James T. Farrell First Editions

• Young Lonigan: A Boyhood in Chicago Streets — 1932 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing in brown woven cloth with pale orange paper labels, xii plus 308 pages. Farrell's first novel; reportedly only about 533 copies sold, making it scarce. No later-printing statement on the copyright page. US first edition; first volume of the Studs Lonigan trilogy. Later printings and the collected omnibus follow; reprints are stated on the copyright page.
• Gas-House McGinty — 1933 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1933, Farrell's second novel, with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Octavo in the publisher's original cloth, issued in the original pictorial dust jacket; an unrestored example should retain the printed price on the jacket. US first edition. Later printings are stated on the copyright page.
• Calico Shoes and Other Stories — 1934 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1934, 303 pages. Farrell's first story collection, with sixteen stories set on the South Side of Chicago. The dust jacket front flap carries a note cautioning collectors not to overlook the title. US first edition. The collection was later reissued in Britain under the title Seventeen and Other Stories. Later printings are stated on the copyright page.
• The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan — 1934 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1934, the second volume of the Studs Lonigan trilogy. The copyright page carries no later-printing statement; later printings are stated there. Copies of this Vanguard issue characteristically have the top edge (all edges on some copies) stained a light red by the publisher, a period Vanguard trait, and were issued in publisher's cloth with a dust jacket. US first edition; the second of the trilogy, published between Young Lonigan (1932) and Judgment Day (1935). No prior UK edition; the Vanguard 1934 printing is the genuine first. Later printings are stated on the copyright page. Confirm the first by the absence of any later-printing statement together with the Vanguard 1934 imprint.
• Guillotine Party and Other Stories — 1935 · The Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1935; a collection of nineteen short stories, roughly 305 pages. Issued in green cloth-covered boards with beige paper labels edged in red on the spine and front cover; the copyright page carries acknowledgment notices citing the periodical sources and dates (1930-1935) of the individual stories. The scarce first-issue dust jacket is pale pea-green with…. US first edition (Vanguard Press, 1935). This is the true first. Later printings carry printing statements not present on the first; the first shows no additional printing line on the copyright page.
• Judgment Day — 1935 · The Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1935; the concluding volume of the Studs Lonigan trilogy. The first state is identifiable by the misprint 'thay' for 'they' on page 218. US first edition (Vanguard Press, 1935). This Vanguard issue is the true first. Later printings carry printing statements not present on the first. The one-volume Studs Lonigan trilogy omnibus also appeared in 1935 and is a separate, later setting, not the first appearance of this text.
• A Note on Literary Criticism — 1936 · The Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1936; a volume of literary-critical essays defending Marxist literary criticism, issued in cloth with a printed dust jacket. A pre-publication state also exists as unbound (sewn) advance signatures preceding the bound trade issue. US first edition (Vanguard Press, 1936). This is the true first. An advance state of unbound sewn signatures is recorded, preceding the finished bound copies. Later printings carry printing statements not present on the first.
• A World I Never Made — 1936 · The Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1936; cloth-bound, roughly 508 pages. The first novel of the Danny O'Neill / O'Neill-O'Flaherty pentalogy, continuing the character introduced in the Studs Lonigan trilogy. The scarce first-state dust jacket, when present, should be unclipped with its printed price intact. US first edition (Vanguard Press, 1936) is the true first. The title drew a well-publicized New York obscenity prosecution shortly after publication, from which Farrell was acquitted; that notoriety helped make it the best-selling volume of the sequence. Later printings carry printing statements not present on the first; the 1936 Vanguard sheets show no such statement.
• Can All This Grandeur Perish? and Other Stories — 1937 · The Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1937; a collection of seventeen short stories previously published in magazines. US first edition (Vanguard Press, 1937). This is the true first. Later printings carry printing statements not present on the first.
• Tommy Gallagher's Crusade — 1939 · The Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1939; a short antifascist novel of ninety-one pages in an octavo format, bound in original tan cloth. Issued in a printed dust jacket that on a first-issue copy retains its original price. US first edition (Vanguard Press, 1939). This is the true first. Later printings carry printing statements not present on the first.
• Father and Son — 1940 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing has no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. Vanguard typically named subsequent printings; absence of any such statement indicates the first. Third novel in Farrell's Danny O'Neill pentalogy. US first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1940. Later printings are stated as such on the copyright page; the first carries no later-printing notice.
