James Gannon, Director of Rare Books, Heritage Auctions
A beautiful and important Bibliography of more than 2,000 entries covering works by a major American author of the last century, profusely illustrated with excellent color reproductions of the pulps, books and dust jackets. The ERB Bibliography is an impressive production that includes a wealth of information beyond the first edition points, with numerous useful appendices and color photographs make it a joy to look at. The only problem is keeping our cataloging staff from fighting over who gets to use the bibliography first!
A beautiful and important Bibliography of more than 2,000 entries covering works by a major American author of the last century, profusely illustrated with excellent color reproductions of the pulps, books and dust jackets. The ERB Bibliography is an impressive production that includes a wealth of information beyond the first edition points, with numerous useful appendices and color photographs make it a joy to look at. The only problem is keeping our cataloging staff from fighting over who gets to use the bibliography first!
. . . I've had my copy of the new bibliography in hand for about a week, and just wanted to let you and Dr. Zeuschner how beautiful it is as both a book and work of scholarship. The earlier McFarland edition was a go-to reference book and enjoyable to use, but this edition has had me pulling each of my copies off the self, checking edition points, and simply enjoying ERB's craft and the books themselves as artifacts of popular culture, art, and publishing history. I suppose it shouldn't matter which version one has if the tale is good, and I know most of my non-collector friends would laugh at me for poring over pages for ad lists, chipped print plates and the like, but boy, what fun it is.
The edition itself is just a joy to hold. It brings to mind a line I will misquote from The Crucible: a character picks up Rev. Hale's books and remarks how heavy they are. His reply: "They should be, they are full of knowledge." The color sections showing both books and jackets are outstanding, and its great to see the images wallpapered together on the endpapers. Matt M.
The edition itself is just a joy to hold. It brings to mind a line I will misquote from The Crucible: a character picks up Rev. Hale's books and remarks how heavy they are. His reply: "They should be, they are full of knowledge." The color sections showing both books and jackets are outstanding, and its great to see the images wallpapered together on the endpapers. Matt M.
Congratulations on the achievement. I own more than a thousand bibliographies and yours is certainly one of the best. Paul Feain (6/06/2018)
Mike Resnick, All-time leading award winner, living or dead, for short science fiction (01/03/2018)
The ERB Bibliography
Robert B. Zeuchner’s EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: THE BIBLIOGRAPHY is, in a word, magnificent.
To call it a worthy successor to the Heins Bibliography is an understatement. It is better in every respect, along with having another half century’s worth of facts and scholarship. For one thing, it’s got full-color reproductions not only of the dust jackets, but even the old All-Story, Blue Book, Argosy, Amazing and Fantastic magazine covers. It covers every book with striking thoroughness, and has not one, not two, but fourteen wildly informative appendices.
And the amazing (and deeply satisfying) part is that, along with being more than sufficient to merit a Ph.D. on its own, it also happens to be easily readable. My congratulations to all parties involved.
The ERB Bibliography
Robert B. Zeuchner’s EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: THE BIBLIOGRAPHY is, in a word, magnificent.
To call it a worthy successor to the Heins Bibliography is an understatement. It is better in every respect, along with having another half century’s worth of facts and scholarship. For one thing, it’s got full-color reproductions not only of the dust jackets, but even the old All-Story, Blue Book, Argosy, Amazing and Fantastic magazine covers. It covers every book with striking thoroughness, and has not one, not two, but fourteen wildly informative appendices.
And the amazing (and deeply satisfying) part is that, along with being more than sufficient to merit a Ph.D. on its own, it also happens to be easily readable. My congratulations to all parties involved.
Michael Sellers, Writer and Producer, John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood
Christmas has come early for fans and scholars of Edgar Rice Burroughs, with the publication of Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner’s Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, a spectacular and passionately assembled compendium representing two decades of work spent documenting the complete catalogue of Burroughs’ North American published works. Zeuschner has done far more than simply document the works of Burroughs, however — he has breathed life into the telling of the history of Burroughs’ published output — a remarkable century plus run that began with the publication of A Princess of Mars in All-Story magazine in February 1912, then continued throughout Burroughs’ life only to be re-born a dozen years after the author’s death with the great paperback surge of the sixties, and continues until today, with new editions continuing to appear more than a century after the first book was published.
Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography clocks in at over 700 pages, the majority of them in color, and begins with a biographical sketch of Burroughs that will be familiar to most fans, but which grounds what follows in the story of a life exceedingly well lived, with its share of adventures, heartaches, defeats, and ultimately some glorious victories that fans can share. Then comes the meat of the book — a chapter on each book, tracing its life via publication, more than 2000 entries in all. Along the way are more than 500 color illustrations of the book covers and dust jackets under discussion, plus 100 interior black and white illustrations, many with inscriptions to family.
The book will be of special interest to the battalions of dedicated collectors of ERB’s works, giving them a road map for the acquisition of rare titles as well as a handy means of charting and evaluating the status of their holdings. Knowing that the author is Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner one of the most respected longtime Burroughs scholars, and the publisher is Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., readers can be confident in the definitive nature of the compendium.
Finally, a note about the small treasures that are to be found inside. Aside from the illustrations, there are examples of the promotional materials used by the publishers, both for trade and public consumption, plus samples of Burroughs’ correspondence, work-in-progress artwork, and other unexpected. If it’s not yet clear — let me make it so: I highly recommend this work as an essential companion to any fan or scholar’s collections of the works of the great master of speculative fiction, Edgar Rice Burroughs. I have been waiting for years for Dr. Zeuschner, a professor of comparative philosophy and longtime Burroughs Bibliophile, to complete his epic project, and when it arrived — I found that it exceeds even my highest expectations. Its an essential and extraordinary labor of love, passion, curiousity, and insight.
Christmas has come early for fans and scholars of Edgar Rice Burroughs, with the publication of Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner’s Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, a spectacular and passionately assembled compendium representing two decades of work spent documenting the complete catalogue of Burroughs’ North American published works. Zeuschner has done far more than simply document the works of Burroughs, however — he has breathed life into the telling of the history of Burroughs’ published output — a remarkable century plus run that began with the publication of A Princess of Mars in All-Story magazine in February 1912, then continued throughout Burroughs’ life only to be re-born a dozen years after the author’s death with the great paperback surge of the sixties, and continues until today, with new editions continuing to appear more than a century after the first book was published.
Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography clocks in at over 700 pages, the majority of them in color, and begins with a biographical sketch of Burroughs that will be familiar to most fans, but which grounds what follows in the story of a life exceedingly well lived, with its share of adventures, heartaches, defeats, and ultimately some glorious victories that fans can share. Then comes the meat of the book — a chapter on each book, tracing its life via publication, more than 2000 entries in all. Along the way are more than 500 color illustrations of the book covers and dust jackets under discussion, plus 100 interior black and white illustrations, many with inscriptions to family.
The book will be of special interest to the battalions of dedicated collectors of ERB’s works, giving them a road map for the acquisition of rare titles as well as a handy means of charting and evaluating the status of their holdings. Knowing that the author is Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner one of the most respected longtime Burroughs scholars, and the publisher is Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., readers can be confident in the definitive nature of the compendium.
Finally, a note about the small treasures that are to be found inside. Aside from the illustrations, there are examples of the promotional materials used by the publishers, both for trade and public consumption, plus samples of Burroughs’ correspondence, work-in-progress artwork, and other unexpected. If it’s not yet clear — let me make it so: I highly recommend this work as an essential companion to any fan or scholar’s collections of the works of the great master of speculative fiction, Edgar Rice Burroughs. I have been waiting for years for Dr. Zeuschner, a professor of comparative philosophy and longtime Burroughs Bibliophile, to complete his epic project, and when it arrived — I found that it exceeds even my highest expectations. Its an essential and extraordinary labor of love, passion, curiousity, and insight.
Jeremy Brett C. A., Assistant Professor, Curator, Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection Texas A&M University
“A definitive bibliography is a boon to any serious researcher, and Robert Zeuschner’s Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography easily joins the ranks of useful scholarly tools. Burroughs scholars and fans alike will appreciate the work’s thoroughness, its readability, and its beautiful reproductions of the stunning artwork that accompanied Burroughs’ works.”
