About the Book:

HARD TO FIND BOOK, only a very limited number of copies are still available.

With more than 150 photos in full colour, the exciting companion to the film The Alamo from director John Lee Hancock, starring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, and Patrick Wilson brings one of the most legendary battles in American history to the big screen.

The Alamo is an action-packed retelling of the American legend, showing there are at least two sides to every story — and more when America's extraordinary figures are involved. Against all odds in the spring of 1836, less than 200 men — men of all races who believed in the future of Texas — held the fort against thousands of Mexican soldiers led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (Emilio Echevarria), ruler of Mexico and commander of its forces. Led by three men — the young brash Col. William Travis (Patrick Wilson); the violent, passionate James Bowie (Jason Patric); and the living legend David Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton) — the Texans and their deeds at the Alamo would pass into history with Gen. Sam Houston's (Dennis Quaid) rallying cry for Texas independence and into legend for their symbolic significance.

Subtitled The Illustrated Story of the Epic Film, the companion book to the film The Alamo includes the complete screenplay; historical chronology of the Alamo; sidebars on the production, characters, and the largest film set ever built; movie stills; production design sketches; costume designs; an Alamo filmography; commentary from the filmmakers and historians; cast and crew credits; and a selected bibliography.

What people say:

"We had been filming the assault on the North wall and I thought, 'Here we are in the heart of the assault on the day it happened.' It had already become a scary thing, just being at night. The approach was always to go from absolute silence to the cacophony of sounds and flares and cannon and musket fire and noise of battle. That terror was something that we had kept in our mind when we were planning it — to not make it just a battle, but more like a nightmare. I remember it being especially creepy and sad, especially when we wrapped, and the sun's coming up ... But during those thirteen seconds, I looked around a little bit, and not a person was moving. I think it affected a lot of people there." — John Lee Hancock, Director, The Alamo

"The Producer's Workbook is an important tool for those emerging in the film and television production industry. At British Columbia Film I consistently recommended its use as a jumping off point... a guide and reference to the key documentation used when acquiring rights, drafting contracts and entering into negotiations." — Billy Bob Thornton, actor, The Alamo

"It's the most detailed and accurate representation of the Alamo. I was struck that it so clearly showed the vast expanse of the fortress but at the same time, gave us a sense of the claustrophobia of the Alamo, and how those men, especially for a character like [Davy] Crockett, were trapped inside." — Paul Andrew Hutton, Professor, University of New Mexico

About the Author:

Frank Thompson is a writer, filmmaker, film historian, and the author of over thirty books, including five on the Alamo. He lives in North Hollywood, California with his wife, Claire.