{"id":19665,"date":"2025-08-28T10:52:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T17:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edgarriceburroughs.com\/store\/?post_type=product&p=19665"},"modified":"2026-01-16T00:02:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T07:02:21","slug":"trailblazer","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/edgarriceburroughs.com\/store\/product\/trailblazer\/","title":{"rendered":"Trailblazer: The Autobiography of Tarzan\u2019s Creator (PREORDER)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Monumental Publication of a True ERB First Edition!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Edgar Rice Burroughs\u2019 birth, we are thrilled to announce the upcoming publication of Trailblazer: The Autobiography of Tarzan\u2019s Creator<\/em><\/strong>. The 20,000-word \u201cAutobiography,\u201d dictated by Burroughs at the prompting of his new book publisher in 1929 for the purposes of promotion, has never before seen print and details in his own words the life of the Master of Adventure from his birth to 1914. A compelling, insightful, and often humorous and self-deprecating account of the man who singlehandedly transformed popular culture with his iconic creations, Trailblazer<\/em><\/strong> is the true American success story. Burroughs writes of his days as a schoolboy in Chicago and a cowboy in Idaho; his trials and triumphs as a cadet in the Michigan Military Academy; his service in the 7th U.S. Cavalry chasing the notorious outlaw the Apache Kid in the mountains of the Arizona Territory; and his struggles as a young husband, father, and fledgling businessman. The \u201cAutobiography\u201d concludes with Edgar Rice Burroughs\u2019 ultimate achievement: the creation of the immortal Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars, the beloved heroes of his tales of adventure and romance that forever imprinted his presence on global culture.<\/p>\n

Trailblazer<\/em><\/strong> sheds light on Edgar Rice Burroughs the Man, showing both his doubts and his courage in the face of adversity. Moreover, it counters oft-told and misleading narratives about his views on race, illustrating his sympathetic feelings and respect for the Indigenous peoples he encountered in the American Southwest, and his high opinion of a regiment of Black soldiers quartered at Fort Grant, Arizona, beside and under whom he served while in the cavalry.<\/p>\n

Supplementing the \u201cAutobiography\u201d is a 20,000-word profile of the illustrious author by noted ERB scholar Henry G. Franke III, picking up where Burroughs\u2019 firsthand account leaves off and covering the remainder of his life and career. Here we see Burroughs metamorphose from a budding author into a successful entrepreneur who launched a worldwide industry of Tarzan film, radio, publishing, licensing, and merchandising, all while he continued to write his highly popular novels. Franke also details how Burroughs could not refuse the call to duty after witnessing in person the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, risking the dangers of Pacific Theater as the oldest accredited war correspondent in World War II.<\/p>\n

Trailblazer<\/em><\/strong> is rounded out by 17 essays by Edgar Rice Burroughs on his extraordinary life and groundbreaking career, including 4 previously unpublished travelogues written with all his trademark wit, humor, and engaging literary style: \u201cThe Mono Creek Trip,\u201d \u201cNotes on the Trip to Mono Creek and Porpoise Lake,\u201d \u201cThe Eleven-Year Itch,\u201d and \u201cThe Death Valley Expedition of the Intrepid Thirty-Threeers.\u201d The book also features copious rare photographs and illustrations from ERB, Inc.\u2019s archives in Tarzana, California, and includes heartfelt forewords by two of Edgar Rice Burroughs\u2019 great-granddaughters, Kathleen Bonnaud and Llana Jane Burroughs, as well as an illuminating introduction by Henry G. Franke III.<\/p>\n

Trailblazer: The Autobiography of Tarzan\u2019s Creator<\/em><\/strong> offers a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the world\u2019s most popular and beloved authors, and will be enjoyed by fans of his fantastical tales, students of literature and history, and anyone interested in reading the captivating life story of a unique and creative soul.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Included with any edition<\/strong><\/center><\/p><\/div>\n

Bonus Trading Card\u2014While Supplies Last!
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

