As an Errol Flynn book collector myself along with most of you it is a real pleasure to announce writer Louis Kraft’s Errol Flynn Book Sale. If you have been looking for one of these books or don’t have many of them in your collection this is your chance! This is a private book sale and you can peruse their description below and also download the PDF. Louis Kraft is a distinguished award-winning author. Contact details are below …
Louis Kraft
© copyright 2022 Louis Kraft
“For those of you who don’t know me, my next two nonfiction books will be Errol & Olivia and Errol Flynn: The Defining Decade. I have more primary source information on Mr. Flynn and Ms. de Havilland than I have for any of my nonfiction Indian wars books, meaning that what I have on them is a gold mine.”
Errol Flynn
Book Sale List: SALE HAS ENDED! MIDNIGHT MAY 15 2022
Contact:
kr************@gm***.com
Scans or photos can be provided upon request.
Buyers will pay shipping via USPS Media Mail
(magazines cannot ship via Media Mail & I cannot ship outside of
the continental United States using Media Mail/it will be costly).
I pack using bubble wrap to protect the items.
Total charge: cost of book(s) + shipping + insurance + $3.00 for packaging/supplies for first four items (an additional $3.00 for five or more items).
I’ll weigh the packages at the post office, so you’ll know this cost in advance.
I accept checks and money orders.
An explanation follows …
With my life, and my life expectancy, my upcoming books are my writing life. No more articles (I’m sick of my pitches being accepted and then the editor tells me he wants Gatewood and Geronimo or Custer articles—that’s past tense, and I don’t write about them any longer … not quite true with Mr. Custer, see below); most likely no more talks unless for my fee of $750.00 and expenses; no more writing for the software world, and they paid me six figures (I’m still approached multiple times each week), as I’m no longer Scrooge McDuck (of Donald Duck and Walt Disney fame). … This said, and as I quit the entertainment world cold turkey in the mid-1980s, making it clear that I’d never act again. Oops! “Never say never,” at least for me, for in the first decade of this century I wrote four versions of a one-man show on Ned Wynkoop that played in Kansas, California, Colorado, and Oklahoma, and then a full-length play, Cheyenne Blood, that played for five weeks in California. … What’s in my future? I don’t know.
LK’s upcoming books, and the list is long (the first two may be of interest to you):
1. Errol & Olivia: I have more research on Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and their life and times from the mid-1930s, and it includes everything that is of major importance during the 1940s. I have more primary source information about them than I have for any of my Indian wars-race relation books. Bragging aside, I had a 20-year letter correspondence with Olivia, and she invited me to her Paris, France, home twice to spend time with her and to interview her, as well as inviting me to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (Beverly Hills, Ca.) when they honored her life and career. Much of my research on her and Mr. Flynn (and I have more on EF) is now housed at the LK Collection at the University of New Mexico’s Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections (it is the largest collection of them in the USA). My Flynn/de Havilland collection is locked down until this book and Errol Flynn: The Defining Decade are published, or December 31, 2031, whichever comes first.
2. Errol Flynn: The Defining Decade: More archival research is still needed, and it is ongoing. The title says it all, and God willing, I’ll see it published. Sorry, no more information at this point in time.
3. Navajo Blood: A novel with the leading players being a Diné warrior, his granddaughter, and Kit Carson during the early 1860s that is polished, but I decided I want to add another 35,000 words to change it from genre fiction to an historical novel. Navajo Blood is also locked down at the LK Collection until it is published or December 31, 2031, whichever comes first.
4. An untitled nonfiction book dealing with Kit Carson and his relationship with Indians. A lot of information is already in-house but more primary source research is required.
5. Land of the Heathen is a novel that deals with Chinese fishermen, a sheepherder, and racism on the Monterey peninsula, California, during the 1880s, and yes, it is a western. I have a lot of research already in-house, including an outline, synopsis, and character descriptions.
6. A novel dealing with the early years of the English pirate Francis Drake: It is already in progress.
7. A nonfiction book on Francis Drake that deals with a different period of his life. Like EF & OdeH, the Diné, Kit Carson, and the Chinese, I have a lot of information in-house, but more is needed.