“A definitive bibliography is a boon to any serious researcher, and Robert Zeuschner’s Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography easily joins the ranks of useful scholarly tools. Burroughs scholars and fans alike will appreciate the work’s thoroughness, its readability, and its beautiful reproductions of the stunning artwork that accompanied Burroughs’ works.”
Joe Lansdale, Writer and Producer, author of the Hap and Leonard series and 45+ novels
When it comes to a bibliography dedicated to the works of one of the world's most popular writers, Edgar Rice Burroughs, there is only one worth your time. It is not only complete, it is gorgeous and amazingly constructed, and the scholarship is tip-top. I highly recommend Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, and if you are a Burroughs fan, you should not be without it. An amazing achievement.
When it comes to a bibliography dedicated to the works of one of the world's most popular writers, Edgar Rice Burroughs, there is only one worth your time. It is not only complete, it is gorgeous and amazingly constructed, and the scholarship is tip-top. I highly recommend Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, and if you are a Burroughs fan, you should not be without it. An amazing achievement.
. . . I am stunned at how beautiful and impressive the bibliography is! I've been perusing it as part of my morning ritual for the past few days. What an achievement! Congratulations. . . . . David S.
. . . As usual, fantastic books! Both are really beautiful! While the leather bound is spectacular, there is something about a really nice cloth bound book that blows me away! Great dustjacket! I am working my way through the book as we speak. I can't help it. It's an addiction. . . . I read every page through the Chessmen of Mars - then took a break and read the Appendices and looked through the photo sections. Now I'm going back to the "C"s! Terrific books, just like the Back to the Stone Age in quality! I have all three versions of Bob's previous edition, but this puts them to shame! I love McFarland, but their lack of illustrations is stifling when it comes to something like this.
Great job!I can hardly wait to see what's next. Terry M.
. . . Just received ERB Bibliography. Mint condition. Beautiful edition. Very pleased with it. Should keep me out of mischief for many an hour. Many thanks for all your help. Best wishes, Alan B. (U. K.)
. . . As usual, fantastic books! Both are really beautiful! While the leather bound is spectacular, there is something about a really nice cloth bound book that blows me away! Great dustjacket! I am working my way through the book as we speak. I can't help it. It's an addiction. . . . I read every page through the Chessmen of Mars - then took a break and read the Appendices and looked through the photo sections. Now I'm going back to the "C"s! Terrific books, just like the Back to the Stone Age in quality! I have all three versions of Bob's previous edition, but this puts them to shame! I love McFarland, but their lack of illustrations is stifling when it comes to something like this.
Great job!I can hardly wait to see what's next. Terry M.
. . . Just received ERB Bibliography. Mint condition. Beautiful edition. Very pleased with it. Should keep me out of mischief for many an hour. Many thanks for all your help. Best wishes, Alan B. (U. K.)
. . .the final product is an invaluable aid to ERB collectors and a beautiful object in itself. Malcom H. (U. K.)
. . . the Bibliography is amazing! I love it. It's been a great decade to be an ERB fan with John Carter, the BTTSA publisher's edition, LOTarzan, and now THIS! Wow. Joe S.
. . . the Bibliography is amazing! I love it. It's been a great decade to be an ERB fan with John Carter, the BTTSA publisher's edition, LOTarzan, and now THIS! Wow. Joe S.
Ricky L. Brown, Literary Critic, Editor for Amazing Stories Magazine www.amazingstoriesmag.com
For the diehard members of fandom, the name Edgar Rice Burroughs is synonymous with the literary genre of speculative fiction. For those looking for the definitive compendium of the works of this legend, the search just got a little bit easier. Thanks to the tenacious research effort of author Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner spanning over two decades, Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography is one of the most, if not the most complete catalogs of Burroughs’ U.S. and Canadian publications from 1911 to the present.
