The points of issue
Blue/blue-green cloth with silver lettering and decoration on the front board and spine; illustrated in black and white by Charles W. Schwartz; first-issue dust jacket priced 3.50 on the front flap; the dust-jacket flaps have NO mention of 'Round River,' which confirms the first printing.
Is this the true first?
True first US edition, published in the fall of 1949, posthumously (Leopold died in 1948). The conservation classic that introduced the 'land ethic.' No earlier edition exists.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Oxford printings and the Sierra Club/Ballantine paperbacks are reprints; a 'Round River' reference on the jacket flap, or later combined editions, indicate a later state, not the first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Blue/blue-green cloth with silver lettering and decoration on the front board and spine; illustrated in black and white by Charles W. Schwartz; first-issue dust jacket priced 3.50 on the front flap; the dust-jacket flaps have NO mention of 'Round River,' which confirms the first printing.
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. True first US edition, published in the fall of 1949, posthumously (Leopold died in 1948). The conservation classic that introduced the 'land ethic.' No earlier edition exists.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Oxford printings and the Sierra Club/Ballantine paperbacks are reprints; a 'Round River' reference on the jacket flap, or later combined editions, indicate a later state, not the first printing.
I have a first edition of A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There — 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.