All preorders of Trailblazer: The Autobiography of Tarzan\u2019s Creator<\/em>\u00a0placed directly from ERB, Inc.\u2019s online store will come with an exclusive collectible trading card featuring a specially colorized photograph of Edgar Rice Burroughs when he was a cadet in the Michigan Military Academy in 1895. Following the preorder period, this exclusive trading card will continue to be offered with direct orders of the book from our online store while supplies last.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Included with Collector’s Edition<\/strong><\/center><\/p><\/div>\n

Hardcover Limited Collector\u2019s Edition
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The hardcover Collector\u2019s Edition of Trailblazer<\/em> features:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • A commemorative bookplate signed by Edgar Rice Burroughs\u2019 great-granddaughters Kathleen Bonnaud and Llana Jane Burroughs; Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., President James Sullos; and Trailblazer<\/em> coeditors Christopher Paul Carey and Henry G. Franke III, as well as a facsimile signature of Edgar Rice Burroughs<\/li>\n
  • A second exclusive collectible trading card featuring a specially colorized photograph of Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1912, the year Under the Moons of Mars<\/em> and Tarzan of the Apes <\/em>were published<\/li>\n
  • Special printed exterior boards<\/li>\n
  • A limited print run of only 300 copies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n


    \nABOUT THE AUTHORS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Edgar Rice Burroughs
    \n<\/strong><\/span>The creator of the immortal characters Tarzan of the Apes\u00ae and John Carter of Mars\u00ae, Edgar Rice Burroughs is one of the world\u2019s most popular authors. Mr. Burroughs\u2019 timeless tales of heroes and heroines transport readers from the jungles of Africa and the dead sea bottoms of Barsoom\u00ae to the miles-high forests of Amtor\u2122 and the savage inner world of Pellucidar\u00ae, and even to alien civilizations Beyond the Farthest Star\u2122. Mr. Burroughs\u2019 books are estimated to have sold hundreds of millions of copies, and they have spawned 60 films and 250 television episodes.<\/p>\n

    Henry G. Franke III
    \n<\/strong><\/span>Henry G. Franke III is the editor of \u200aThe Burroughs Bulletin<\/em>, the journal of The Burroughs Bibliophiles, the nonprofit literary society devoted to the life and works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. He was the Contributing Editor and penned the introductions for IDW Publishing\u2019s Library of American Comics four-volume archival series reprinting Russ Manning\u2019s Tarzan newspaper comic strips. Volume 1 won the 2014 Eisner Award for Best Archival Collection\u2014Strips. He also wrote book introductions for IDW\u2019s Tarzan \u2013 1929<\/em> daily strip reprints and for Tarzan and the Adventurers<\/em>, the fifth volume in Titan Books\u2019 Complete Burne Hogarth Comic Strip Library. He has served three times as the Official Editor of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Amateur Press Association (ERBapa). Franke specializes in collecting art inspired by Burroughs\u2019 stories. Franke was in the U.S. Army from 1977 to 2009, and later served as an Army government civilian from 2009 to 2020.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u00a9 Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Trademarks Tarzan\u00ae, Tarzan of the Apes\u00ae, John Carter\u00ae, John Carter of Mars\u00ae, Barsoom\u00ae, Amtor\u2122, Pellucidar\u00ae, Beyond the Farthest Star\u2122, Edgar Rice Burroughs\u00ae, and Master of Adventure\u2122 Owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The never-before-published life story of Edgar Rice Burroughs in his own words! Expected to ship Spring 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":19674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[45],"product_tag":[62,175],"pa_shirt-size":[],"pa_shirt-style":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19665","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-other-books","7":"product_tag-media","8":"product_tag-trailblazer","9":"product_shipping_class-media-mail-shippable","11":"first","12":"instock","13":"featured","14":"taxable","15":"shipping-taxable","16":"purchasable","17":"product-type-variable"},"exclude_global_add_ons":[],"addons":[],"yoast_head":"\nTrailblazer: The Autobiography of Tarzan\u2019s Creator (PREORDER) - Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. 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