In a meteoric career that covered only a dozen years, Robert E. Howard defined the sword-and-sorcery genre. In doing so, he brought to life the archetypal adventurer known to millions around the world as Conan the barbarian.

Witness, then, Howard at his finest, and Conan at his most savage, in the latest volume featuring the collected works of Robert E. Howard, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Greg Manchess. Prepared directly from the earliest known versions - often Howard's own manuscripts - are such sword-and-sorcery classics as "The Servants of Bit-Yakin" (formerly published as "Jewels of Gwahlur"), "Beyond the Black River," "The Black Stranger," "The Man-Eaters of Zamboula" (formerly published as "Shadows in Zamboula"), and, perhaps his most famous adventure of all, "Red Nails."

The Conquering Sword of Conan includes never-before-published outlines, notes, and story drafts, plus a new introduction, personal correspondence, and the revealing essay "Hyborian Genesis" - which chronicles the history of the creation of the Conan series. Truly, this is heroic fantasy at its finest.

Contents:

• Foreword
• Introduction
• The Servants of Bit-Yakin (1935)
• Beyond the Black River (1935)
• The Black Stranger (1953)
• The Man-Eaters of Zamboula (1935)
• Red Nails (1936)
• Untitled Notes
• Wolves Beyond the Border, Draft A
• Wolves Beyond the Border, Draft B
• The Black Stranger, Synopsis A
• The Black Stranger, Synopsis B
• The Man-Eaters of Zamboula, Synopsis
• Red Nails, Draft
• Letter to P. Schuyler Miller
• Map of the Hyborian Age
• Hyborian Genesis Part III
• Notes on the Conan Typescripts and the Chronology
• Notes on the Original Howard Texts