The world famous protagonist in Tarzan books is John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, whose aristocratic parents, John Clayton II and his wife Lady Alice, are abandoned on the west coast of equatorial Africa by mutinous sailors. Lady Alice dies insane and his father is killed by a great ape named Kerchak. Tarzan is found and raised by a kindly she-ape, Kala, and eventually grows into a leader of the hairy tribe due to his intelligence and fighting skills. In the jungle Tarzan teaches himself to read after discovering the books of his father in the remnants of his parents cabin.

Another party of whites is marooned on the same shore as Tarzan's cabin - Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, his daughter Jane, and his valet Mr. Samuel T. Philander from Baltimore along with William Cecil Clayton, the present Lord Greystoke. During the tale, Tarzan finds love, becomes a hero, and finds his aristocratic roots. Tarzan falls in love with Jane Porter, but in Tarzan of the Apes, Jane rejects his offer of marriage and accepts the proposal of Clayton. Tarzan then denies his true birthright as Lord Greystoke so Jane can be happy with William Clayton.

Eventually Jane Porter does becomes Tarzan's wife and he claims his birthright as Lord Greystoke(Return of Tarzan), and they also have a son (Beasts of Tarzan). With the help of animals - mostly elephants and apes - Tarzan gains the unofficial status of the Lord of the Jungle.

Tarzan goes on to become a quiet philosopher, master linguist, and an accomplished aviator. After the First World War Tarzan spends many years wandering and exploring the jungles of Africa becoming involved with lost races, hidden cultures, and even undertaking a perilous journey to the Earth's Core. During his wandering years, Tarzan eventually gains immortality through an African shaman's secret formula. Throughout all his adventures Tarzan remains always faithful to his wife and never shows any inclination of taking more than ones share of fortunes during his adventures. Tarzan's last doccumented adventure occured on the island of Sumatra during World War II. During his long and distiguished career in the jungle, Tarzan has battled against the Germans, the Japanese, and even communists.

Burroughs wrote the first Tarzan story in 1912. He published the first Tarzan book, Tarzan of the Apes, in 1914. Burroughs wrote more than 70 books, including 26 about Tarzan. Burroughs' works have sold more than 36 million copies and have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Tarzan has been featured not only in novels but also in numerous motion pictures, a radio serial, a television series, a comic strip, a Saturday morning cartoon show, and most recently adapted into a full length Disney cartoon feature. But the most interesting and complex Tarzan is the Tarzan originally created by Burroughs. This is the Tarzan of the novels -- John Clayton, Lord Greystoke -- otherwise known as The Lord of the Jungle, Tarzan of the Apes.