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Cover of Fists of Iron Round 1 - UE
Contains Robert E. Howard’s work
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Fists of Iron Round 1 - UE

REH Foundation Press

2025
Publication type
Collection
Edition format
EbookHardcoverPaperback

Publication date: May 2025

Series / set

Four-volume-set

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Introduction

The first volume in a four-part series collecting the boxing fiction of Robert E. Howard. This 474-page edition features stories, poems, fragments, and articles presented in restored and corrected form, based on Howard’s original typescripts, manuscripts, and carbons whenever possible. Most materials were sourced from the Glenn Lord collection (now at the University of Texas at Austin), the Robert E. Howard collection at Texas A&M University, and the Cross Plains Library archive.

This Ultimate Edition includes several textual updates and corrections from the original edition, such as the replacement of The Weeping Willow with a more accurate version based on Howard’s typescript. “Tunney Can’t Win” appears here for the first time in any edition of Fists of Iron. Some poetry titles have also been updated to match their standardized forms in the Collected Poetry volumes. The introduction is by Christopher Gruber, with cover art by Mark Wheatley.

The First edition is limited to 200 numbered copies, each individually numbered.


Contents

  • iii • Acknowledgments
  • ix • The Brute Eternal: The Boxing Tales of Robert E. Howard • essay by Christopher Gruber
Fists of Iron Poems
  • 191 • Kid Lavigne is Dead • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 193 • "Aw Come On and Fight!" • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 194 • The Cooling of Spike McRue • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 196 • Fables for Little Folks • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 197 • The Champ • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 198 • Slugger's Wow • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 199 • "And Dempsey Climbed Into the Ring" • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 200 • In the Ring • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 202 • Fighting the Anaconda Kid • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 204 • Down the Ages • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 205 • John L. Sullivan • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 207 • Jack Dempsey • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 208 • "The Duckers of Crosses" • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 209 • "All the Crowd" • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 210 • When You Were a Set-Up and I Was a Ham • poem by Robert E. Howard
Appendix 1: Early tales, variants and fragments Appendix 2: Articles Appendix 3: Odds and Ends Appendix 4:
  • 437 • The Lord of the Ring (part 1) • essay by Patrice Louinet

Notes

All of the Howard stories, poems and portions thereof contained in Fists of Iron Volume 1 come from Howard’s original typescripts, manuscripts, and carbons, when possible. Virtually all of the typescripts were scanned from the Glenn Lord collection, now at the University of Texas, Austin; the Robert E. Howard collection at Texas A&M University; or the typescript collection at Cross Plains Library.
The exceptions are: “Kid Lavigne is Dead,” from The Ring; “Fables for Little Folks,” from the Daniel Baker Collegian; “In the Ring,” a mix of original typescript and REH Fight Magazine #4; “A Man of Peace,” a mix of original typescript and  Glenn retype; “Cupid v. Pollux,” from The Yellow Jacket; “The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux,  alternate version”, from Ghost Stories; “Night Encounter”, from a mix of original typescript and Glenn retype; “Dula Due to be Champion,” from the Brownwood Bulletin; “Tunney Can’t Win,“ from the Fort Worth Star Telegram; and, “The Funniest Bout,” from a mix of original typescript and Glenn retype.
CHANGES FROM THE FIRST EDITION:
“The Weeping Willow,” text changed from The Last of the Trunk in the first edition, now using original typescript
“Tunney Can’t Win“ is NEW in this edition.
Some of the poetry titles have been updated to reflect their standardized versions in the Collected Poetry volumes.
 

Edition and production details

Language
English
Format details
Hardcover; Trade paperback
Edition
2.0 - Ultimate Edition
Edition format
Hardcover with dust jacket
Publication date
May 2025
Pages
xxiii plus 450
Publisher / imprint
The REH Foundation Press
Cover art
Mark Wheatley
Illustrations
None
Media details
Collection - 4 volume set

