# Is "Across the River and Into the Trees" by Ernest Hemingway a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Across the River and Into the Trees by Ernest Hemingway (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1950) is identified by: First printing has the Scribner seal with the letter A on the copyright page. True US first edition; precedes the 1950 UK Cape edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the Scribner seal with the letter A on the copyright page
- Bound in black cloth stamped in gilt
- The earliest dust jacket has yellow (not orange) on the spine panel and bears the printed price
- Published September 7, 1950
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ernest Hemingway |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons, New York |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the Scribner seal with the letter A on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the Scribner seal with the letter A on the copyright page. Bound in black cloth stamped in gilt. The earliest dust jacket has yellow (not orange) on the spine panel and bears the printed price. Published September 7, 1950.

## Is this the true first?
True US first edition; precedes the 1950 UK Cape edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Watch for the Book-of-the-Month Club issue: it lacks the A and seal, has a blind-stamp on the rear board, and carries an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Across the River and Into the Trees* by Ernest Hemingway a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/across-the-river-and-into-the-trees
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.