Mark Baker's "Sons of a Trackless Forest"

[ghostdncr]

I have been looking for a copy of "Sons of a Trackless Forest" for several years now, and I think about $650 is the cheapest I've seen asked for an example. That was quite some time ago, too.

Several weeks ago, I sent an email to Scurlock Publishing, who, as I understood, was the original publisher of this work. In this email, I questioned the possibility of a reprinting in the future or even the book's availability in a digital format.

I received a reply from Linda Scurlock yesterday and share the information here in case there are others thinking along these same lines, seeking an option beyond the current $1100 asking price for a copy. She advised that Scurlock Publishing has no rights of any kind to the book, so can make no claims as to when or if a second printing may occur. She did, however, say she understood Mark had been working on a revised edition for several years (which surely indicates a second printing lies somewhere down the road) but that she could offer no insight as to when this printing may actually occur.

Have you heard anything along these lines that my search hasn't revealed?

 

[BillinOregon]

J.: I, too, have heard Mark is working on a second edition. I hope he completes it soon.
I'm not about to put up the kind of cash the current edition is going for.
Six hundred bucks would change many lives for the better in the Third World, properly spent. Nor does Mark see a penny of that money; he only got a small share from the original publication.

 

[ghostdncr]

Nor does Mark see a penny of that money; he only got a small share from the original publication.

Excellent point, Bill. While I believe the book was originally written as some sort of post-graduate thesis, anyone capable of compiling a thousand pages of historical documentation and discussion should benefit from said work. At least I think so.

Ran across an original ad for the book in one of my old issues of Muzzleloader magazine the other day with a price of $54. Today, I would happily pay that just for a Kindle edition! I remember planning to send off for a copy just as soon as a little extra money got scraped together...

 

[Coot]

Mark and Wallace Gusler have both been working on new books for years - I will be happy when either comes out. Reference books in general seem to be rapidly climbing in price - I just got a copy of Ivey's book "Schools of North Carolina Longrifles". It was not inexpensive but I figure it will be sold out before any copies ever make it to a discount seller.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Best $100 I ever spent. There were 300 limited editions that were (1)signed by Mark Baker with a personalized message to you and (2)he wrote down the number yours was (mine is 66) and (3)he watercolored one picture in the book.

You had to act quick and send in $100 for one of these 300 limited editions.

Going price today for one like this is $1,200 and I've only seen one of these for sale. This was just yesterday, coincidentally before I came across this thread today. My wife told me to sell mine I told her NO WAY.

Just having the book for reading is such a pleasure I wouldn't sell it, it's written that well.

 

[ghostdncr]

Just having the book for reading is such a pleasure I wouldn't sell it, it's written that well.

Being from Kentucky, it seems this work would allow me a deeper understanding of the time period covered. Historical documentation from this period is scarce at best, and normally found in cryptic bits and pieces. Based on all I've read about the book, Baker has done a magnificent job of combining an enormous collection of these tidbits into a single, cohesive overview and that's why I'm so anxious to see a second printing and get my hands on a copy.

As age encroaches, I'm still amazed by the dark and lonely places remaining here in Kentucky. There are hills and hollers so remote as to allow one's getting beyond hearing of modern life, aside from the occasional aircraft passing overhead. Deep in these forgotten places, a man can still creep along with an eye peeled for both game and hostiles. He can still build a small fire beside a fallen tree, cook a simple meal, then lie down to sleep in his one blanket with no regard toward being discovered during the night. The rock houses are still where they were in the mid-18th century. The rivers' courses have changed little. It's easy to forget life in the settlements out there, but I'm always seeking new insight into the minds of those who first penetrated the Appalachian barrier.

I'm not one to get caught up in celebrity, but a signed copy with personal message AND a watercolored plate by the author? This is the first I've heard of such an edition and can't imagine it being something you would ever part with! A number of years ago, I acquired for my oldest daughter's Christmas present a signed, first edition copy of one of Stephen King's earlier works. It's rather amazing the difference a documented signature makes toward the monetary value of a book. Even more so the personal value, when the owner feels some special connection or is particularly drawn to the author's work.

 

[blackpowderscout]

...My wife told me to sell mine I told her NO WAY.

Just having the book for reading is such a pleasure I wouldn't sell it, it's written that well.

I agree 100%!!