When the review copy first arrived, the immediate reaction was simply, “Wow.” This is a massive compilation sure to draw the interests of collectors, libraries, and ardent fans of the author. If you were not aware that the works of ERB expanded well beyond that of the classic Tarzan and John Carter stories, you are in for an eye-opening treat.
Though Zeuschner includes a delightful background of the life and writing career of Burroughs, this book is by no means a biography of the author. With that said, this comprehensive listing of ERB’s works does take readers into the author’s long storied career and is in a sense, a biographical account of his tenured influence over speculative fiction.
Published by Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., this bibliography is available in two spectacular hardcover editions.
With a Ph.D. in comprehensive philosophy, author Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner has put his well-earned expertise to good use in compiling this expansive tome, and his passion for the subject comes through in the final results. Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography is a comprehensive catalog of the author’s work, compiled in a massive yet elegant volume just as impressive as the writer it honors.
For the diehard members of fandom, the name Edgar Rice Burroughs is synonymous with the literary genre of speculative fiction. For those looking for the definitive compendium of the works of this legend, the search just got a little bit easier. Thanks to the tenacious research effort of author Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner spanning over two decades, Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography is one of the most, if not the most complete catalogs of Burroughs’ U.S. and Canadian publications from 1911 to the present.
When the review copy first arrived, the immediate reaction was simply, “Wow.” This is a massive compilation sure to draw the interests of collectors, libraries, and ardent fans of the author. If you were not aware that the works of ERB expanded well beyond that of the classic Tarzan and John Carter stories, you are in for an eye-opening treat.
Though Zeuschner includes a delightful background of the life and writing career of Burroughs, this book is by no means a biography of the author. With that said, this comprehensive listing of ERB’s works does take readers into the author’s long storied career and is in a sense, a biographical account of his tenured influence over speculative fiction.
Published by Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., this bibliography is available in two spectacular hardcover editions.
- The “Standard” Edition (ISBN 978-1-945462-00-9) list priced at $100.00 is “Bound in midnight blue Cialux Italian book cloth with the spine and front cover decorative stamped in gilt. Color wrap-around dust jacket.”
- The “Deluxe” Edition (ISBN 978-1-945462-01-6) list priced at $150.00 is “Bound in genuine red leather with a hub spine and cover decorations stamped in gilt. Color wrap-around dust jacket.”
With a Ph.D. in comprehensive philosophy, author Dr. Robert B. Zeuschner has put his well-earned expertise to good use in compiling this expansive tome, and his passion for the subject comes through in the final results. Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography is a comprehensive catalog of the author’s work, compiled in a massive yet elegant volume just as impressive as the writer it honors.
Richard Lupoff, Author and Publisher
I've always liked bibliographies. One of the first that I remember admiring was a blue-covered guide to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. But then there was the fine work of my friend Henry Hardy Heins. First the "green" Heins in its distinctive loose-leaf format, and then the magnificent "Grant" edition of the Heins biblio. I didn't think that would ever be outdone, and I still own and both Heins bibliographies and revere the memory of my friend.
But I must concede that there is a new bibliography of Edgar Rice Burroughs that stands at the pinnacle of such volumes. Robert Zeuschner's Edgar Rice Burroughs the Bibliography is many things. It is the definitive research guide to the creator of Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, David Innes of Pellucidar, Carson Napier of Venus, and dozens of other works. But it is more than this. It is so much more.
It contains brilliant color reproductions of hundreds of Burroughs book jackets and paperback book and magazine covers, including two of my personal favorites, the J. Allen St. John wraparound jacket for Swords of Mars and the Frank R. Paul cover painting for the the 1927 Amazing Stories Annual illustrating The Master Mind of Mars. I'm not saying those are the best of all Burroughs covers. There have been so many breathtaking images in the past century, I can only say that these two evoke an emotional response every time I look at them.
Edgar Rice Burroughs the Bibliography is a book from which any Burroughs fan--and any lover of beautiful books--will derive hours of pleasure. I can only praise Bob Zeuschner for this magnificent labor of love, and commend everyone who contributed to this magnificent book. I don't know how many copies were printed but I am certain that it will sell out (if it hasn't already) and will be recognized as a wonderful achievement and become a treasured collector's item in its own right.
