Book excerpt: Since its release in 1933, Merian C. Cooper's film King Kong has shocked and delighted generations of movie fans, setting the standard against which all such movies have been judged ever since. In December, 2005, Peter Jackson - whose films of the Lord of the Rings won critical acclaim and set box office records around the world - released his version of this classic film, bringing King Kong back to the forefront of the popular imagination. Fully authorized by the estate of Merian C. Cooper, Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland's novel is a full rewrite of the original 1932 novel, bringing Cooper's original vision of King Kong back to readers and fans alike. Set in the early 1930's, it is a classic story of exploration and adventure, at the center of which is the "eighth wonder of the world" himself - Kong.