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An explosive inside look at The Dirty Dozen, the star-studded war film that broke the rules, shocked the critics, thrilled audiences, and became an all-time, cult-movie
classic . . .

The year was 1967. A cinematic blockbuster exploded across American popular culture. The Dirty Dozen didnt just reinvent the men on a mission war story, it blew the genre to pieces. Like its ragtag team of crazies, murderers, and misfits, it defied authority, mocked the military, and still managed to deliver action, adventure, and no-holds-barred Nazi-killing. It also received four Oscar nominations, launched the careers of many Hollywood legends, and inspired generations of filmmakers like Sam Peckinpah, Quentin Tarantino, and James Gunn.

Based on exclusive interviews with the surviving cast and crew, friends and families of the stars, and other Hollywood insiders, Killing Generals is a riveting must-read for film buffs, military fans, and anyone who loves a down-and-dirty adventure tale. To quote the character played by Charles Bronson, Boy oh boykilling generals could get to be a habit with me. Detailed, insightful, and gossipy, Epsteins homage spotlights the movies endless barrage of cinematic gold.

During a time when America was reeling from turmoilthe Vietnam War, civil rights protests, social upheavalHollywood held an indelible mirror up to a changing society. Films like Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Guess Whos Coming to Dinner, Cool Hand Luke, and In the Heat of the Night would define the era. But it was a gritty, violent, darkly comic World War II movie called The Dirty Dozen that would really strike a chord with audiencesand become the years biggest box office success. Heading up the all-star cast were Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, John Cassavettes, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Jim Brown, Robert Ryan, Clint Walker, and at his most terrifying best, Telly Savalas, propelling many of them to stardom.

More than a viewing companion to an iconic film, Killin Generals brings to vivid life a pivotal epic in American history and pop culture, when going to the moviesin personwas a way of life shared by millions.

Dwayne Epstein is the author of the New York Times bestseller Lee Marvin: Point Blank and other acclaimed biographies. Prior to writing biographies, Epstein contributed articles to Filmfax Magazine, Cahiers Du Cinemas Serious Pleasures, and film reviews for Hearst Community Newspapers. Epstein was born in New Yorks Coney Island and moved west with his family at age eight, spending the rest of his childhood in Cerritos, California. Epstein currently resides in Long Beach, California. When he is not writing, he enjoys watching and reading about movies and collecting soundtracks.

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