Lea, Tom

The King Ranch [Deluxe Edition]

Kingsville, TX: Printed for the King Ranch, 1957.

First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. The deluxe "Saddle Blanket" edition, originally issued only for private distribution to family and friends, but later sold by the Book Club of Texas. Two volumes bound in heavy linen resembling the King Ranch saddle blanket with the running 'W' brand and housed in a matching slipcase, illustrated with map and drawings by the author. Research by Holland McCombs; annotation by Francis L. Fugate. Near fine, with slight rubbing to corners, front hinge of volume I just starting, some scuffing to the leather label on the slipcase. Reese (Six Score, 69) describes this as "Perhaps the most exhaustive ranch history ever written, and a tremendous account of the cattle industry of south Texas" and Lowman (Printing Arts in Texas p. 54) says "Tom Lea's history of the King Ranch is one of the most important books ever to emerge from a Texas background. Its typographical achievement is equally distinguished." Jenkins Basic Texas Books 121A: "This is the best account of the most famous ranch in the world....The first volume consists of a biography of Richard King and the development of the ranch from 1853 to the end of the 19th century. It records the gradual development of the ranch empire from 1853 through all the troubles with the Civil War, outlaws, and cattle thieves. The second volume covers the history of the ranch in the 20th century until 1953..... Few, if any, Texas books have had such a perfect blend of text, design, and illustrations." Herd 1318; Dykes, Western High Spots, p. 79 ("It belongs in any range man's library").