Order of Elmer Kelton Books

Elmer Kelton (1926-2009) was an American writer known for his western fiction and journalism. He was recognized as the greatest western writer of all time by the Western Writers of America. Kelton authored the Texas Tradition and Texas Rangers series, with his novels primarily set in Texas, his home state. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. A recipient of the Spur Award eight times and the Western Heritage Award three times, Kelton passed away from natural causes in 2009 while working on a novel. He published his first book, Hot Iron, in 1955, and his last novel, Texas Standoff (part of the Texas Rangers series), was released in 2010. Below is a list of Elmer Kelton’s books in the order of their original release, as well as in chronological order when necessary.