53 linked Howard works

50 Howard works in this publication

106 contents entries

  1. "The Brute Eternal" by Christopher Gruber ( Introduction)
  2. Fists of Iron
  3. "The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux"
  4. "Double Cross"
  5. "The Weeping Willow"
  6. "The Right Hook"
  7. "The Voice of Doom"
  8. "Crowd-Horror"
  9. "Iron Men"
  10. "The Mark of a Bloody Hand"
  11. "They Always Come Back"
  12. "The Trail of the Snake"
  13. Poems
  14. "Kid Lavigne is Dead" (poem)
  15. "Aw Come on and Fight!" (poem)
  16. "The Cooling of Spike McRue" (poem)
  17. "Fables for Little Folks" (poem)
  18. "The Champ" (poem)
  19. "Slugger’s Vow" (poem)
  20. "And Dempsey Climbed Into the Ring" (poem)
  21. "In the Ring" (poem)
  22. "Fighting the Anaconda Kid" (poem)
  23. "Down the Ages" (poem)
  24. "John L. Sullivan" (poem)
  25. "Jack Dempsey" (poem)
  26. "The Duckers of Crosses" (poem)
  27. "All the Crowd" (poem)
  28. "When you Were a Set-up and I Was a Ham" (poem)
  29. Appendix 1: early tales, variants and fragments
  30. "The Spirit of Brian Boru"
  31. "A Man of Peace" (originally untitled )
  32. "The Atavist" (unfinished, originally untitled)
  33. "Cupid vs. Pollux"
  34. "The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux" (alternate published version)
  35. "Untitled ("I had just hung ...") (fragment)
  36. "The Ferocious Ape" (incomplete, originally untitled )
  37. Untitled ("Spike Morissey …") (fragment)
  38. Untitled ("The tale has always been …") (fragment)
  39. "The Ghost Behind the Gloves" ( unfinished )
  40. "Lobo Volante" ( unfinished fragment , originally untitled )
  41. "Night Encounter" ( incomplete, originally untitled )
  42. "The Folly of Conceit" ( unfinished , originally untitled )
  43. "Iron Men" (first version)
  44. Appendix 2: Articles
  45. "Dula Due to be Champion"
  46. To The Fort Worth Record, ca. July 1928, "Tunney can’t win …" (as "Tunney Can't Win" )
  47. "The Punch"
  48. "Men of Iron" ( unfinished , originally untitled )
  49. Appendix 3: Odds and Ends
  50. Untitled ("The round started slow …") (incomplete )
  51. "Jeffries Versus Dempsey" ( originally untitled, imaginary Jeffries-Dempsey fight )
  52. "Misto Dempsey" ( originally untitled )
  53. "The Funniest Bout"
  54. Boxing material from Howard’s self-published The Right Hook (3 issues, 1925) "The Great Munney Ring" "Sporting Page" Untitled ("Munn! Munn! Munn! …") Untitled ("I progress slowly …") Untitled ("I like John L. Sullivan") "Ringside Tales"
  55. Appendix 4: "The Lord of the Ring" (part 1), by Patrice Louinet
  56. Acknowledgments iii
  57. The Brute Eternal: The Boxing Tales of Robert E. Howard • essay by Christopher Gruber ix · essay
  58. The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux • short story by Robert E. Howard 3 · story
  59. Double Cross • [Ace Jessel] • short story by Robert E. Howard 17 · story
  60. The Weeping Willow • short story by Robert E. Howard 35 · story
  61. The Right Hook • short story by Robert E. Howard 41 · story
  62. The Voice of Doom • short story by Robert E. Howard 57 · story
  63. Crowd Horror • short story by Robert E. Howard 63 · story
  64. Iron Men • novella by Robert E. Howard 99 · novelette
  65. The Mark of a Bloody Hand • short story by Robert E. Howard 137 · story
  66. They Always Come Back • short story by Robert E. Howard 145 · story
  67. The Trail of the Snake • short story by Robert E. Howard 169 · story
  68. Kid Lavigne is Dead • poem by Robert E. Howard 191 · poem
  69. "Aw Come On and Fight!" • poem by Robert E. Howard 193 · poem
  70. The Cooling of Spike McRue • poem by Robert E. Howard 194 · poem
  71. Fables for Little Folks • poem by Robert E. Howard 196 · poem
  72. The Champ • poem by Robert E. Howard 197 · poem
  73. Slugger's Wow • poem by Robert E. Howard 198 · poem
  74. "And Dempsey Climbed Into the Ring" • poem by Robert E. Howard 199 · poem
  75. In the Ring • poem by Robert E. Howard 200 · poem
  76. Fighting the Anaconda Kid • poem by Robert E. Howard 202 · poem
  77. Down the Ages • poem by Robert E. Howard 204 · poem
  78. John L. Sullivan • poem by Robert E. Howard 205 · poem
  79. Jack Dempsey • poem by Robert E. Howard 207 · poem
  80. "The Duckers of Crosses" • poem by Robert E. Howard 208 · poem
  81. "All the Crowd" • poem by Robert E. Howard 209 · poem
  82. When You Were a Set-Up and I Was a Ham • poem by Robert E. Howard 210 · poem
  83. The Spirit of Brian Boru • short story by Robert E. Howard 215 · story
  84. A Man of Peace • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 221 · story
  85. The Atavist • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 247 · story
  86. Cupid vs. Pollux • short story by Robert E. Howard 261 · story
  87. The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux (alternate version) • short story by Robert E. Howard 265 · story
  88. Untitled fragment ("I had just hung...") • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 279 · story
  89. The Ferocious Ape • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 283 · story
  90. Untitled fragment ("Spike Morissey...") • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 291 · story
  91. Untitled fragment ("The tale has always been...") • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 293 · story
  92. The Ghost Behind the Gloves • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 295 · story
  93. Lobo Volante • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 299 · story
  94. Night Encounter • short story by Robert E. Howard 301 · story
  95. The Folly of Conceit • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 315 · story
  96. Iron Men (first version) • novella by Robert E. Howard 333 · novelette
  97. Dula Due to Be Champion • essay by Robert E. Howard 397 · essay
  98. "Tunney can’t win" • article by Robert E. Howard 399 · essay
  99. The Punch • essay by Robert E. Howard 401 · essay
  100. Men of Iron • essay by Robert E. Howard 405 · essay
  101. Untitled ("The round started slow...") • short fiction by Robert E. Howard 411 · story
  102. Jeffries Versus Dempsey • short story by Robert E. Howard 415 · story
  103. Misto Dempsey • short story by Robert E. Howard 419 · story
  104. The Funniest Bout • short story by Robert E. Howard 423 · story
  105. The Right Hook • self-published material by Robert E. Howard 425
  106. The Lord of the Ring (part 1) • essay by Patrice Louinet 437 · essay

Contributors

Mark Wheatley
Cover artist
Christopher Gruber
Introduction author, Essayist

Additional related terms

Preserved from the former REH World tagging system; these terms have not yet been assigned as contributors, characters or subjects.

Chris GruberPaul HermanStåle Gismervik
Source provenance

This public record has been reviewed and combined by REH World. The preserved bibliographic source and earlier editorial layers remain stored internally for reference and future correction.