# Is "An Omnibus of Short Stories" by James T. Farrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of An Omnibus of Short Stories by James T. Farrell (Vanguard Press, 1956) is identified by: First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1956. US first-thus (Vanguard, 1956); the individual stories appeared earlier in prior collections.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1956
- Omnibus gathering of previously published Farrell short stories (first-thus collection)
- Publisher imprint reads Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James T. Farrell |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1956 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1956. Omnibus gathering of previously published Farrell short stories (first-thus collection).

## Is this the true first?
US first-thus (Vanguard, 1956); the individual stories appeared earlier in prior collections.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings stated; the 1956 Vanguard hardcover is the first appearance of this omnibus gathering.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *An Omnibus of Short Stories* by James T. Farrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/an-omnibus-of-short-stories
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.