The Warriors (Sol Yurick novel)
First edition cover (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965)
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| Author | Sol Yurick |
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| Illustrator | Frank Modell |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Crime novel |
| Publisher | E.P. Dutton |
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Publication date
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1965 (Original hardcover); 2003 (Paperback Reprint) |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 181 pp (Paperback Reprint) |
| ISBN | (Paperback Reprint) |
| OCLC | 51607498 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3575.U7 W375 2003 |
The Warriors is a novel written by Sol Yurick and Illustrated by Frank Modell in 1965. It became the inspiration for the cult classic movie The Warriors. Compared to the movie, the novel takes a closer look at the concepts of sexuality, reputation, family, and survival. Because the movie was produced in 1979, a full fourteen years after the book was printed, certain key traits were rewritten to reflect cultural evolution.
The novel begins with a quote from Anabasis (upon which the novel is based). Throughout the novel, the character Junior reads a comic book version of the story.
It is the evening of July 4. Ismael Rivera, leader of the Delancey Thrones, the largest gang in New York City, calls a grand assembly of street gangs to the Bronx. Gangs from all over the city, signaled by a Beatles song on the radio, head to the meeting place at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. As per instructions, none of them carries weapons, except for a handgun – a peace-offering to Ismael.
Among the gangs are the Coney Island Dominators, an African American/Hispanic gang who are the central characters of the novel. The Dominators are Papa Arnold, the leader, Hector, second-in-command, Lunkface, the strongest and most dangerous member, Bimbo, the advisor, Hinton, the gang's artist and central character of the novel, Dewey, the most level-headed member and The Junior, the youngest of the group and the gang's mascot.
At the meeting, Ismael announces his plan, with other Thrones relaying the message to the ones in back who cannot hear. He proposes a grand truce designed to challenge "The Man" (society, otherwise called "The Others"). After a stirring speech, the assembly dissolves into chaos as several dissident gangs begin fighting. When the police arrive, having been tipped off about a big "rumble", many gangs, believing Ismael has set them up, turn their peace-offering handgun on Ismael, killing him.
When Arnold disappears amidst the rage of Ismael's gang members, it is up to Hector, the new leader of the Coney Island Dominators, to lead the remaining delegates from the Bronx back to Coney Island, passing through enemy-ridden gang turfs. When Hinton suggests removing their gang insignia – Mercedes symbols stolen off cars and converted into stick-pins from shop class at school which the gang wears on their hats – he is severely chastised. As Hinton is more familiar with the neighborhood, having lived there before, he is given the task of leading the gang out of Woodlawn Cemetery, where they have escaped the cops in the chaos.
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