Author | Donald Hamilton |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Western novel |
Publisher | Dell Publishing |
Publication date | 1958 |
Media type | Print ( Paperback) |
The Big Country is a Western novel by Donald Hamilton. It was originally serialized in The Saturday Evening Post as Ambush at Blanco Canyon. Published two years prior to Hamilton's Death of a Citizen, which launched his popular Matt Helm series, it explores many of the same themes of self-reliance that dominated the author's work.
Maryland sea captain James McKay goes west to Texas, to claim his bride, and steps into a violent feud over water.
The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1958 starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Charles Bickford, Burl Ives and Chuck Connors. [1] [2] The film adaptation was mostly faithful to the plot of the novel, while simplifying the story and eliminating some characters. [3]