Documentaries, Film & Video

Tenth Legion: Bootleg Revival

Introducing a special edition of Tenth Legion — the Bootleg Revival Named for an incident involving a devoted Louisiana sportsman who, in the book’s earliest days, quietly made bootleg copies of Tenth Legion to share with friends, this edition celebrates a moment that could have ended in a lawsuit — but instead sparked an extraordinary partnership that gave the book new life. The full story is told inside this faithful recreation of the original 1974 cover, complete with the character and quirks that made it legendary. • Learn more about this special edition  →

The Season

30th Anniversary Edition! This is Tom Kelly’s fourth book and a true classic. It chronicles his unforgettable 1995 spring turkey season from start to finish.   Kirkus Reviews originally described The Season as, “A genuine love song to outdoorsmanship as sharp-eyed, bawdy, and unbridled as a gobbler in full strut.”

The Boat

Almost every man, at least once in his life, entertains the notion that he ought to build a wooden boat. Tom Kelly actually did. The Boat chronicles the story of a handmade boat built to enable Tom’s hunting pursuits. It follows the memorable characters who crossed paths with Tom during its lifetime: his future father-in-law, who helped procure the lumber; "The Legend," a master woodworker Tom knew at Scott Paper; and his eccentric Uncle Elmer from New Orleans. It's a story of hunting, craftsmanship, friendship and family…told with the humor and unmistakable voice that make a Tom Kelly story a Tom Kelly story. For readers who know Tom primarily through his turkey hunting books, The Boat is a chance to venture a little farther afield and enjoy another side.

Dealer’s Choice

Tom’s second book and one of his most popular after the “Bible of turkey hunting”, Tenth Legion. Delightfully funny and always instructive, this book is an iconic installment in the Kelly legacy of turkey hunting writing. Cover art by Tom’s grandson, John, painted when he was in 7th grade. The turkey portrait was given to Tom for his birthday and now hangs in his home.

The T. H. Kelly Handbook

Tom wrote this book in the 1980’s to give his 600-man Scott Paper woodlands staff a sense of commonality. The book is written for young first-line supervisors—those people who have just entered the corporate world. It is a common-sense guide to being a productive member of any organization. Buy it for your company and see the results immediately. Copyright Tom Kelly 1985

Better on a Rising Tide | Paperback

Better on a Rising Tide is Tom Kelly’s third book containing 22 memorable stories previously featured in Field & Stream and Outdoor Life. Colonel Kelly writes about wild turkey hunting and Southern states including social life and customs. He also writes about the Southern timber industry that he was an integral part of for more than 50 years. Tom notes, “Chapter 20, The Turning, is the only wedding Field & Stream ever covered.”

No Place to Hide

Tom Kelly gives us more 9 more chapters, continuing the themes of his previous 21 books. In this collection Tom explores the future of the Wild Turkey, the Hunt and the Habitat, which means the timber industry to Tom. Here is what Tom has to say, ” The mechanics of the turkey’s demise, the tactics used to bring him to bag, the actions of the turkey and the hunter while in the process of the hunt, all come from a single source, the hunter.” Copyright Tom Kelly Inc. 2015

The Best of Tom Kelly Volume II

The success of The Best of Tom Kelly Volume I led us to create a second volume. Tom continued to write of course, and we found an additional 29 chapters of wild turkey essays. This Volume II was published in 2017 and is available in hardcover and e-book.  All of the stories in both Best of Tom Kelly volumes are about turkeys, turkey hunting and turkey hunters. Copyright Tom Kelly Inc. 2017

Faces in the Crowd [Now in Stock]

Now in Stock: This new hardcover edition of Faces in the Crowd is now available.  New hardcover edition of a favored classic featuring the touching story “An Afternoon on the Handles” about Tom’s dearly departed best turkey hunting friend, Jim Andrews. As Jim Casada wrote about this book, "Faces in the Crowd, is vintage Kelly in every sense. Irresistibly irreverent, tinged with touching turns of phrase, and evocative of the sport’s deepest meanings. If the story, 'An Afternoon on the Handles’ doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart and make your hair stand on end, then I recommend that you hasten to make an appointment with a psychiatrist. The story is a true classic, one destined to take its place among the finest pieces ever written on the sport.” Cover photograph courtesy of Westervelt Lodge archives.

Ol' Tom & Laura - Signature Edition

This edition is signed by both Colonel Tom Kelly and his daughter Laura A loving collection of essays that concern the raising a daughter in the Alabama woods— teaching and enjoying a special father-daughter relationship. (Stories from several  previous published Tom Kelly classics.) This book of Tom and Laura stories is a gift to dads and moms who have had the delight to raise their children in the outdoors. If you are lucky enough to have girl children, this book will bring tears to your eyes. Tom says this about Laura, “To put it in the vernacular of the upper Gulf Coast, “That there is one good kid.” There is a quotation from a play written by Mrs. Mary Shakespeare’s third child Billy, that covers the matter adequately: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale, her infinite variety.” Copyright Tom Kelly Inc. 2008