This means that there are two things that I now must always ask myself:
• Will I read the book again for pleasure?
• Do I need the book for research?
If the answer is not “yes” to either question, the book/other publication has to go.
Many of the books included in this sale are because I have two or more copies of the book. There are other items in this sale that I won’t cite in my Flynn and de Havilland writing.
Errol Flynn & related items
All books are hardcover unless noted as paperbound.
Aadland, Florence, as told to Tedd Thomey. The Big Love. New York: Lancer Books, 1961. First Edition. Only read once with kid gloves, and this paperback book is in superb condition considering its age. This said, the pages have yellowed through time. The cover clearly states what the book is about: “Teen-ager Beverly Aadland’s scorching romance with Errol Flynn—Told for the first time by the one person who shared all of their intimate secrets!” Very Good Plus. $7.00
Aadland, Florence, as told to Tedd Thomey. The Big Love. New York: Warner Books, 1961. First printing 1986. Again, only read once with kid gloves, and this paperback book is in superb condition considering its age. This said, the pages have yellowed through time. This cover, which has terrific art of EF and Beverly (although the portrait of him is classically romantic and obviously much younger looking than his 48 years) has totally different words on the cover by William Styron (who wrote an introduction to this publication): “A work of such striking originality … that one may declare it a masterpiece without hesitation.” There is a slight curl to the lower right corner of the cover. The book also contains a two-page epilogue by Tedd Thomey that he wrote in 1986. Very Good Plus. $9.00
Behlmer, Rudy. The Adventures of Robin Hood. Madison, Wisconsin: University Press of Wisconsin, 1979. This is a softcover book publication and nowhere close to a paperback, meaning that the binding is 100 times better and much more durable. It is 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches, and includes photos (Flynn is on the cover; mounted with his bow in his right hand). This book was one of a series of books from the Golden Age of the Cinema that focused on screenplays and the creation of the films. An absolutely great premise, but apparently the books didn’t sell well, which is a shame, for these books are must-haves for those who write about cinema history. The series died long before all the proposed titles were published (including Captain Blood). Mr. Behlmer was a great choice for doing some of these books. I don’t know what draft of The Adventures of Robin Hood that Behlmer used, but it wasn’t the final draft, and I don’t think included any change pages (those are rewritten pages that supersede what is in the working screenplay during filming). I know this for a fact, as I’m using a few scenes from this film in Errol & Olivia, and at times the words on screen aren’t close to the screenplay draft in this book. Used by LK, but with kid gloves. Very Good Plus/Near Mint. $20.00
Casella, Frank A. The Girls, Errol Flynn and Me. Alhambra. California: Anthony Press, 1981. First Edition. Includes index and photos. Casella met Flynn in 1946 and spent a few days with him, which also included meeting his father, Theodore Flynn. Surprisingly the text has a typewriter appearance, which has to have been created on purpose to show that the words were Casella’s. As New (dust jacket is fine with a Bro Dart covering it). $24.00
Conrad, Earl. Errol Flynn: a memoir. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1978. NO LONGER AVAILABLE. First Edition. Includes photos. Conrad ghost-wrote Flynn’s autobiography and was privy to I think some 200,000 taped words during his time with EF as well as a lot of documentation that Errol shared with him. Near Mint-Mint. $40.00
Flynn, Errol. My Wicked, Wicked Ways. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. First edition, second impression, 1959. NO LONGER AVAILABLE It has 438 pages and hasn’t been edited due to complaints by unhappy people in Flynn’s life who demanded that certain sections be cut, or edited, from the first edition. If you want a hardbound of EF’s words and thoughts as pieced together by Earl Conrad you want a first edition, as you need to see what was originally published. Put mildly this is the best memoir I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of memoirs. Flynn is honest as far as his memory is concerned. He paints with his words his life, and it deals with both the good and the bad. I bought the book used. The dust jacket spine has folds and a small tear on the top and few dings on