Hell I Was There - different editions

I don't know much about the editions or whether there is a reprinting sequence but there was a previous biography that Elmer didn't like because it was edited leaving some of his pictures and other stuff out etc. He wrote "Hell, I was There" to correct some of the errors of previous work. I think there are probably some Elmer Keith experts who can clear this up better for you. Chris

Chris, I have been led to this as well.  The basis being that Hell I Was There is a second of a previously written book with another title.  My friend however, swears he has seen a HIWT that is different than ours.  So I'll search a bit more.  It's actually been kinda cool and I have met a lot of Elmer fans - always good folks.
Thanks for chiming in.  I'm looking forward to reading this forum and resurrecting my love for my .44's.  Been a while since I dirtied them.

...is as close to an expert as we have, hopefully he will chime in. Also, you could ask Mr. Taffin via the sixguns.com Guest-book. He is usually pretty responsive answering fan mail and the like

Welcome to the forum~
Al

I found the 1st printing as 1/1/79 by Peterson Publishing, hardcover.
2nd printing 10/79 by Peterson Publishing as a revised edition.
A 3rd copy in paperback or softcover in November of 89 by a Blacksmith Publishing and listed as a "Trade Publication"? Don't know what that means....
That's what I have found so far and if anyone has more to add, please jump in now. Chris

Gentlemen, thank you for the welcome.  And thanks much for the research.  The plot thickens!!!  Two editions, both in 1979.  Geesh.  The covers only state the year.  BUT!!!, I've got something to sink my teeth into.  This is the first real info that has made sense. 

Sorry, I didn't reply earlier,  There's a lot of elderly family stuff going on.  It's going well, but a bit time consuming.  My Dad at 92 is looking after my Aunt, who is 80 and just sent home from a nursing facility.  My brother 64 and I at 57 are trying to keep after them!  Sometimes it's downright crazy.  Anyway, I'm glad to have joined this forum and have been reading a lot.  I need to get out of my daily ruts and fire up my wheel guns.  .357's, .41 mag, .44 mag and 45 Colt were my first love in firearms.  What's odd is the older these guns get, the bigger the groups keep getting.  Maybe they're wearing out...LOL.  It certainly can't be trying to do the front sight, rear sight and target thing in bi-focals, now could it?
I'll be lurking and reading, if nothing else.
Thanks again, Ron

Don't worry RJ, I'm gonna be 65 soon and I can't get out as much as I used to but I've noticed my freehand groups are noticeably larger than when I was young and healthy, so now I just get closer! I am well aware of taking care of relatives too so I admire you for your efforts on that front. I hope I was of some little help in your search and hope you find out more. Chris

In relation to the question on Hell I was There, Yes there were 2 editions brought out in 1979. One had a hard bound plain cover, dust jacket with Elmers picture on it. The other, later one had a hard cover that was cloth covered,Brown Canvas like material. The dust jacket was the same. In late 1984 the next edition came out with Elmers obituary in the back. This was plain hardback, and a soft bound edition. This is what I understand about the books, as I have one of each. Elmer had a copy of HIWT bound in leather. I beleive several were made, but I have never seen one. )h, By the way. he never signed a copy of HIWT. He made signed stickers, and placed them in the front cover of the book, fur those people that wrote him for an autographed copy.

Thanks Gunny, I was hoping soomeone would provide some concrete answers for RJ. That's why we come here, to learn and grow wiser. Chris

The other autobiography was "Keith, and autobiograpy". Elmer hated it, as the pictures were not correct with the text, it was edeted beond beleif, and distorted som of his life, and bypassed others. This is when he commissioned to have Hell I was There done. He put everything on Cassette tape, and Slim Randle wrote it down. I have conversed with Slim, as to where the tapes are. He has no idea, Peterson got them,

Well, even more interesting stuff.  So, Gunsmith, based on this, I have the 2nd - brown canvas like cover.  AND, dust jacket being the same, I may have been turning down 1st editions.

"One had a hard bound plain cover, dust jacket with Elmer's picture on it.
The other, later one had a hard cover that was cloth covered,Brown
Canvas like material. The dust jacket was the same. "
Seeing as how you have both, could you please glance at them, at your leisure, and tell me if there is any difference inside?  Page qty, different stories...etc.  Is the actual writing / pictures identical?  My buddy swears there is a difference, but I can't help the sellers with details.  At least now I know the cover material is different.  I have two sellers that have been very patient.  They both feel they have 1st's, and honestly, I think they think it's true.  But so far, no one can tell them apart.  Until you guys, that is.
I can't thank this group enough.  Way too many gun-boards are ego-based arguments waiting to occur, I bail out.  I'm not the be all, end all, but I'm a quality manager.  If I want argument, I'll stay at work!!!  LOL.

