Meticulously researched and organized, the recently released behind-the-scenes book, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film, is a definitive piece of film-making history, detailing the production and legacy of arguably Star Trek’s most famous production.
 
The 192-page publication from Titan Books detailing the 40-year-old film is both broadly digestible, and jampacked with comprehensive minutiae and details. And one should expect nothing less than that from the book, which is a dissertation of sorts from authors and educators John and Maria Jose Tenuto, who have for many years been visible authorities on many topics in the Star Trek universe — most notably this film, but also on the life and career of the great Ricardo Montalban.
 

All of their expertise features prominently here in a dense, thorough tome that is easy to consume and enjoy for fans both new and old. The book includes narratives and stories that have been told in various forms for decades (like how producer Harve Bennett went back into the Original Series archives to land on continuing the narrative of “Space Seed”), but also dives deep into new revelations that are not as well known (exactly how that iconic introduction shot of Admiral Kirk against a smoky white background came together).

Often the highlight for coffee-table style books like this one is the art and layout of the publication, with bright, colorful production photos and grainy behind-the-scenes images you can get up-close-and-personal with, and while that element shines throughout the pages here, the real star of this piece is the accompanying prose from the Tenutos. Their writing dissects the who, what, where, when and why of how it all came together.

The book is broken up into 14 chapters, that pretty much takes you through the production both chronologically and organizationally. No stone is left unturned as the authors seemingly cover it all. The editing process of getting all this information, accompanied by a genuine photo history as well, must have been a daunting task for everyone involved. Here is a quick snapshot of how the book flows, with some stand out moments.

• Chapter 1: Needs of the Many: Harve Bennett, Executive Producer
• Chapter 2: We Learn by Doing: Early Scripts
  • A detailed analysis of how the script from Jack B. Sowards came to be, including references to early versions that include Project Omega, a robot named Ru-byk (!!!), Janet and Daivd Wallace, and the evolution of Saavik (Savik? Ssavik?) and the Kobayashi Maru
• Chapter 3: Undiscovered Country: Nicholas Meyer
• Chapter 4: Enterprise Welcomes You: New and Returning Faces
• Chapter 5: Sworn to Live and Die at My Command: Company and Crew of the Botany Bay
  • “Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino changed the world, both through his own artistic achievements, and because of his activism and inspiration.” That opening sentence says it all, as the Tenuto’s amazingly summarize the actor’s immeasurable lifetime of accomplishment succinctly and eloquently in a few pages detailing how he became Khan.
• Chapter 6: Nautical But Nice: Robert Fletcher and Costume Design
• Chapter 7: Why Things Work on a Starship: The Art Department
• Chapter 8: One Big Happy Fleet: Industrial Light & Magic
  • The design of the Reliant, with the nacelles below the hull, came around when Harve Bennett mistakenly signed off on an upside-down blueprint sketch of the ship after receiving documents to sign off on while working on a film in Israel. With no time to circle back with him, the creative team flipped the design and history was made.

• Chapter 9: These Are Pets of Course: The Wee Beasties of Ceti Alpha
• Chapter 10: Clear and Free to Navigate: The Camera Department
  • An entire section just on the technical specs that went into much of the creative shooting of the film, including deep dive call-out sections on three names many fans may not be familiar (Gayne Rescher, Catherine Coulson and Craig Denault).
• Chapter 11: So Much the Better: Werner Keppler and the Makeup Department
• Chapter 12: No Win Scenario: The Stunt Performers
  • Even the stunt performers get their moment in the sun in this retrospective, with a number of rare photos, including some of famed stunt coordinator Bill Couch, Sr., as both Kirk and Khan.
• Chapter 13: Remember Spock: Spock’s Death
• Chapter 14: First Best Destiny: The Reaction to Khan

In the end, its simple title, The Making of the Classic Film, really says it all. This historical reference book is both the beginning and end of knowledge when it comes to how The Wrath of Khan came into existence. It’s a classic unto itself.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film is in stores now.