Born April 29, 1926, in Andrews, TX; died August 22, 2009; son of R.W. (a cowman) and Beatrice Kelton; married Anna Lipp, July 3, 1947; children: Gary, Stephen, Kathryn. Education: University of Texas, B.A., 1948. Politics: "Very independent." Religion: Methodist. Military/Wartime Service: U.S. Army, Infantry, 1944-46; served in Europe.

FICTION

• Hot Iron, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1956.
• Buffalo Wagons, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1957.
• Barbed Wire (also see below), Ballantine (New York, NY), 1957.
• Shadow of a Star, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1959.
• The Texas Rifles, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1960.
• Donovan, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1961.
• Bitter Trail, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1962.
• Horsehead Crossing, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1963.
• Llano River (also see below), Ballantine (New York, NY), 1966.
• (Illustrator) Jerry Lackey, Papa Didn't Spare the Rod, Naylor Co., 1968.
• Captain's Rangers, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1969.
• (Under pseudonym Alex Hawk) Shotgun Settlement, Paperback Library (New York, NY), 1969.
• Hanging Judge, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1969, reprinted, G.K. Hall (Thorndike, ME), 1999.
• The Day the Cowboys Quit, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1971, revised edition, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1986, reprinted, G.K. Hall (Boston, MA), 1993.
• Wagontongue, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1972, reprinted, Thorndike Press (Thorndike, ME), 1998.
• The Time It Never Rained, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1973, revised edition, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1984, reprinted, G.K. Hall (Boston, MA), 1988.
• The Good Old Boys, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1978, revised edition, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1985, reprinted with a new introduction, and an afterword by Don Graham, Thorndike Press (Thorndike, ME), 1999.
• The Wolf and the Buffalo, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1980, revised edition, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1986, reprinted, G.K. Hall (Boston, MA), 1989.
• (Editor) Victor I. Pierce, Yesteryear in Ozona and Crockett County, Crockett County Historical Society (TX), 1980.
• Stand Proud: A Texas Saga, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1984, revised edition, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1990.
• Dark Thicket, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1985, reprinted with an afterword by Laurie Champion, G.K. Hall (Thorndike, ME), 1993, reprinted, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1999.
• There's Always another Chance, and Other Stories, edited by Lawrence Clayton, Fort Concho Museum Press, 1986.
• The Man Who Rode Midnight, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1987, revised edition, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1990.
• Honor at Daybreak: A Novel of Texas, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1991, reprinted with with an afterword by Joyce Gibson Roach, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 2002.
• Slaughter, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1992, reprinted, Thorndike Press (Thorndike, ME), 1995.
• The Big Brand, G.K. Hall (Boston, MA), 1992.
• Manhunters, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1994.
• The Far Canyon, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1994.
• The Pumpkin Rollers, Forge (New York, NY), 1996.
• Cloudy in the West, Wheeler (Rockland, MA), 1997.
• The Smiling Country, Forge (New York, NY) 1998, reprinted with an afterword by Ruth McAdams, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth), 2006.
• The Buckskin Line (also see below), Forge (New York, NY), 1999.
• Badger Boy (also see below), Forge (New York, NY), 2001.
• The Way of the Coyote (also see below), Forge (New York, NY), 2001.
• Ranger's Trail, Forge (New York, NY), 2002.
• Lone Star Rising: The Texas Rangers Trilogy (includes The Buckskin Line, Badger Boy, and The Way of the Coyote ), Forge (New York, NY), 2003.
• Texas Vendetta, Forge (New York, NY), 2004.
• Jericho's Road, Forge (New York, NY), 2004.
• Brush Country: Two Texas Novels (includes Barbed Wire and Llano River), Forge (New York, NY), 2005.
• Six Bits a Day, Forge (New York, NY), 2005.
• Ranger's Law: A Lone Star Saga, Forge (New York, NY), 2006.
• Texas Showdown: Two Texas Novels (includes Pecos Crossing and Shotgun), Forge (New York, NY), 2007.
• Hard Trail to Follow, Forge Books (New York, NY), 2008.
• Many a River, Forge Books (New York, NY), 2008.

• Massacre at Goliad, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1965.
• After the Bugles, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1967.
• Bowie's Mine, Ballantine (New York, NY), 1971.
• Long Way to Texas, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1976.

• Sons of Texas, Berkley Books (New York, NY), 1989, reprinted, Forge (New York, NY), 2005.
• The Danger, the Daring, Berkley (New York, NY), 1989.
• The Raiders, Berkley (New York, NY), 1989, reprinted as The Raiders: Sons of Texas, Forge (New York, NY), 2006.
• The Rebels, Berkley (New York, NY), 1990, reprinted as The Rebels: Sons of Texas, Forge (New York, NY), 2007.

• Joe Pepper, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1975.
• Eyes of the Hawk, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1981, reprinted, Thorndike Press (Thorndike, ME), 1998.

• Frank McCarthy: The Old West, Greenwich Press (New York, NY), 1981.
• The Art of Frank C. McCarthy, introduction by James K. Ballinger, Morrow (New York, NY), 1992.
• The Art of Howard Terpning, introduction by Darrell R. Kipp, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1992.
• The Art of James Bama, introduction by Peter H. Hassrick, Greenwich Workshop (Trumbull, CT), 1993.
• Elmer Kelton Country: The Short Nonfiction of a Texas Novelist, Texas Christian University Press (Fort Worth, TX), 1993.
• (Editor) The Indian in Frontier News, The Talley Press, 1993.
• My Kind of Heroes: Selected Speeches, State House Press (Austin, TX), 1995, 2nd edition, State House Press (Austin, TX), 2004.
• Texas Cattle Barons: Their Families, Land, and Legacy, foreword by Tommy Lee Jones, introduction and photography by Kathleen Jo Ryan, Ten Speed Press, 1999.
• Christmas at the Ranch (essays), illustrated by H.C. Zachry, foreword by Walt McDonald, McWhiney Foundation Press (Abilene, TX), 2003.
• Ranger's Trail (sound recording), Prince Frederick (Prince Frederick, MD), 2004.
• Sandhills Boy: The Winding Trail of a Texas Writer (memoir), Forge Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Contributor to books, including Texas, by Laurence Parent, Graphic Arts Center, 1995; Stories of the Golden West, edited by Jon Tuska, Five Star (Unity, ME), 2002; and The Funeral of Tanner Moody, Dorchester (New York, NY), 2004. Contributor of short stories to magazines and articles to farm periodicals.

Kelton's manuscript collection is maintained in the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University, Lubbock.