I'm sure when gunsmith gets back he can tell you exactly what changed. If you are in a hurry go ahead and send him a Private Message
Al

The change was at the end of the book. He added a small section, that included his being awarded the Handgunner of the Year, and a Picture of his wife and he. That is the only change I can see. They are both unmarked as to edition, so they are considered 1st edition.  There was also a book club edition with a plainer cover. I would love to have one of the leather covered editions. If anyone has one, leave it to me in your will.

Is anybody out there? Anybody at all? Is this forum a bust, or are you all trying to absorb Elmers writings, and have brain block from too much info at one time. If you need brain help, let me know. I have a lot of experiance with brain doctors, and I have a clean bill of health from them. The Thorozin makes me a little fuzzy sometimes though.

We're out here listening, don't worry. I, for one, would never miss any of your posts and yes, when not reading you, I'm perusing Elmer's old stories. I just didn't have anything more to add to this topic. I did like the print of sixguns that you posted, easier to read on my laptop than digging out the big book. You have to remember it's summer so the guys are out shooting their sixguns and stuff! Chris

I am going to totally download Sixguns in the near future. It will take a lot of work with my scanner, but I have a copy I made when I was a printer from a first edition. Then I will work on Big Game. They should all be downloadable to your Phones,ect. So no matter where you are, you can read Elmer. We are checking to see if there are any copywrite infringments before we totally put them on the forum, but if we can, you guys are going to be some happy campers. Oh, so all of you have Elmers CD. If not, you have no idea what you are missing. He was a real card, and a total gentleman. And funny as hell. He could have been the best comedian in the world if he wanted to. But he was not into off colored jokes. He was the old way. Just to hear him laugh made my day.  Hope you all get a copy.

Gunny, did you catch the reprint of Elmer's 1929 article on his #5 sixgun in the latest American Rifleman and also the guys over at singleactions.com have run a couple of posts about it along with a picture of the #5 -44... Chris

Guys, I'm catching up when I can.  It's 9:30 in Clevelandville and I'm eating supper.  Off to bed soon to wait for the 4:30 alarm.  Oh well, I'm working, doing something I love and making a fair dollar, so no whining on my end.  This isn't a high usage forum, but the quality of the people here more than makes up for it.  The guys here post good stuff.  They're not just here to push out their chests, argue about non-answerable topics or rip each others tastes.  EVERYTHING I've read so far on this forum has had merit, value or was simply interesting.  Which reminds me, I will answer Chris's topic about "my first revolver".  My story is not overwhelmingly interesting, but I enjoyed thinking back through it after I read his post - made me daydream some.  Made me wonder when I'll get off my dead A$$ and spend some time burning some Unique or H-110.  Every chore gets in the way and sometimes you just need to say...$@*^-it, I'm going shootin!  Date stickers on my powder cans have 19-something for crying out loud.  I decided  some time back not to hunt with my 3 screw flat-top .44 and use my Super BLKHK instead.  Retire the nice one and beat on the newer version.  THAT WAS IN THE 90'S FOR CHRIST'S SAKE.  WAS I AFRAID I WAS GOING TO SHOOT THE BARREL OUT OF IT?  That wheel gun looks like the day I bought it - I couldn't wear it out if I tried.
Elmer could of.

RJ: I never was a collector to save a gun for it's future value. All my guns get shot, some not as much anymore, but still all are "shooters". I spend most of my time shooting my .22 Colt Scout but the Colt New Frontier 45 gets a bit of a work out off and on while the SBH 44mag gets shot frequently with 44 special loads. Even my rifles and shotguns are shooters although one or two could be collectible if I wanted to part with them, but I don't. I will shoot my guns till the dust mingles with mine and let someone else worry over what they are worth. I think there is an old cowboy adage that says something like "He never sold his guns!" and I would add "He kept shooting till the end". Those are words to live by. Chris

Amen, brother.  I've only bought one gun to sit on and the value went up less than a savings account!  Okay, so I'm good at some things, but financial investments ain't one of them.  A model 66 S&W, 4".  Bought from an honest gun shop for 2 bills around 1976.  They were getting 300-365 at the time for them and the suggested retail was 185.00.  Trust me, I watched people paying that 350 figure!  At that time stainless was all the rage.  No stainless Mod 29 yet mind you.  The guy in the shop asked me how soon I was going to sell it - he knew what was going on.  I told him, "I'll never even load it, much less sell it.  Don't need to shoot it.  I got a Mod 19, 6" with all the target goodies.  It'll put six in the red circle of a Lucky Strike pack if I do my part."  (Bullseye and wadcutters, mind you)  So the 66 sits, in a S+W presentation case that I lined in black velvet, unfired.  One of the kids can have it someday.  I have only sold one in my lifetime.  Sold a 7-1/2" SBH, my first .44, to buy the 10-1/2" version, my third.  Bought the 3 screw 6-1/2 in-between.  I got the 10-1/2 because I wanted to try silhouette.  Worked up some dandy loads, but never got it off the ground as a lot of issues with family member illnesses were going on at the time.  I do remember having a load of around 25.0 grs of H-110 with a 240 FMJ Hornady that shot 6" at 100 yds off sand bags with the factory sights.  I was excited about that.  As I'm sure you know, barrel length had nothing to do with it.  I brought a 4-5/8 BLKHK in .41 mag out that same day.  Brand new.  Bought some Rem factory 210 grain JHP and it shot 7" at the same distance.  Today those groups would double!  I'm telling ya, leave these guns sit too much and barrels get crooked!

