The points of issue
Frost's first book, published in London in April 1913. About 1,000 sets of sheets were bound over roughly three decades in four variant bindings owing to the publisher's later bankruptcy. The genuine first issue is Binding A: the publisher's original bronzed brown pebble-grain cloth, bound by the Leighton-Straker Bindery, comprising no more than about 350 copies (perhaps as few as 284). Diagnostic points are the cloth and the stamping/decorative-device details. The dedication reads 'TO E.W.F.'
Is this the true first?
The UK David Nutt edition of 1913 is the true first edition worldwide; the US Henry Holt edition followed in 1915. The London bronzed-brown pebbled-cloth Binding A is the genuine first issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club. Distinguished from the 1915 Holt American edition by the London imprint and pebbled cloth; later Holt and anthology printings carry US imprints absent from 1913.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Boy's Will a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Frost's first book, published in London in April 1913. About 1,000 sets of sheets were bound over roughly three decades in four variant bindings owing to the publisher's later bankruptcy. The genuine first issue is Binding A: the publisher's original bronzed brown pebble-grain cloth, bound by the Leighton-Straker Bindery, comprising no more than about 350 copies (perhaps as few as 284). Diagnostic points are the cloth and the stamping/decorative-device details. The dedication reads 'TO E.W.F.'
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK David Nutt edition of 1913 is the true first edition worldwide; the US Henry Holt edition followed in 1915. The London bronzed-brown pebbled-cloth Binding A is the genuine first issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club. Distinguished from the 1915 Holt American edition by the London imprint and pebbled cloth; later Holt and anthology printings carry US imprints absent from 1913.
I have a first edition of A Boy's Will — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.