The accolades range from Texas Governor Rick Perry: "Elmer Kelton is truly a Texas legend", to being a seven-time Spur Award winner, and being voted All-time best western writer by the Western Writers of America. 

But none of those facts are the reason I started reading and eventually collecting Elmer Kelton books, magazine articles and paperbacks.  It was much simpler than that--I liked his writing.  His characters are complex set within a historical background.  He is simply a great writer that I enjoy.  Before I knew it I had most of his books, and writings in my collection.

I was interested in Elmer Kelton's paperback books since many of these have never been published in hardback and therefore are the true first edition.  Some are fairly rare and some are a little pricey.  Here is a selected list of the early Kelton paperbacks.  The number given for the publisher indicates a first edition (ie.-Ballantine #128). 

HOT IRON, Ballantine #128, 1956 (Kelton's first book)

BUFFALO WAGONS, Ballantine #187, 1956 (some copies have an award notice)

BARBED WIRE, Ballantine #247, 1957

SHADOW OF A STAR, Ballantine #304K, 1959

TEXAS RIFLES, Ballantine #385K, 1960

DONOVAN, Ballantine #534, 1961

BITTER TRAIL, Ballantine #594, 1962

HORSEHEAD CROSSING, Ballantine #Y735, 1963

MASSACRE AT GOLIAD, Ballantine U1051, 1965

LLANO RIVER, Ballantine U2306, 1966

AFTER THE BUGLES, Ballantine U2307, 1966

CAPTAIN'S RANGERS, Ballantine 70703, 1969

HANGING JUDGE, Ballantine 01582, 1969

SHOTGUN SETTLEMENT, Paperback Library, 63-145 (as Alex Hawk, house name)

BOWIE'S MINE, Ballantine 02284, 1971  

THE BIG BRAND, Bantam 26147-9, 1986 (short stories)