I'm sure that New Frontier is the cats a$$.  I have a .45 Peacemaker that is my favorite handgun.  That cartridge is just plain perfect.
Ron

I have worn out several sixguns. One was a 22 revolver, Italian made. could not take 10,000 rounds of 22 , plus dry firing. All the screws on the trigger,and bolt broke. Could not even drill them out,(before I got a milling machine). The barrel looked like a smooth bore. Groups got terrible. Gave it away to my ex brother in law. He says someone stole it later. I shot the barrel out of my Blackhawk. some 5000 rounds of 357 (Elmers load of 15.5 grains 2400, 158 grain SWC. ) . Replace it with a custom heavy barrel that is 4 inches long, and I cut the ejector rod to fit. Feels like the 6 inch, but packs alot easier. Faster out of the holster also. I can hit a 12 inch gong with very shot at 100 yards off hand, one handed firing. So it shoots pretty well. I
I have a lot of Honey Do list things to get accomplished, so the downloading of Sixguns is on the back burner for now. Hope to get it going soon. Then we will do Big Game.  Perhaps Shotguns. Lets try to download all of Elmers books, so the world can learn the truth about firearms, not just some old O'Connor bull s==t storys.

" Lets try to download all of Elmers books, so the world can learn the truth about firearms, not just some old O'Connor bull s==t storys."

Truer words were never said!

Guys,  Back in the early part 2009 when I started going to my local Library,  I found they had a copy of HIWT in VERY good condition.   The edition with Elmer & Lorraine's picture with the Outstanding American Handgunner award in the back.

I preceded to rent it out over and over again and read it twice.  Finally I got a brain-storm to ask them if I could buy it as a donation to the Library.   The nice girl looked at the print out on how many times it was taken out of the library  and noticed I was the only person to do so in years!!!!   She said sure I could buy it for a $20.00 donation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bout had a heart attack right in front of her!!!!
Check your libraries for books that YOU could make a donation with!!!!!
Take care,
Chris

Among other Keith books, I have a copy of the Keith Autobiography, a copy of HIWT in hardcover, and a second copy of HIWT in softcover.  All three have a place in my library and will be left to my sons when I pass on.

Is anyone interested in Elmer anymore. No activity on this for some time. Weeks between postings. What a shame. I guess the Yuppies went on to other things, leaving me solidly implanted, looking for the truth. Same as always.

Just the old guys like me I guess, not that 52 is all that old. 

I tried to get my boys to read Hell I Was There, the oldest one got through it but there wasn't enough action for him I guess.  The younger son won't sit still long enough to read anything, unless he has to.

Get the kids on horseback, and then take them shooting. Work them up from a 22 to a full 44 mag in one session( I have done this many times) Shoot a lot of neco wafers,water bottles,and cement blocks with the heavy calbers, from a safe distance. Then tell them to read Elmer. They will take to it like a fish to water. Trust me. My sons favorite book when he was in grade school was HIWT. Really opened eyes at a Christian School. But he is a very good reader now,and a law enforcement officer, expert with the pistol, as well as the ar15.

found a site  cheapestbooks.com. All of Elmers books for sale. Some at 25 dollars. They have access to all of them. Signed and unsigned.

My "kids" are grown and on their own now.  The oldest one does some super secret work with satellitesand predator drones out in Vegas.  Little brother is an Air Force C-130 pilot set to deploy to Afghanistan next month.

When they were little we spent as much time as we could in the woods, the creek, or anywhere outdoors. Lots of fishing, hunting, shooting.  Not too many their age have been coon hunting with hounds, that was probably their favorite of all of it. They tell coon hunting stories all the time. 

Now I have a couple of grandsons and a couple of grand daughters.  The boys and one of the girls all like to shoot.  I don't get to see them too often, they live in Kansas and we live in Texas.  But whenever they come for a visit I better be ready to go shooting, cause they are!  Luckily their daddy is a hunter and raises some fine bird dogs.  I'm sure they will get to do their share of quail and pheasant hunting.

This one is the Air Force pilot.

Me and my boys on a Christmas time Texas hog hunt.

