I picked this up after reading Terry's post of a REH boardmember's review. The linework is much clearer than the Chronicles books and yes the covers are absolutely included. There's a foreword by Roy Thomas that may be recycled (though I'm not sure) and The book opens and flattens for reading just fine with a bookmark sewn in - am I the only one who hates these damn things? The overall package has encouraged me to order Volume 2 though the cover design sucks as the in laid sticker graphic on the cover is already trying to peel up in one corner. This is the first time I'm reading most of this material and though Thomas' foreword is a touch self-deprecating and oddly diparaging of Smith, it's easy to see why this material is held in the esteem it is.

*After everyone has read the foreword, I'm curious to see the reaction to Roy's choice of word.*