I've always liked bibliographies. One of the first that I remember admiring was a blue-covered guide to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. But then there was the fine work of my friend Henry Hardy Heins. First the "green" Heins in its distinctive loose-leaf format, and then the magnificent "Grant" edition of the Heins biblio. I didn't think that would ever be outdone, and I still own and both Heins bibliographies and revere the memory of my friend.
But I must concede that there is a new bibliography of Edgar Rice Burroughs that stands at the pinnacle of such volumes. Robert Zeuschner's Edgar Rice Burroughs the Bibliography is many things. It is the definitive research guide to the creator of Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars, David Innes of Pellucidar, Carson Napier of Venus, and dozens of other works. But it is more than this. It is so much more.
It contains brilliant color reproductions of hundreds of Burroughs book jackets and paperback book and magazine covers, including two of my personal favorites, the J. Allen St. John wraparound jacket for Swords of Mars and the Frank R. Paul cover painting for the the 1927 Amazing Stories Annual illustrating The Master Mind of Mars. I'm not saying those are the best of all Burroughs covers. There have been so many breathtaking images in the past century, I can only say that these two evoke an emotional response every time I look at them.
Edgar Rice Burroughs the Bibliography is a book from which any Burroughs fan--and any lover of beautiful books--will derive hours of pleasure. I can only praise Bob Zeuschner for this magnificent labor of love, and commend everyone who contributed to this magnificent book. I don't know how many copies were printed but I am certain that it will sell out (if it hasn't already) and will be recognized as a wonderful achievement and become a treasured collector's item in its own right.
. . . . . The most notable features, other than the obvious massive amount of detailed text of course, are the four color sections. Elements that have been missing from every ERB bibliography in the past and definitely make it a tour de force. It’s great that you were able to include everything from the pulps, the firsts, the G&Ds and the paperbacks. A tremendous guide to collectors! The extra black and white head pieces from the pulps along with so many of Ed’s inscriptions are also a delightful addition. They definitely liven up the pages throughout. ..... I have to tell you though, that this book will probably never make it to my Burroughs shelf because I’ll be referring to it over and over. Phil N.
Scott Tracy Griffin Author, Tarzan on Film (Titan Books, 2016), Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration (2012)
For more than three decades, the Reverend Henry Hardy Heins’ A Golden Anniversary Bibliography of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Donald M. Grant, 1962) was the gold standard reference book for American author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ writings.
In 1996, Robert B. Zeuschner, PhD, a philosophy professor at Pasadena City College and a life-long Burroughs collector and enthusiast, delivered an updated and expanded bibliography: Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Exhaustive Scholar’s and Collector’s Descriptive Bibliography quickly became the authoritative reference in the field.
Though Zeuschner’s book benefited from several decades of post-Heins research, his work was constrained by the publisher’s rigid format. Twenty years later, further expanded and revised, Zeuschner’s bibliography is now available in an aesthetic layout that enhances his decades of research.
Titled succinctly Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, the work has grown from 287 pages to more than 700, with 2,000 entries and 500 color illustrations. Zeuschner continued his practice of consulting fellow experts in the field to augment his own research, resulting in a well-vetted reference work that will swiftly gain recognition as the definitive Burroughs bibliography.
Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, the first non-fiction book published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., was designed by Jim Gerlach, who crafted the beautiful 2015 Back to the Stone Age reprint for the company. Zeuschner’s book is available in two editions, the regular trade cloth edition, and a special leather-bound limited edition of 375 copies. The foreword is fittingly authored by Jim Sullos, President of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Zeuschner hasn’t simply compiled a descriptive entry for every known U.S. edition of Burroughs’ work, hardbound, softbound and periodical, but has included abundant background materials to contextualize the historical relevance of the entries, such as the 15-page biography of the author that summarizes his career achievements and literary conventions. While not exhaustive, a list of books and periodicals about Burroughs (including biographies and bibliographies), the artists who illustrated his works, and on the films based on his books are included among the appendices, along with print runs of the A.C. McClurg and ERB, Inc. editions and other pertinent data. It’s enough to send collectors on a lifelong quest to track down missing editions or ephemera to enrich their libraries.