This is my little grandson, making sure that hog doesn't get up. 

This one just wouldn't go down, and he wasn't coming near it until ....

His uncle shot it again ... grandson was actually behind me, who was behind the camera, when this pic was taken.  THEN, I took the picture above.

And he made a new buddy, Mr Joe, owner of the Langley Ranch

Thanks so much for sharing these pictures and memories with us.
I myself would think Elmer would be proud to see youngins' growing up shooting guns & hunting when its not as acceptable these days as it was many years ago!!!!
Great Job Sir!!!!!!
Chris O.

Lots of good photo, thanks for taking the time to navigate the image uploader and sharing!
--Al

Thank you for sharing this with us. And Welcome to the forum.

This thread is completely lost it's way. They were talking about the Book "Hell I Was There" Mine is dated 1979 came from Peterson Pub. I shows as revised addition. I my view The original !st addition was Tilted "Keith an Autobiography"Then revised as "Hell I Was There" As it came it had a sticker with Elmer's Signature. I took it to him in 1980 and he signed it in person. Maybe this will put some light on the matter?? Like to hear!!!

Bob D'Olivio donated one to the cause a while back, (along with the original safari cassettes) ended up in Will D's copy. Like to hear what Mr. Keith told you was the reason for the stickers rather then signing the books. Don't worry to much about threads loosing their way, they tend to find their way home eventually and I'd hate to discourage any one from posting, even if it's photos from a hog hunt under the "Hell I Was There" thread, ain't that busy around here anyway...
Welcome again to the forum and thanks for the contributions!
Al

The reason for the stickers, according to Mr. Keith was. Peterson wanted to market the first books from their CA. office so they had him sign 1000 stickers, rather than fly him to CA.. to sign books. That way they could say you were getting a signed copy. Whoa, was fishy and Keith thought so also. Best Chris

I ordered a copy of "Hell, I Was There" while stationed at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Received it in August 1979.  It has the signed sticker in it.  I also had purchased the first autobiography through 'Outdoor Life' book club.  "Hell, I Was There" is a whole lot better book.   Now, so many years later and over two years since anyone posted here, I'd like to say that sticker or not, Elmer's signature means a lot to me.  The fact that we all get to share his life through his writings is a treasure beyond value. 
In February 1984 I was on the phone with El Paso Saddlery ordering a holster, and I told the man I wanted it just like Elmer Keith's.  He assured me that he would build the holster exactly as I requested.  Then he gave me sad news, "You know, old Elmer passed away two weeks ago?"  It felt like I had lost an old friend or family member.  Still have the holster and the S&W Model 24, .44 Special it was made for.  And I still think of Elmer Keith every time I see or handle that .44.

Thanks for taking the time to sign up and post.

I realize this thread is three years old......My copy of HIWT was purchased and signed to me by Elmer on July 30, 1979 on a sticker. Stopped by and had him sign it in person again in 1980. There is no mention anywhere of second edition as this book was published in 1979, so first edition .So if yours says "this second edition" that is what it is. Of course everyone should realize that HIWT was 99%  the same as "Keith an Autobiography" printed in 1974. Comments please

I believe you are correct on that. I can't remember when I bought my copy, it was a used one but in pretty good shape. Glad to see someone still knows where this site is. Chris S

Haven't been here in a while and know that it's too late for a response.....what the heck. I found a used copy and it too had the signed sticker. I asked Elmer's son, Ted about it. He also said the same. It was a Petersen's request to have him sign and send em. He was not happy about it either. His autobiography was the first and HIWT was a "smoothed up" version. I also remember a second printing being advertised as I was in High school, about the time of Elmer's death. In the copies of HIWT, the spelling of names were changed or corrected. I'm speaking of the names of his friends (or enemies). This was helpful as I would find close to where Elmer lived by using the names of some of the people in an internet search. Yes, it's goofy but when your recovering from a surgery, you need to keep entertained.  I'm glad that people are still very interested in him as a human and for his accomplishments.

So copyright issues keep us from getting PDFs of HIWT, Sixguns, etc?

Ron, Can only tell you what I know here.  "Hell I Was There" book was replacing "Keith an Autobiography" and is oh so slightly different.  My copy says on the back dust jacket.....
"This revised edition of Elmer Keith's autobiography differs considerably from the original version. "( meaning Keith an Autobiography).

I ordered this book from Peterson Publishing Co. on the first announcement of it. They sent them out with the sticker of Keith's Signature. That's a sure way to tell it is a First addition of HIWT. You can see I got it July 30, 1979. Went to see Elmer in  Salmon on Aug 27, 1980 and had him sign it to me. Been there three tims and he was a Wonderful person.

Hope you find this of some interest. If interested you can call me for further info. 719-783-9526

Pistol-Pete aka Chris Ueberroth