The Mustangs by J. Frank Dobie (1952 Hardcover)

• Author: James Frank Dobie (1888–1964)
• Illustrator: Charles Banks Wilson (1918-2013)
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, Boston, MA U.S.A. 1952

James Frank Dobie (1888–1964) was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range. Many have found that the paintings by Oklahoma-raised Charles Banks Wilson (1918-2013) breathe the spirit of the southwest into this work.

J. Frank Dobie, master storyteller of the American Southwest, here tells the tale of the wild and free mustangs that once roamed the western ranges. This is the story, too, of the white men and the Indians, no less wild and free, who captured them, gentled them, rode them, and annihilated them.

"The greatest of all books about range horses and rated by many as the best of Dobie's books." --Jeff Dykes (Bookdealer and founding member of the Potomac Corral.)

Hardcover has two toned boards, navy & light brown, with gilt lettering on spine and front cover, but no DJ. Brown lettering & illustration of horse at top half spine & front cover. Illustrated end-papers, top page-edge tinted blue. Interior is tight, clean and text is unmarked. POS on front paste-down. Text is illustrated throughout with B&W line drawings. The only full plate illustration is the full color frontis. Extensive footnotes and bibliography document the contents.

Describing condition is hard for this title because two-thirds of the booksellers say their copy is in above average condition! By definition, the average copy is in Good condition. Clearly, a book describing herds of horses in the old west will not be not clutched as tightly as a scary horror or steamy romantic novel. In that sense, this book is in very good condition, but average for the title.

• Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall, 376 pp.
• Condition: Good Hardcover w/o Dust Jacket

Copyrights 1934, 1936, 1949, 1950, 1951 & 1952. Copyrights indicate The Curtis Publishing Company may have published the 1st edition, but I have not found such an edition of this title. More likely, sections of the book first appeared as magazine/newsprint articles. This would indicate this edition is the 1st Thus. Stated this copy from the Little, Brown and Company Edition is from 3^rd printing in November, 1952, 3^rd month after release. No ISBN nor MSR. LCCN: 52-6802.

Notes on Condition/Edition ratings:

Fine – means like new, but any book produced over 10 years ago isn't “brand new”.  Booksellers needed some word to describe this...

Very Good – How you or I might take care of a book, closer to “as new” than standard.

Good – How someone else might take care of a book. Also referred to as “standard.” The most likely condition

for books of this age, shows the book has been read or previously owned.

Acceptable – How a child, student or a librarian might take care of a book. (Either trying to make sure

someone doesn't steal it by plastering ownership everywhere, filled it with copious notes or

a book that has been damaged.)

Poor – Combination of “acceptable” factors above. Most likely with water damage as well. Might have

missing pages (you should ask).

Near – Means “almost” in an optimistic sense. e.g., “Near Fine” means very good, but on the high end.

1^st Thus – Unique somehow, maybe 1^st paperback, new illustrator, misprint or even the 1^st edition. A collector

might desire this copy.

Thanks for looking!