The plentiful illustrations include samples of the books’ interior art, Burroughs’ correspondence, personal inscriptions, original manuscript pages, and advertising material. Four 16-page sections of color plates include every Burroughs pulp magazine cover, the first edition books and their dust jackets, Grosset & Dunlap reprints, and paperback covers from 1940-75.
Zeuschner’s work was an indispensable reference for me when writing, Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration (2012), and I’m glad this seminal effort has been updated and released in a format befitting the author’s life-long labor of love.
For more than three decades, the Reverend Henry Hardy Heins’ A Golden Anniversary Bibliography of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Donald M. Grant, 1962) was the gold standard reference book for American author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ writings.
In 1996, Robert B. Zeuschner, PhD, a philosophy professor at Pasadena City College and a life-long Burroughs collector and enthusiast, delivered an updated and expanded bibliography: Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Exhaustive Scholar’s and Collector’s Descriptive Bibliography quickly became the authoritative reference in the field.
Though Zeuschner’s book benefited from several decades of post-Heins research, his work was constrained by the publisher’s rigid format. Twenty years later, further expanded and revised, Zeuschner’s bibliography is now available in an aesthetic layout that enhances his decades of research.
Titled succinctly Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, the work has grown from 287 pages to more than 700, with 2,000 entries and 500 color illustrations. Zeuschner continued his practice of consulting fellow experts in the field to augment his own research, resulting in a well-vetted reference work that will swiftly gain recognition as the definitive Burroughs bibliography.
Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, the first non-fiction book published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., was designed by Jim Gerlach, who crafted the beautiful 2015 Back to the Stone Age reprint for the company. Zeuschner’s book is available in two editions, the regular trade cloth edition, and a special leather-bound limited edition of 375 copies. The foreword is fittingly authored by Jim Sullos, President of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Zeuschner hasn’t simply compiled a descriptive entry for every known U.S. edition of Burroughs’ work, hardbound, softbound and periodical, but has included abundant background materials to contextualize the historical relevance of the entries, such as the 15-page biography of the author that summarizes his career achievements and literary conventions. While not exhaustive, a list of books and periodicals about Burroughs (including biographies and bibliographies), the artists who illustrated his works, and on the films based on his books are included among the appendices, along with print runs of the A.C. McClurg and ERB, Inc. editions and other pertinent data. It’s enough to send collectors on a lifelong quest to track down missing editions or ephemera to enrich their libraries.
The plentiful illustrations include samples of the books’ interior art, Burroughs’ correspondence, personal inscriptions, original manuscript pages, and advertising material. Four 16-page sections of color plates include every Burroughs pulp magazine cover, the first edition books and their dust jackets, Grosset & Dunlap reprints, and paperback covers from 1940-75.
Zeuschner’s work was an indispensable reference for me when writing, Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration (2012), and I’m glad this seminal effort has been updated and released in a format befitting the author’s life-long labor of love.
Will Murray, Writer, Tarzan: Return to Pal-ul-don and King Kong Vs. Tarzan
I first encountered Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1968 at the age of 15. Everyone who discovers that fabulous writer does so at a special time. Although the editions and their covers and illustrations may change with the generations, readers of ERB are united in their love of the physical books and magazines that carried his immortal tales. Even in the age of a convenient e-books, there's nothing like the solidity of paper, and the vibrancy of great illustration. So it is that I cracked Robert B. Zeuschner’s Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography with great delight and wonder.
An updating of the author’s now 20-year-old first version, this thick and rich volume is as complete an Edgar Rice Burroughs bibliography as could be imagined. The entries are interspersed with numerous cuts from the original magazines in which the stories appeared, as well as other ephemera. It should have been titled The Ultimate Bibliography.
As someone who was introduced to ERB through the artwork of Robert Abbett, Frank Frazetta and Roy G. Krenkel, I was fascinated by the earlier generations of pulp magazine and hardcover illustrators.
