Wings: Band on the Run

by Paul McCartney

600 pages, Hardcover

Published November 26, 2025

About the author

Sir James Paul McCartney MBE, known as Paul McCartney, is an English singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, poet, entrepreneur, painter, record producer, film producer, and animal-rights activist. He gained worldwide fame as one of the founders and members of The Beatles. McCartney and John Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and "wrote some of the most popular music in rock and roll history". After leaving The Beatles, McCartney launched a successful solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda Eastman McCartney, and songwriter/singer Denny Laine. He has worked on film scores, classical music, and ambient/electronic music; released a large catalogue of songs as a solo artist; and taken part in projects to help international charities.

McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the most successful musician and composer in popular music history, with 60 gold discs and sales of 100 million singles. His song "Yesterday" is listed as the most covered song in history and has been played more than 7,000,000 times on American television and radio. Wings' 1977 single "Mull of Kintyre" became the first single to sell more than two million copies in the UK, and remains the UK's top selling non-charity single. (Three charity singles have since surpassed it in sales; the first to do so—in 1984—was Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", whose participants included McCartney.)

His company MPL Communications owns the copyrights to more than 3,000 songs, including all of the songs written by Buddy Holly, along with the publishing rights to such musicals as Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, and Grease.

An iconic figure in contemporary culture, he is regarded internationally as an entertainer and humanitarian. Aside from his musical work, McCartney is an actor, a painter, a poet, and an advocate for animal rights, vegetarianism, and music education; he is active in campaigns against landmines, seal hunting, and Third World debt.

Reviews

[Rompepaginas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Después de dejar los Beatles Paul McCartney empieza a soñar con fundar otra banda y empezar 'desde abajo'. Así nacerá Wings, un grupo flexible con miembros que entran y salen y que será el medio de expresión de la música de Macca durante los años 70. Este librazo de casi 600 páginas recoge la historia oral de los Wings contada por sus protagonistas: todas sus extravagancias, discos, lugares insólitos de grabación, viajes, giras, niños durmiendo y casas familiares donde parar a echarse una pinta y un porro y seguir adelante. Es pura autoconmiseración y casi diríamos propaganda, pero aquí está todo lo que se puede saber sobre Wings a nivel emocional y de datos, con una completa galería de fotografías y memorabilia varia. Para fans, claro, del otro grupo de McCartney, ese que por pura insistencia se convirtió en una más que interesante agrupación de glam rock y de rock familiar, algo que inventaron ellos. Larga vida a los Wings cuyas alas aún descienden sobre nosotros. Tirón de orejas a libros Cúpula porque una vez más la edición es mejorable. Hay que leer más veces las pruebas.

[David Camacho]

Cuando empecé este libro (15 de diciembre, 2025) era mi última lectura del año, ¡Que locura!
Era un libro para leerse muy rápido pero llegaron las vacaciones, me enfermé y bueno, decidí darme un descanso en general. Además de que quise disfrutar este libro y descubrir nuevas cosas de mi ídolo (no tantas pero sí)
Nunca pensé que al retomar este bonito hábito iba a leer muchísimo. Curiosamente empecé leyendo Lyrics de Paul McCartney y terminó el 2025 leyendo este nuevo libro que por fin le hace justicia a la banda que lo salvó y lo volvió a catapultar a la fama con todo y su tropiezos.
También me gusta mucho la idea de que la nueva generación de fans tenga este interés y haya este redescubrimiento. (Un poco tardío pero así ha sido siempre con su carrera post Beatles)

