The Siege of Trencher's Farm The Siege of Trencher's Farm The Siege of Trencher's Farm (1969) is a psychological horror/thriller novel by Scottish author Gordon Williams. It was first published by Secker & Warburg, and is better known for the 1971 film adaptation "Straw Dogs" (starring Dustin Hoffman) by Sam Peckinpah. A remake of that film (Straw Dogs (2011 film)) under the same name was made to less favourable reviews, both films bearing little resemblance to the novel. "The Siege of Trencher's Farm" was republished by Titan Books as in 2011 as "Straw Dogs", to coincide with the release of the remake. George Magruder, an
The Siege of Trencher's Farm for the book came from the panic and sense of siege where Williams lived in Devon when "The Mad Axeman" Frank Mitchell escaped from nearby Dartmoor Prison. Williams wrote the book in nine days – "he dashed off the final page to catch the post office van" – and received £300 from the publisher. "The List" included the book among its "100 Best Scottish Books of all Time", dubbing it "a deliberation on how traditional masculine values find a place in modern society". Author Ian Rankin wrote that "This novel is quite different to the eventual movie version, being a