Four sets of full-color inserts augment this remarkable book. The first displays every pulp cover painted for a Burroughs magazine story. Flipping through the pages, you can see the evolution of pulp magazine art from 100 years ago up to the early 40s. The second insert lovingly reproduces the full dust jackets of all ERB first editions. The third focuses on the famed Grossett & Dunlap book covers.
The fourth insert covers my era––the paperback books, principally from the 1960s to the ’80s. Although none of these images are new to me, to see them arrayed in pristinely-reproduced rows, one after the other, is to plunge back into a pool of delightful memories.
Although this is a bibliography first and foremost, the artwork is what makes it come alive for the reader.
All serious Burroughs collectors will want this book, and no doubt will refer to it endlessly, for it is packed with nuggets of information and background details that make it much more than a mere bibliography. As I said, it is the ultimate ERB bibliography, and the author is to be applauded for his great achievement.
I first encountered Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1968 at the age of 15. Everyone who discovers that fabulous writer does so at a special time. Although the editions and their covers and illustrations may change with the generations, readers of ERB are united in their love of the physical books and magazines that carried his immortal tales. Even in the age of a convenient e-books, there's nothing like the solidity of paper, and the vibrancy of great illustration. So it is that I cracked Robert B. Zeuschner’s Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography with great delight and wonder.
An updating of the author’s now 20-year-old first version, this thick and rich volume is as complete an Edgar Rice Burroughs bibliography as could be imagined. The entries are interspersed with numerous cuts from the original magazines in which the stories appeared, as well as other ephemera. It should have been titled The Ultimate Bibliography.
As someone who was introduced to ERB through the artwork of Robert Abbett, Frank Frazetta and Roy G. Krenkel, I was fascinated by the earlier generations of pulp magazine and hardcover illustrators.
Four sets of full-color inserts augment this remarkable book. The first displays every pulp cover painted for a Burroughs magazine story. Flipping through the pages, you can see the evolution of pulp magazine art from 100 years ago up to the early 40s. The second insert lovingly reproduces the full dust jackets of all ERB first editions. The third focuses on the famed Grossett & Dunlap book covers.
The fourth insert covers my era––the paperback books, principally from the 1960s to the ’80s. Although none of these images are new to me, to see them arrayed in pristinely-reproduced rows, one after the other, is to plunge back into a pool of delightful memories.
Although this is a bibliography first and foremost, the artwork is what makes it come alive for the reader.
All serious Burroughs collectors will want this book, and no doubt will refer to it endlessly, for it is packed with nuggets of information and background details that make it much more than a mere bibliography. As I said, it is the ultimate ERB bibliography, and the author is to be applauded for his great achievement.
David Lemmo, Author of Tarzan: Jungle King of Modern Culture (2016) Click here to see the original blog.
It would be difficult to praise this 700+ page tome too highly. It’s that good. If you’re a Burroughs collector it’s indispensable, and if you’re just starting to collect one of the greatest action writers of the 20th century, it is, again, indispensable.
Jim Sullos, president of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., tells us in the foreword that Mr. Zeuschner put in over two decades of research on this hefty volume and it shows in every page. The amount of bibliographic material is vast, put together as only a lover, and collector, of all things Burroughs could do. The main focus of Zeuschner’s massive, encyclopedic-like volume is to furnish the reader with the multitude of listings of ERB’s appearances in the USA and he does this in a grand style, with the information easy to find, and to understand.
Included with the array of publication histories are some interior black and white illustrations, many of which I had never seen before. Some of these deal with Burroughs signed book inscriptions to family members and are a delight to read. Quite a few, however, showcase the artwork of John Coleman Burroughs, Frazetta and J. Allen St. John. One of these treasures is the never to be forgotten frontispiece by St. John for The Chessmen of Mars.
But it’s the blast of photographic plates that made this book a must-have for me. Illustration editor Jim Gerlach announces that of the six hundred plus pictures included in the book five hundred are in color — and they are simply stunning.
The pulp covers, the hardbacks, and the paperbacks all get this star treatment, with even a foldout detailing the history of Grosset & Dunlap dust jackets in all their beauty. The pulp section selection is giving me an itchy eBay trigger finger, and I don’t think it’ll be too long before I’m bidding on the ERB issues of Blue Book Magazine.