Me gustó mucho este libro (incluso más que Lyrics) creo que es la biblia musical más completa que vamos a tener por parte de Paul McCartney y su trabajo en solitario.
Me gusta que esta narrada por los propios protagonistas que van contando cómo fue funcionando todo, las anécdotas y los procesos de grabación y el profesionalismo estricto que maneja Paul McCartney.
Me gusta como está separado el contenido incluyendo las listas de éxitos de aquellos años, la cronología en general de la banda e imágenes exclusivas.
Y siento que esto va ser lo más completo que nos va a ofrecer MPL, porque como ya lo he dicho en otros libros, para datos específicos, mitos, música inédita, todo se encontrará en foros creados por los deep fans, internet y libros especializados que difícilmente circulan por ahí. (Y más en español por lo que este libro se volverá de culto y cotizado con el tiempo, créanme)
Lo único “malo” es que te lo venden como que en su totalidad fue escrito y narrado por Paul McCartney y si les soy sincero, su participación no es más que repetir información que en realidad aporta poco, es más, este libro no existiría gracias a Morgan Neville y el próximo documental a estrenarse el próximo año en Amazon que igual sigue la historia de Wings….
La mayoría de las intervenciones de Paul son textos sacados de anteriores entrevistas y escritos de sus “archive collections” no interactúa mucho sobre escribir memorias o profundizar o dar data nueva, solo contar los hechos más relevantes y una que otra reflexión nostálgica pero de su parte nada novedoso que al menos yo sepa (pero esto es salvado por la narración de los otros integrantes que hacen interesante el libro) y como dije, obvio falta que se profundicen algunos hechos (incluso yo tengo mi propia teoría de porque Wings realmente se separó. Básicamente Paul iba ser obligado a dar 6 días seguidos conciertos además de su propio hartazgo)
y este no es más que un libro para fans y curiosos fanáticos de la música.

Ojalá Cold Cuts salga oficialmente algún día. Hay mucha música inédita grandiosa guardada que merece ser escuchada y reconocida por los nuevos fans y la próxima generación

[John Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: A Familiar Flight Through Wings’ History
Reviewing Beatles-related literature has become something of a minefield for me. Having read extensively on the subject over the years, I find that new publications must offer something truly revelatory to stand apart. Too often, even well-written volumes tread familiar ground, rehashing well-worn narratives. This latest addition, while competently assembled, is no exception.
To its credit, the book remains faithful to its stated focus: the story of Wings. It offers a comprehensive overview that will undoubtedly serve as a valuable primer for readers less acquainted with the band’s trajectory. Particularly noteworthy are the contributions from Mary and Stella McCartney, as well as Sean Lennon, whose reflections provide moments of genuine insight and emotional resonance.
However, for long-time followers of McCartney’s post-Beatles career, the book may feel somewhat surface-level. It offers little in the way of new revelations, and certain areas—such as the final Wings lineup—are given surprisingly scant attention. I was especially struck by the dismissive tone reportedly adopted by Paul during the auditions for new members in 1981, despite the calibre of the musicians involved.
There are also notable omissions. The 1981 rehearsal sessions are mentioned, yet no details are provided regarding the material rehearsed, the intended purpose, or the reasons behind the project’s dissolution. Similarly, the long-shelved Cold Cuts album is referenced without any substantive exploration of its tracklist or the rationale behind its continued absence from McCartney’s discography.
Of course, compiling a book largely from archival quotes necessitates a degree of selectivity. Still, one can’t help but wish for a more probing, musically literate approach—one that delves deeper into the creative process and offers the kind of granular detail that devoted fans crave. For those of us who have lived with this music for decades, the headlines are no longer enough; we yearn for the nuance, the context, the stories behind the songs.
That said, for newcomers or casual readers, this book provides a solid and accessible introduction to Wings’ history. While it may not break new ground for seasoned aficionados, it remains a worthwhile read.
Recommended—with caveats.

[Oliver Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm, generous, and surprisingly revealing portrait of Wings, told through interviews, photos, and voices from the inside.

I loved the deep dives into Ram and Band on the Run, but came away with a new appreciation for Wild Life and Venus and Mars. The insider stories peel back the curtain on a tantalising rock and roll world: scraps with hotel managers, the infamous Japan arrest, even sending human excrement in the post to treacherous critics.

Most of all, it celebrates Paul’s creativity — his emotional intelligence, musical range, and almost magical ability to turn life into song (the Dustin Hoffman–Picasso anecdote is unforgettable).

The book also neatly chronicles the story of a teenager who rose to stardom, only to have everything crumbling around him in the wake of the legal melancholy of the split of the world’s biggest band. From this low, Wings offered McCartney a new chance, a fresh outing of creativity, and a revived sense of musical energy.

As Paul once put it:

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly…”

This book shows exactly how he did.

[Barry Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on the band Wings. Goes from start to finish with band members and associates comments on the particular period and also comments from the editor. I learnt a lot about the different individuals in Wings over the different time periods of the bands time and what happened with different events etc.

[Rutger Gerrits · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels a little weird to say, but I enjoy the Wings just a little bit more than I did the Beatles. So having a look into the brilliant brain of McCartney was a wonderful read.