• Ellen Rogers — 1941 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page. A standalone novel of about 429 pages. US first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1941. Later printings are stated as such; the first has no later-printing notice.
• $1000 a Week and Other Stories — 1942 · The Vanguard PressUS first edition, a short-story collection, bound in blue cloth boards with a JF (James Farrell) monogram stamped in black. The first printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page. US first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1942. Later printings are stated as such; the first has no later-printing notice.
• My Days of Anger — 1943 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Bound in publisher's brown cloth, stamped in black on spine and front cover, and issued in a printed dust jacket whose front flap bears the original price (present but never a number to rely on beyond its presence). Fourth novel in Farrell's Danny O'Neill pentalogy. US first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1943. Later printings are stated as such; the first has no later-printing notice on the copyright page.
• To Whom It May Concern and Other Stories — 1944 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page. A short-story collection. US first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1944. Later printings are stated as such; the first has no later-printing notice.
• The League of Frightened Philistines — 1945 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page. A collection of essays and papers; the full title on the title page is The League of Frightened Philistines and Other Papers, collation roughly xiv, 210 pages. US first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1945. Later printings are stated as such; the first has no later-printing notice.
• Bernard Clare — 1946 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing, in pictorial dust jacket. First issue lacks the tipped-in disclaimer slip later inserted at the dedication leaf; copies with that slip tipped in represent a later state. First book of the Bernard Carr trilogy; because a living person named Bernard Clare objected to the name, the protagonist and series were subsequently renamed Bernard Carr in later printings and the two sequels. US first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1946. Vanguard indicated subsequent printings on the copyright page; a true first printing carries no later-printing notice.
• Literature and Morality — 1947 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing; collection of critical essays. US first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1947. Vanguard indicated subsequent printings on the copyright page; a true first printing carries no later-printing notice.
• The Life Adventurous and Other Stories — 1947 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing; short-story collection. US first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1947. Vanguard indicated subsequent printings on the copyright page; a true first printing carries no later-printing notice.
• The Road Between — 1949 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing, 1949; the second novel of the Bernard Carr trilogy (following Bernard Clare). Octavo, 463 pages. Bound in light orange boards lettered in black on the spine and front, with the top edge of the text block dyed black. Issued in a pictorial dust jacket printed in white, red, and gray with black lettering; a first-issue jacket should retain the original printed price on the front flap. US first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1949. No British precedence issue; the Vanguard printing is the true first. Vanguard indicated subsequent printings on the copyright page; a true first printing carries no later-printing notice. Later reprints and any book-club issue differ in binding and jacket and lack the priced first-state jacket.
• An American Dream Girl — 1950 · The Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing of this short-story collection; the title page reads An American Dream Girl and Other Stories, gathering roughly twenty-one stories. Issued in cloth with the original pictorial dust jacket, which should retain the printed price. US first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1950. A second printing of the first edition exists; Vanguard indicated later printings on the copyright page, so a true first printing carries no later-printing notice.
• Yet Other Waters — 1952 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing of the third and final novel of the Bernard Carr trilogy. Octavo, 319 pages, issued in green cloth by Vanguard. Confirm the first printing by the absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page. US first edition, published by The Vanguard Press, New York, 1952. Vanguard, a New York house, issued no simultaneous or preceding edition elsewhere, so the 1952 Vanguard printing is the true first. Vanguard indicated subsequent printings on the copyright page; a true first printing carries no later-printing notice.
• The Face of Time — 1953 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1953. The fifth and final volume of Farrell's O'Neill-O'Flaherty pentalogy (the Danny O'Neill series). Later printings and the University of Illinois Press reissue are clearly distinguishable. US first edition (Vanguard, 1953). Later printings and modern reprints (University of Illinois Press) are identified as such; the Vanguard 1953 hardcover is the true first.
• Reflections at Fifty and Other Essays — 1954 · Vanguard PressFirst printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1954. Collection of personal and critical essays. US first edition (Vanguard, 1954). The Neville Spearman London edition (1956) is the first English edition, not the true first. Later printings stated as such; the 1954 Vanguard hardcover is the true first.