the bottom. The front of the dust jacket has a tear and fold near the spine and an inch tear near the right side. The front bottom of the dust jacket has small dings. The rear dust jacket is fairly decent with a slight fold on the bottom and a roughly one-inch fold near the spine, while the right side has a small fold chip near the rear cover flap. The front inside flap was detached from the front cover and taped but then separated from the front cover before I bought the book. The dust jacket has been in a Bro Dart since I bought the book. There is slight yellowing to the edges of the pages. The lower spine binding has folded toward the pages. The price has been clipped from the interior jacket flap, and the other flaps for some reason have also been clipped. The pages are near fine except for the slight yellowing to the paper edges. It goes without saying that I have treated this book with kindness. Good. $125.00
Flynn, Errol. My Wicked, Wicked Ways. New York: A Dell Book (1959: first Dell printing, 1961). The paperback has 512 pages, but since I’ve never read it, I don’t know if edits that unhappy people in Flynn’s life demanded be made to certain sections were cut and are indeed missing. If yes, a tragedy. The paperback is in good condition considering its age. Slight yellowing to the pages through time. The cover uses the same style font and colors with a black background as on the first edition of the hardbound book, along with a pleasing photo of Flynn holding a cigarette on the lower left side. Very Good/Near Mint. $8.00
Flynn, Errol. My Wicked, Wicked Ways. New York: A Berkley Medallion Book (1959: February 1974, 6th printing). The paperback has 383 pages, and I’ve never read it. This said, it is definitely an edited edition of Flynn’s autobiography as the font is close in size to the 1961 paperback edition. The cover has a nice painting of Flynn, which was probably based upon a portrait of him in the mid-1950s (1955-early 1958); it includes EF’s signature, which was a good attempt at mimicking it but isn’t Errol’s. Near Mint/Mint. $3.00
Flynn, Errol. Showdown. New York: Sheridan House, 1946. Although not stated, this is a first edition. Slight yellowing to the pages through time. The dust jacket is in much better condition than the first edition listed directly below. There are tears and chips on the top and bottom of the spine. The lower front dust jacket has some small folds, and the top upper right has a small dings. The rear dust jacket has some folds and a small tear that is less than half an inch. The top dust jacket has small folds and a small tear (less than a quarter of an inch). The bottom of the hardbound book shows wear. I placed a Bro Dart on this book cover when I bought it. Flynn based his novel upon his time in New Guinea. His knowledge shows and adds to his story. But best are his characters, which are well defined. Certainly his decade plus at Warner Bros., where he dealt with character development and dialogue, aided him. It is a character-driven thriller. The cover has art of a man and woman embracing in a low tide. Good. $25.00
Flynn, Errol. Showdown. New York: Pocket Books, Inc., (first Cardinal edition, 1960). Never read; this paperback novel is in good condition considering its age. Slight yellowing to the pages through time. Flynn based his novel upon his time in New Guinea. His knowledge shows and adds to his story. But best are his characters, which are well defined. Perhaps his decade plus in film, where he dealt with character development and dialogue, aided him. It is a character-driven thriller. The cover has art is of a man and woman kneeling and embracing in a low tide. Very Good Plus. $6.00
Fegerl, Josef, ed. Errol Flynn, Dr. Hermann F. Erben: A Friendship of Two Adventurers 1933-1940. Vienna: Self-published by Fegerl, 1985. No dust jacket (as published), but with a glossy hardbound cover that is illustrated on the front and rear covers. This book is a “documentation” of Flynn and Erben’s off-and-on relationship during the spread of these years using Erben’s, and other, photos that Fegerl has/had. The photos are terrific and dated, which provides a terrific timeline. Signed by Fegerl. As New. $85.00
Freedland, Michael. The Two Lives of Errol Flynn. Garden City, New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1979. First edition. No index and no notes. Zero notes are always worrisome, for the reader must trust the author’s accuracy. Sometimes this is hard to do. I haven’t read this book since I bought it, and since I didn’t take notes, as it was long before I decided to write about Errol, I have no opinion of the book. All the chapters are film titles. I find this is strange for they are way out of yearly order. I had hoped to reread this book prior to the sale but this didn’t happen; at the same time I’m certain that the author had a good reason for why he did this. The dust jacket and book are Fine. $25.00
