i have the 1953 edition. it is awesome. the publisher, one Frank Van Eaton, writes his forward mostly about himself. only a tiny section in it one can find the authors name, for it isnt found on the cover, in the authors own introduction, or anywhere else. this is an idiosyncratic book to say the least. most of this is due to the fact the publisher, thankfully, keeps the original spelling and grammar errors, that is, stays as faithful as possible to original printing- unless it 'destroyed sense and meaning.' the colorful language and odd grammar is most of the fun. the random chapter breaks have almost no rhyme or reason. it was an adventure. i bet a recent edition wouldnt be as interesting. i was caught in another time when story exceeded formality. if the episodes related are exaggerated, biased, or true at all is not really the point of reading this book. its an experience rather than an historical document.