Paul McCartney is set to release a new book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, this November, offering an in-depth look at the band he led throughout much of the 1970s following the breakup of The Beatles. The book, due out on November 4, will take readers on a journey through the history of Wings, blending McCartney’s personal experiences with contributions from key figures in the band’s orbit.
Though the book is officially credited to McCartney, historian Ted Widmer, known for his work as a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and author of Lincoln on the Verge, edited the project and penned its introduction. In a statement, McCartney shared his excitement about revisiting the time with Wings: “Starting from scratch after The Beatles felt crazy at times. There were some very difficult moments, and I often questioned my decision. But as we got better, I thought, ‘OK, this is really good.’ We proved Wings could be a really good band and have an impact in a different way. It was a huge buzz.”
The book is based on over 500,000 words of material from extensive interviews with McCartney and others close to the band. It also includes more than 100 photographs, offering a visual glimpse into the era.
The announcement of the book also mentions that filmmaker Morgan Neville is working on a documentary covering McCartney’s solo career and his time with Wings in the 1970s.
Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run will be released in the U.S. through Liveright/W. W. Norton and Allen Lane/Penguin Press, with a U.K. release planned via Penguin/Allen Lane. While the cover art has not been revealed yet, the book’s release will mark a major moment for McCartney fans.
Wings released nine albums during McCartney’s tenure, starting with Wings Wild Life in 1972 and ending with Back to the Egg in 1978. The band’s most famous album, Band on the Run (1973), remains a standout. McCartney’s solo work, beginning with McCartney II in 1980, would later see him return to solo credit. The band’s lineup included Denny Laine, the only other long-term member besides McCartney and his wife, Linda.
Although McCartney has yet to publish a full memoir, he previously collaborated with biographers and released The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present in 2021, a collection of annotated lyrics from his career.
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