Godfrey, Lionel. The Life and Crimes of Errol Flynn. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1977. First edition. Godfrey has several insights on Flynn that I had totally forgotten. I haven’t read the book since it was published, and it was so long back that I didn’t take notes, but I did spot-read numerous pages. For example, he had a good grasp of EF’s performance in That Forsyte Woman. This said he wasn’t aware that Koets was the publishers of My Wicked, Wicked Ways creation and not Flynn’s. Actually, my error also, until Errol Flynn expert and good friend David DeWitt corrected me. There is a nice selection of photos in the book (that have stood up to time as they were printed on decent paper. There is also an index. The book is in terrific condition except for the pages with Godfrey’s text, and they are terribly yellowed. My guess is that this publisher didn’t have this book printed with paper that lasts, as many publishers do today. Good. $10.00
Higham, Charles. Errol Flynn: The Untold Story. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1980. First edition. Higham sold a lot of film biographies over the years, and like many books published by New York publishing houses (and this includes George Armstrong Custer, the American Indian wars, and other histories) supposed facts were not confirmed, and worse accepted as truth way too often. Higham wrote decent prose, but unfortunately, he began with a premise and refused to move away from it, as he knew it would sell books, regardless of what he uncovered (or didn’t uncover). Again, so-called historians that dealt with the American Indian wars, or Flynn and de Havilland, have done this. There are wanna-be Indian wars historians who would like nothing more than to hear of my death (and in the future ditto wanna-be authors of the Golden Age of the Cinema). In Errol & Olivia, I will deal with Olivia’s opinion of Higham (who also wrote a volume on her and her sister Joan Fontaine). The dust jacket and book are As New. $30.00
Higham, Charles. Errol Flynn: The Untold Story. New York: A Dell Book, 1980; fourth Dell printing April 1984. This paperbound book has never been read (it has been stored for decades). See the above entry for background on this book. There is yellowing to the pages and the inside white covers have considerable yellowing around the edges. The exterior cover is in fine condition and includes a nice profile painting of Flynn that is based upon the cover photo of him on the hardbound edition. The photos in the book, and especially on the last page of images, have extreme yellowing, as do some of the previous pages but to a lesser degree. Good Minus. $3.00
Kaminsky, Stuart. Bullet for a Star. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1977; Book Club edition. I bought this book used (and I placed a Bro Dart on the dust jacket when I bought it). The binding has a bend; there are chips to the dust jacket spine; and two small tears to the top of the dust jacket front cover. The novel is about a tough private eye (Tony Peters) during the golden age of the cinema whose clients are film celebrities. This is the first book in a well-done series on Peters’ handling of cases. This book deals with an attempted murder of Flynn, who Kaminsky did a nice job of bringing him to life. The cover has art of Flynn swinging onto a film set (not his) as Robin Hood while a gun is pointed at him (this is much better art than on the cover of the paperback book). Good Plus. $5.00
Kaminsky, Stuart. Bullet for a Star. New York: Jove/HBJ Book, 1977, with first Jove/HBJ Book published in 1978. Never read. This paperback book is in good condition considering its age. Slight yellowing to the pages through time. Again, the novel is in a series that deal with Tony Peters, a tough private eye, who investigates an attempted murder of Flynn, who is quite well characterized in the story. The cover has art of a photo of Flynn in a frame with a bullet hole through the upper right of Flynn’s head. Very Good Plus. $4.00
