The Book Hunter: Back of Beyond Books. A biblio heaven!

Earlier this week, when I had occasion to attend a meeting of conservation groups in Moab, I left a bit early so that I might make an opportunity to make a first time visit to Moab’s bookstore of renown, Back of Beyond Books. If you are an outdoorsy kind of bibliophile like me, you have to love that name! There are many places not far out of this incredible red rock tourist destination that truly are just that. The area has inspired many of our greatest Utah authors, not the least of which would include the irascible Edward Abbey and the eloquent Terry Tempest Williams.

Located on Moab’s main street in the heart of the old town shops, Back of Beyond has a great mixture of new and used books on the shelves. I headed straight for the natural history/nature/science section and found a great selection in that genera. And there in the stacks was a find! A first edition copy of Aldo Leopold’s classic Game Management! I first purchased this notable tome during my years as a struggling wildlife student in the mid 1970s. I still have that tattered paperback copy and noted in looking at it recently, that is sold for a whopping $5:95! A quick check on Amazon shows the same book in paperback is nearly $22. Guess between inflation and aging, that is how it is!

So wanting a hardbound copy of this timeless natural history, published in 1937 as the first comprehensive text on the emerging science of wildlife management, I clutched it while continuing to peruse the shelves. As I looked, I found a number of books already in my collection but nothing else there that I coveted.

I had opportunity to spend some time visiting with store owner Andy Nettell and it became quickly obvious that he is a very knowledgeable and passionate book seller. We spend a bit of time in his rare book section looking at a number of treasures. One that had caught my eye was a volume of Alexander Wilson’s American Ornithology. Wilson, American first true ornithologist published nine volumes of this first ever landscape level treatment of American birds between 1802 and his death in 1814. This particular volume had all of the artwork in black and white, unlike Wilson’s original effort which has colored plates from his talented hand. I drooled a bit over it and then it went back on the shelf. Ah to be rich!

The Rare Book section

We also looked at a very rare edition of one of Wallace Stegner’s harder to find books. Fire and Ice, a Stegner work of fiction, was his third book. I inherited a first edition and my research indicated that there was only a first edition and that it was never re-printed. But lo and behold, here was a second edition. Andy indicated that a second edition copy was very rare and this one, also being in very good condition and endorsed by the author, has a hefty price of $4,400. I think I’ll be sure to be kind to my copy, which while it is certainly not anywhere near that value, does list on the rare booksellers for a minimum of $400.

After leaving Back of Beyond, I cruised down the street about a block to visit their sister store, ABC and Beyond Books. This store has only used books and is located in the collection of small retail store in the Eddie McStiff Brewery center. The selection in the store is about equally divided between hardbound and paperback books. I hit the nature sections and found a good variety. One book which caught my eye (and ultimately my pocketbooks as well!) was entitled Faces of the Wilderness. I sometime collect books on wilderness but it was the listing on the front of the book author and who the forward was by that clinched the deal. The book was written by Harvey Broome. Those familiar with the wilderness movement in our country might recognize that name. Harvey Broome was one of eight men of great vision who gathered in 1935 to organize the Wilderness Society. He served on its governing council for over 20 years and was President of that organization in 1957. The forward was written by one of the most notable wilderness advocates in the 20^th century, Supreme Court of the United States Justice William O. Douglas, himself the author of three books on wilderness.

Back of Beyond Books is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABBA) and is an active buyer of fine used books as well as having an outstanding selection of used books in all generas. If you have a bit of time when visiting the glorious red rock country in this spectacular portion of southeast Utah, be sure to stop in. Introduce yourself to owner Andy Nettell and peruse the well stocked shelves for a biblio treasure. It will, I promise you, be a highlight in a location filled with many highlights.