So buy this valuable book at your own risk — your library will grow, take my word for it.
With perhaps only a couple hundred Burroughs related items in my library I’m probably not what would be considered a hard-core collector of this American author. I veered off course when the Lancer editions of Robert E. Howard’s Conan started to hit the stands.
My collection now consists mainly of Howard, H. P. Lovecraft and other writers of the Weird Tales ilk. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about ERB. Every year sees new additions added.
Always room for more.
But the Ace paperbacks originally owned by my brother are unique to my collection and came to me in a special way. It was the sixties, as I’ve said, the time of Vietnam, and when my brother entered the Service he gave them to me, and when he came home he never asked for them back.
He knows better.
So now, when the red glow of Barsoom beckons in the night sky I musingly pull a couple of those old 40-cent paperbacks off the shelf and gently open up my copy of Jungle Tales of Tarzan. I smile when I see the signature of my Burroughs collecting neighbor, who had the unfortunate habit of writing his name in his books.
This can only mean it was lost long ago when, engaging in their friendly gambling escapade, my brother happened to come out on top that day, perhaps while playing a fast and competitive match of tennis, or a slow, mentally taxing game of chess.
A trophy, if you will, of a bygone age.
It would be difficult to praise this 700+ page tome too highly. It’s that good. If you’re a Burroughs collector it’s indispensable, and if you’re just starting to collect one of the greatest action writers of the 20th century, it is, again, indispensable.
Jim Sullos, president of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., tells us in the foreword that Mr. Zeuschner put in over two decades of research on this hefty volume and it shows in every page. The amount of bibliographic material is vast, put together as only a lover, and collector, of all things Burroughs could do. The main focus of Zeuschner’s massive, encyclopedic-like volume is to furnish the reader with the multitude of listings of ERB’s appearances in the USA and he does this in a grand style, with the information easy to find, and to understand.
Included with the array of publication histories are some interior black and white illustrations, many of which I had never seen before. Some of these deal with Burroughs signed book inscriptions to family members and are a delight to read. Quite a few, however, showcase the artwork of John Coleman Burroughs, Frazetta and J. Allen St. John. One of these treasures is the never to be forgotten frontispiece by St. John for The Chessmen of Mars.
But it’s the blast of photographic plates that made this book a must-have for me. Illustration editor Jim Gerlach announces that of the six hundred plus pictures included in the book five hundred are in color — and they are simply stunning.
The pulp covers, the hardbacks, and the paperbacks all get this star treatment, with even a foldout detailing the history of Grosset & Dunlap dust jackets in all their beauty. The pulp section selection is giving me an itchy eBay trigger finger, and I don’t think it’ll be too long before I’m bidding on the ERB issues of Blue Book Magazine.
So buy this valuable book at your own risk — your library will grow, take my word for it.
With perhaps only a couple hundred Burroughs related items in my library I’m probably not what would be considered a hard-core collector of this American author. I veered off course when the Lancer editions of Robert E. Howard’s Conan started to hit the stands.
My collection now consists mainly of Howard, H. P. Lovecraft and other writers of the Weird Tales ilk. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about ERB. Every year sees new additions added.
Always room for more.
But the Ace paperbacks originally owned by my brother are unique to my collection and came to me in a special way. It was the sixties, as I’ve said, the time of Vietnam, and when my brother entered the Service he gave them to me, and when he came home he never asked for them back.
He knows better.
So now, when the red glow of Barsoom beckons in the night sky I musingly pull a couple of those old 40-cent paperbacks off the shelf and gently open up my copy of Jungle Tales of Tarzan. I smile when I see the signature of my Burroughs collecting neighbor, who had the unfortunate habit of writing his name in his books.
This can only mean it was lost long ago when, engaging in their friendly gambling escapade, my brother happened to come out on top that day, perhaps while playing a fast and competitive match of tennis, or a slow, mentally taxing game of chess.
A trophy, if you will, of a bygone age.