Matzen, Robert. Errol & Olivia: Ego & Obsession in Golden Era Hollywood. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania: Goodnight Books, 2010. First Edition. A Bro Dart plastic sleeve was placed over the dust jacket when I bought the book. It contains a small index, incomplete notes, and no bibliography. Believe it or not, I can’t find this publishing house listed on the internet. Does it exist? That is a question that I’ll answer in Errol & Olivia. It is a gorgeous living room picture book, and nicely designed. After buying this I bought this book I read it once and shared my view of it with Olivia de Havilland. The book and dust jacket are pristine, except for a tiny ding at the center of the bottom of the front cover and dust jacket (they were present when the book was delivered to me). Near Mint Plus. $60.00 (this is bargain compared to prices on www.abebooks.com…)
Meadow, Herb. Uncertain Glory. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1944. First Edition, but without a dust jacket. It is a novelization of Flynn’s great in 1944 film of the same name that was based upon the screenplay by Laszlo Vadnay and Max Brand from Joe May and Laszlo Vadnay’s original story. The pages have yellowed with time, and the hardcover shows aging. Also pages 151-198 have a small puncture on the top right corner of the pages. Good Minus. $5.00
Meyers, Jeffrey. Errol Flynn and Sean Flynn in Hollywood and Vietnam. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore: Simon & Schuster, 2002. Includes notes, index, and photos. It’s been too long since I read the book to offer comments on it. It is a dual biography with the portion on Sean much smaller (and I don’t know at this late date if Meyers offers new information of his tragic end or not, although he does cite Two of the Missing: A Reminiscence of Some Friends in War by Perry Deane Young, 1975). Near Fine (dust jacket is fine with a Bro Dart covering it). $22.00
Morris, George. Errol Flynn: Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies. New York: Pyramid Books, 1975. Although not stated, a First Edition. This paperbound book has never been read (it has been stored for decades). It is a short biography of Flynn (160 pages). The plus is that there are many photos; it has an index but without notes. There is slight yellowing around the edges of the cover. The pages have also yellowed slightly, but nowhere close to the used volume for sale. Finally, there is rippling on the cover near the spine (but I have seen this on every copy of this book that I have seen). Otherwise, As New. $6.50
Morris, George. Errol Flynn: Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies. New York: Pyramid Books, 1975. Although not stated, a First Edition. I have used this paperbound book, which is a short biography of Flynn (160 pages). The plus is that there are many photos; it has an index but without notes. The cover has yellowed around the edges, as has the spine. The pages have also yellowed. Small dings to the upper top of the front cover, and more slight dings to the upper rear cover plus last 16 pages of the book. Finally, there is rippling on the cover near the spine (again, this appears on every copy of this book that I have seen). Good Minus. $1.50
Movie Story magazine feature on Silver River (Warner Bros., 1948) June 1848, Vol. 25, No. 170. Pages 36-39, 83-87. This a “fictional” story of the film, and Flynn and Ann Sheridan are on the cover of the magazine. A list of other films featured in this issue upon request. There is a small ding at the top of the spine and a slight tear at the bottom of the spine. The cover is in very good condition. Considering its age, it is Very Good Plus. $20.00
Sabatini, Rafael. Captain Blood: His Odyssey.* Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1922 and 1950, which I assume is the publication date of this library binding of the book (that I received free decades ago from a local library). It is the basis for the Warner Bros. 1935 production that shot Flynn to super stardom when the film was released. The film only deals with a portion of this book. The library binding has the same cover with a stiff Flynn holding his blade raised at a foe while aboard one of his vessels (on a pristine Grosset & Dunlap publication of this book that has a 1939 publication date with the dust jacket the same as on the library binding cover, it is mint, and not for sale). There is slight yellowing to the pages. Other than age, Good. $5.00
* I thought I might include hardbound and paperbound volumes of a Rafael Sabatini novel** that he crafted with a bravura scope that kept me turning pages, The Sea Hawk. But I decided against doing this, for the only thing that Warner Bros. used from his great novel was the title. This is a terrible shame, for Sabatini’s story (about an Englishman sold into slavery, escapes, became an Algerian pirate, and preyed on British ships) would have made a fantastic film if done correctly, and yet one totally different from Flynn’s magnificent The Sea Hawk (Warner Bros. 1940).
