EMPEROR OF THE NORTH by Christopher Knopf (paperback)

When Robert Aldrich directed his unforgettable film, Emperor of the North (1973), featuring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, and Keith Carradine, changes were made to the original screenplay by award-winning Christopher Knopf. The film still managed to please audiences and has remained a revered favorite among many. Even the theme ballad, "A Man and a Train", written by Frank De Vol with lyrics by Hal David and sung by Marty Robbins, reached #40 on the Billboard chart. Despite the vigor of Hollywood hoopla, Knopf always longed to reset the ruthless railroad tale on the right tracks.   Now, nearly half a century later, Knopf finally reveals the true story in a riveting new novel that restores the crucial elements that film audiences have never experienced.   In 1933, during the Great Depression, Shack, a cruel train conductor wages a personal war to keep anyone from riding his train for free. When A No. 1, an experienced, train-hopping hobo, and Cigaret, his green companion, dare to invade