Tarzan Forever: The Life of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Creator of Tarzan Hardcover - 1999

From the publisher

The bestselling American writer of the first half of the 20th century, Edgar Rice Burroughs lived a life as interesting as that of any of his fictional creations. Now in Tarzan Forever, John Taliaferro gives us a compelling portrait of the "lord of pulp fiction" who after a stint in the cavalry and a series of dead-end jobs -- including cowboy, railroad policeman, and pencil-sharpener salesman -- wrote his first Tarzan story when he was thirty-seven and went on to write 75 books (24 featuring Tarzan) with total sales exceeding 50 million copies.

But Burroughs, as this book shows, was also a business visionary. He developed his San Fernando Valley ranch into the town of Tarzana and, 50 years ahead of Ninja Turtles, oversaw the mass production of ceramic Tarzan action figures, Tarzan board games, archery sets, jungle maps, and bathing suits. Applying the same consummate skill that made his biography of Western artist Charles M. Russell a critical success, Taliaferro now examines this major American mythmaker, uncovering his roots, assessing his inspiration, and framing his contribution -- giving fresh life to the creator of one of the century's greatest icons.