** There was silent film produced in 1924 with Milton Sills, but I’ve never seen it.
Sabatini, Rafael. Captain Blood: His Odyssey. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1922; first Pyramid edition May 1961. Although not stated, a First Edition of this printing. This paperbound book has never been read (it has been stored for decades). See the above description of Sabatini’s book. There is yellowing to the pages and the inside white covers have considerable yellowing around the edges. The exterior cover shows no yellowing, although there is slight chipping at the top of the spine (I most likely purchased it this way). Otherwise, As New. $3.00
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Master of Ballantrae. New York: Popular Library (Popular Library edition published in March 1964). I love Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as it is horrifying (at least to me as I turn into Mr. Hyde if I miss doses of one of my prescriptions; see an earlier LK blog to see the transformation). I struggle with EF’s 1953 film for many reasons (for one, the dueling sucks other than the short duel with his brother at the beginning of the film and the group dueling at the end of it). At the same time, I really like pieces of the film. This is nice, but you should know that Flynn’s character isn’t close to the one that Stevenson created. This makes the book a good one to study if one writes about this film (and I will if I live long enough to complete a third book on EF that that focuses on the 1950s). The paperback is in good condition considering its age. Slight yellowing to the pages through time, with worse discoloration to the inside covers. Good Plus. $2.00
Thomas, Tony. Errol Flynn: The Spy Who Never Was. New York: A Citadel Press Book, 1990. First Edition. It includes an index and photos. I haven’t read key books in EF’s life in way too long, and this is about to begin. This is one of those books, but I don’t know if I’ll reread prior to this book sale going live. As New (dust jacket is fine with a Bro Dart covering it). $35.00
Thomas, Tony, edited and with an introduction by. From a Life of Adventure: The Writings of Errol Flynn. Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1980. First Edition. Includes photos. The word “edited” makes me nervous, for this reason: Twenty-five or thirty years ago it looked like I had a key article on Kit Carson in a glossy magazine that had previously published an article of mine on George Custer and They Died with Their Boots On. I had used a book dealing with his Navajo Campaign that cited quoted material from primary source documents in the National Archives, and stupidly assumed that the quotations were accurate. This publication used peer reviews (which I always totally agree with), and lo-and-behold, the quotes from this book were wrong—this killed my article. I checked the quotes in my manuscript against the text in the book and I was absolutely correct in every instance. This is called “blind editing” as it is hidden from the reader. Lesson learned, and it was a major one in my writing life. I have quite a few of the magazines that have printed Flynn’s articles, and those that are in Mr. Thomas’ book I will check carefully against EF’s previously printed articles. This said there is writing of Errol’s there that didn’t appear in magazines, and some of it is gold that I don’t have. I pray that these words haven’t been silently edited. … If the silent editing in what I do have is considerable I won’t be able to use and cite what I don’t have access to unless I simply paraphrase it and cite Thomas’ book—which is a must read. As New (the dust jacket received a Bro Dart cover when I bought the book). $35.00
Thomas, Tony, Rudy Behlmer and Clifford McCarty. The Films of Errol Flynn. New York: The Citadel Press, 1969. First Edition. No index, but a lot of photos. I bought this book new from the Larry Edmunds Bookshop in Hollywood when it was published and have been careful with it over the decades. A Bro Dart plastic sleeve was placed over the dust jacket as soon as I learned that they existed. There is a slight chip at the right bottom of the dust jacket spine. Other than a slight fading of the spine the dust jacket is in great condition, as is the rest of the book. For those who have an interest in Errol Flynn’s films, this a great volume to begin your study. This said, there are numerous errors in the book (my guess is that there wasn’t much primary source research done; but these types of books usually have very little for time for years of research as the author/authors would never cover their costs from book-sale royalties). Near Mint. $85.00
Turiello, James. Errol Flynn: The Quest for an Oscar. Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media, 2012. First Edition paper binding. Turiello presents his view why Flynn should have an Oscar. Includes an index, listing of films, and many photos of posters, scenes from films, and candids. As New. $8.00
Valenti, Peter. Errol Flynn: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, Connecticut and London, England: Greenwood Press, 1984. NO LONGER AVAILABLE. This book is magnificent, as it presents Errol Flynn in a totally different light, but is of major importance to anyone who studies or writes about Flynn. Do not doubt it, for it is a massive bibliography. But it is more as Valenti not only describes the man but also does an excellent job of introducing the sections in the book. Near Mint. $60.00
George Armstrong Custer
This is basically the end of the books that I have on Mr. Custer, but not all. Most likely the books not in this list that deal with GAC and Libbie will never be sold as Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland played George and Libbie (the correct spelling of her nickname) in They Died with Their Boots On (Warner Bros., 1941), and the real-life Custer and his lady will have a large presence in E&O and my follow-up book on Mr. Flynn.
