"Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves" is a critical guide to over 50 top samurai films, including such masterworks as the Oscar-winning 'Gate of Hell,' 'Yojimbo' (remade five times, including 'A Fistful of Dollars'), the influential 'Lady Snowblood,' and newly released hits like Takeshi Kitano's 'Zatoichi.'

"Packed with great reviews and tons of background details, 'Stray Dogs and Lone Wolves' is a must for fans�or would-be fans�of the samurai genre," said Robert Woodhead, CEO of AnimEigo. "I've already used it to make note of several films that we ought to release here in the U.S."

Also here is information on the samurai era in Japan, the Japanese film industry, and the key actors and directors such as Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune, and Tatsuya Nakadai who turned these warrior tales of loyalty, duty, revenge, and explosive swordsmanship into a great dramatic art that has captivated the world.

Author Patrick Galloway is a lifelong student of Asian philosophy, film, and culture. Tired of how his favorite film genre is mistreated by most academic film critics, he took matters into his own hands and wrote the book for which he and his fellow samurai movie fans have been waiting.

"It is rare even among the Japanese to find anyone so well informed and passionate about Japan's unique genre of samurai films," said legendary actor Tatsuya Nakadai. "I admire Patrick Galloway's great enthusiasm, and I hope his book will help you enjoy these films too."

Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook is 240 pages, paperback, with 40 black & white photos. It retails for US$19.95. ISBN 1-880656-93-0. See the cover.

ACTORS AND DIRECTORS PROFILED:
Hideo Gosha -- Shinobu Hashimoto -- Raizo Ichikawa -- Shintaro Katsu -- Masaki Kobayashi -- Akira Kurosawa -- Toshiro Mifune -- Tatsuya Nakadai -- Tetsuro Tamba -- Tomisaburo Wakayama

FILMS REVIEWED:
Adventures of Zatoichi -- Band of Assassins -- Chushingura -- Daimajin -- Destiny's Son -- Gate of Hell -- Harakiri -- Heaven & Earth -- Hunter in the Dark -- Kagemusha -- Kwaidan -- Lady Snowblood: Blizzard from the Netherworld -- Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance -- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx -- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades --- Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance -- New Tale of Zatoichi -- Rashomon -- Red Lion -- Roningai -- Samurai 1: Musashi Miyamoto -- Samurai 2: Duel at Ichijoji Temple -- Samurai 3: Duel on Ganryu Island -- Samurai Assassin -- Samurai Banners -- Samurai Rebellion -- Samurai Reincarnation --- Sanjuro -- Seven Samurai -- Shogun's Samurai -- Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction -- Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade -- Sword of Doom -- Taboo -- Tenchu! -- The Hidden Fortress -- The Razor: Sword of Justice -- The Razor: The Snare -- The Razor: Who's Got the Gold? -- The Secret of the Urn -- The Tale of Zatoichi -- The Tale of Zatoichi Continues -- Three Outlaw Samurai -- Throne of Blood -- The Twilight Samurai -- Wicked Priest: Cast a Net of Drunken Anger -- Yojimbo -- Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters -- Zatoichi -- Zatoichi Challenged -- Zatoichi: The Festival of Fire