In this incredible coffee table book you learn about the life of Edgar Rice Burroughs and his creation of the endurable hero, Tarzan. The chapters are divided into discussions of each novel (with publication history) and movie (from the silent period until television) with background on Tarzan actors from Johnny Weissmuller to Gordon Scott, Ron Ely, and beyond. The tome also looks at the Tarzan comic strips and books. It is a huge, heavy volume, lavishly illustrated (with stills, background photos, paintings and comic art), with added sections on various aspects of the Tarzan mythos (such as one called "Dinosaurs in Africa?"). If the book has any flaw it is that it completely avoids any real discussion of native Black Africans in relation to Tarzan, a peculiar omission in this day and age as Tarzan -- a white man more powerful and heroic than the black natives -- is often seen as an inherently racist concept.
Verdict: The book for Tarzan enthusiasts. ***1/2.
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