As I continue to say good-bye to Custer who, through Errol Flynn, introduced me to the Indian wars, I must say that he was an exceptional human being. Those of you who read Custer and the Cheyenne know my view of him. Mr. Custer did not introduce me to people of color or racism as my entire life has centered on it since my boyhood. This said, every book that I have written about the Indian wars (including those to come) deal with people of different races (from both points of view). More they deal with people who, at least at certain times in their lives, reached out to people who didn’t speak the same language but attempted to prevent or end war and the killing of more human beings.
These Custer books are included in case you have an interest in comparing the real Custer with the 1941 Flynn/Custer.
Frost, Lawrence A., The Custer Album. Seattle, Washington: Superior Publishing Company, 1964 (first edition). This is basically a photo-generated story of Custer. There is some discoloration to the spine with a light ding on top, and slight dings to upper inside sleeves). Good. 9.00
Katz, D. Mark. Custer in Photographs. Gettysburg, PA: Yo-Mark Production Co., Inc., 1985. First edition. As the title implies, it includes every photo of Custer that author located from archives and private collections. It is an oversized glossy publication that is absolutely first class (with a Bro Dart protecting the cover). Fine. $85.00
Katz, D. Mark. Custer in Photographs: A visual portrait of one of America’s most intriguing Civil War Heroes. 1985. Reprint, New York: Bonanza Books, 1990. It has a few additional photos that the author discovered that were not in the first edition. As New. $20.00
Kinsley, D. A. Custer: Favor the Bold, A Soldier’s Story. 1967, 1968. Reprint, New York: Promontory Press, 1988. This is the reprint of Favor the Bold: Custer, The Civil War Years and Favor the Bold: Custer, The Indian Fighter in one volume. As New. $5.00
Longacre, Edward G. Custer and His Wolverines: The Michigan Cavalry Brigade 1861-1865. Pennsylvania: Combined Publishing, 1997. As New. $12.00
Manion, John S. General Terry’s Last Statement to Custer. El Segundo, Calif.: Upton and Sons, Publishers, 2000. Additional information not included in Manion’s first edition, and deals with Custer’s orders before setting out for the Little Bighorn River. As New. $7.00
Stewart, Edgar I. Custer’s Luck. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1955 (Fifth printing, July 1967). For many years it was the go-to volume dealing with the Little Bighorn campaign. Price clipped from inside front flap; dirt/dust aging to top, bottom, and outside pages due to reading). Good. $6.00
Stiles, T. J. Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. This was a major best seller but beware of some of Stiles’ research as it is lacking, and some facts are wrong. Otherwise, it is a terrific read. As New. $20.00
Wert, Jeffry D. Custer: The Shenandoah Campaign of 1864. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996 (first edition). Fine. $4.00
LK books
First, I need to talk a little about my life and what is happening here. I absolutely hate selling my books in person. I hate doing this, and with more to come—hate it! But I need room in Tujunga House. This room is for my wife Pailin and for my upcoming book projects (all of which have tons of primary source research, with more still to come).
The Final Showdown. Fiction. New York: Walker and Company, 1992. Some background. … Since the mid-1980s I had been selling Indian wars articles and giving talks. I had written some fiction, and, although agented, never sold. In 1990 I had a new agent and one night in a Portland, Oregon, hotel bar, I pitched a story that dealt with race (that is white-Cheyenne) relations in 1867 Kansas prior to the Medicine Lodge Peace Council that fall. The leading three players (a white man, white woman, and a Cheyenne war leader) were fictional, while most, but not all, of the other characters lived (Black Kettle, Stone Forehead, Bull Bear, Satanta, reporter Henry Stanley, U.S. Indian superintendent Thomas Murphy, the Tall Chief Wynkoop, among others). $5.00
This novel led to a follow-up western with the publisher, but then the publishing house, which was then spiraling toward its end of life, broke the contract.
