . . . At the
heart of [THE WILD BUNCH] are dozens of informative and colorful
interviews, conducted with everyone from screenwriters and stuntmen
to Hollywood producers and Mexican film stars.
*Los Angeles Times Book Review*
Stratton provides a casually written but carefully researched
account of the making of one of the key films of its time. In so
doing, he also helps to show how Westerns have managed to maintain
their firm hold on the imaginations of American moviegoers.
*Commentary*
Stratton has steeped himself in every last detail of the genesis
and production of a movie he plainly knows by heart. He’s also a
spirited guide to Peckinpah’s abrasive worldview, which he’s no
less plainly besotted with. But partly for that reason, his book
inadvertently doubles as a reminder of the hoary time capsule Wild
Bunch aficionados now inhabit, whether they like it or not. They’re
sure to be delighted by Stratton’s lively, massively informed
chronicle of how The Wild Bunch came to be.
*Barnes & Noble Review*
The book digs into how timing and lucky coincidences brought the
cast and crew together in Mexico to make the movie happen.
*Salt Lake Tribune*
Stratton's book goes into fine detail about the origin of the story
. . . If you're the kind of movie fan who loves to read the trivia
offered by imdb.com, Stratton's ‘The Wild Bunch’ is a gold
mine.
*Oklahoman*
An essential addition to the Peckinpah bookshelf. His vivid account
of the hugely difficult creation of the classic western is
engrossing
*Film Stage*
W.K. Stratton’s The Wild Bunch sets a new standard for
film-biography.
*TrueWest Magazine*
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