Custer and the Cheyenne: George Armstrong Custer’s Winter Campaign on the Southern Plains. El Segundo, Calif.: Upton and Sons, Publishers, 1995. In 2011 the book won the Little Big Horn Associates’ Jay D. Smith award for best contribution to Custeriana. $40.00
Gatewood & Geronimo. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2000. The book was a History Book Club selection. It brought Gatewood from the depths of historical hell (as Major General Nelson Miles decided to bury him as he wasn’t a member of the Fourth U.S. Cavalry, and he wanted his regiment to reap all the glory for obtaining Geronimo and the last Chiricahua chieftain Naiche’s surrender in 1886—which Gatewood pulled off by himself. This is a dual biography of their lives and times during the 1880s. $30.00
Lt. Charles Gatewood & His Apache Wars Memoir. Omaha: University of Nebraska Press, 2005. I was eventually credited as editor with additional text. The copyright is in my name, and it was a shared credit, but then as the book was about to be published the Prick then in charge at the Press informed me that he was changing my credit while knowing that I wouldn’t tell him to F-off. For the record, I wrote fully two-thirds of the text. It is still my best-selling nonfiction book (although I do think that the Sand Creek book will surpass it). $34.00
Ned Wynkoop and the Lonely Road from Sand Creek. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011. The book was a finalist for the Western Heritage Wrangler and the Western Writers of America Spur awards, in 2012. When this book was in production it led to then University of Oklahoma editor-in-chief Chuck Rankin pitching me to write a book about the Sand Creek massacre. I told him “No,” that I write about people and not war. This led to an almost three-year ongoing communication in person, by phone, and via email. During our round-robin discussions I refused to move away from focusing on people driving the story to conclusion, and Chuck’s buy-in to me breaking all the rules and creating a huge epilogue as that was the second half of my title (“and the Tragic End of a Lifeway”). $32.00
The Discovery. Fiction w/Robert S. Goodman. Paper. …. Believe it or not, I have earned more money from this book to date than from any of my nonfiction books. It’s a good book, with some of my best writing (certainly my best fictional writing). It was Goodman’s idea, but he couldn’t spell, couldn’t write a sentence, had no clue what a chapter was (one of his chapters had one sentence: “They had sex.”), and he pushed me to write the book. I’m thrilled that I eventually said, “yes.” This said, be forewarned for this medical/legal thriller has extreme violence and sexual situations. Say it ain’t true LK! ’Tis true, for I am who I am. This said, the characters are real and jump off the pages. Paper. $14.00
Sand Creek and the Tragic End of a Lifeway. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2020. The book has earned my second Western Heritage Wrangler award as best nonfiction book of 2020 (my first Wrangler award was for my Wild West article, “When Wynkoop was Sheriff,” in 2012). It also won the Colorado Author’s League best nonfiction book award for 2020. After the book was published, and Chuck Rankin, who had retired, read it, he called me. After saying “hello,” he said: “This is your masterpiece.” I don’t know if that is true, but I’m proud of this book. $33.00
I never push to sign or inscribe any of my writing. This said, if you purchase any of the above, and you request a signature or an inscription, please let me know for I would be pleased to do this for you.
Free item
There is only one free item in this sale. The first person that buys at least two books, receives this item. If this person isn’t interested, the next person who purchases two books can claim this record. If no one is interested, it will be exiled to the black trashcan.
LIVE LIKE FLYNN: “Legend” is on the cover of this custom 45rpm record.
• “LIVE LIKE FLYNN” (D. McDEE – B. COOKE), (Australian Composition) “LEGEND,” Greco’s Studios, Hobart, is on side 1.
• “Flynn Monologue” (B. Cooke & Legend), (Australian Composition) is on side 2.
o The rear of the cover is an advertisement for I believe two books.
I don’t remember how I obtained it, but not having a 45rpm record player I’ve never heard what’s on the record, which appears to be in very good shape. There is a slight fold to the opening of the front cover. Note, that as an Australian record it may not play on U.S. record players. I’m sorry that I can’t provide more information about this record. FREE!
LK EF books for sale 5may2022PDF
— David DeWitt