• French Girls Are Vicious and Other Stories — 1955 · The Vanguard PressFirst printing, The Vanguard Press, New York, 1955; octavo, 177 pages. Story collection of nine stories (several previously appearing in magazines, all first collected in this hardcover). The dust jacket should carry the original printed retail price on the flap; an unclipped flap is the preferred state. US first edition (Vanguard, 1955). Later printings are stated as such; the 1955 Vanguard hardcover with no additional printing statement is the true first.
• An Omnibus of Short Stories — 1956 · Vanguard PressFirst printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1956. Omnibus gathering of previously published Farrell short stories (first-thus collection). US first-thus (Vanguard, 1956); the individual stories appeared earlier in prior collections. Later printings stated; the 1956 Vanguard hardcover is the first appearance of this omnibus gathering.
• A Dangerous Woman and Other Stories — 1957 · Vanguard PressFirst edition, first printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1957, in dust jacket. Octavo (8vo) story collection of approximately 160 pages. As with Vanguard's practice, the first printing carries the Vanguard Press imprint on the title page and copyright page with no statement of a later printing; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (present, not clipped, on an unclipped copy).…. US first edition (Vanguard, New York, 1957) is the true first. The Signet paperback (S1457) is a later mass-market reprint, not the first. Later printings and the Signet S1457 paperback reprint exist; the 1957 Vanguard octavo hardcover in its unclipped pictorial dust jacket is the true first.
• My Baseball Diary — 1957 · A.S. BarnesFirst printing, A.S. Barnes, New York, 1957, with 1957 on the verso of the title page. Baseball memoir, approximately 276 pages. First of two baseball books Farrell contracted to write for A.S. Barnes. US first edition (A.S. Barnes, New York, 1957). A simultaneous Canadian issue was published the same day; the US issue is catalogued as the true first. Later printings and the modern Southern Illinois University Press reissue (Writing Baseball series) are identified as such; the 1957 A.S. Barnes hardcover is the true first.
• The Girls at the Sphinx — 1959 · Vanguard PressFirst printing of this story collection by Vanguard Press. Vanguard first editions carry no number line; the true first lacks any later-printing notation on the copyright page. US first (Vanguard Press, New York). Vanguard did not print a 'first edition' statement on its trade firsts. Later printings are identified by added printing notations on the copyright page rather than by the absence of a statement.
• Boarding House Blues — 1961 · Paperback LibraryPaperback original, Paperback Library, 1961, in pictorial wraps with catalog designation S103; the S103 number appears on the front cover and spine. No hardcover edition precedes it, so this printing is the first appearance of the text in book form. US first, issued as a paperback original by Paperback Library in 1961 with catalog number S103; there is no earlier hardcover edition. Identify the true first by the Paperback Library S103 catalog designation and the absence of later-printing notations; subsequent printings update the catalog/price line.
• The Silence of History — 1963 · Doubleday & Company'First Edition' stated on the copyright page per Doubleday convention. Collates 372 pages, bound in blue cloth over boards and issued in a printed dust jacket bearing the original price on the front flap (present, not price-clipped). First volume of Farrell's late 'A Universe of Time' sequence. US first (Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York). Later printings omit the 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page.
• What Time Collects — 1964 · Doubleday & Company'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, per the standard Doubleday convention. The first edition is bound in red (brick-red) linen cloth with gilt lettering to the spine and runs to 421 pages, issued in an illustrated pictorial dust jacket that carries the publisher's printed price on the flap. US first, published by Doubleday & Company at Garden City, New York, in 1964. Later printings drop the 'First Edition' statement from the copyright page; a first printing retains that statement and matches the red linen binding and 421-page collation.
• Lonely for the Future — 1966 · Doubleday & Company'First Edition' stated on the copyright page, following the standard Doubleday convention of the period. The first edition is bound in black cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, and runs to 263 pages. The pictorial dust jacket, printed predominantly in black, carries the publisher's printed price on the front flap; a first-issue jacket should retain that printed price rather than being clipped. US first, published by Doubleday & Company at Garden City, New York, in 1966. Later Doubleday printings omit the explicit 'First Edition' statement from the copyright page; the presence of that statement, together with the black cloth and 263-page collation, marks the first printing.
• When Time Was Born — 1966 · The Smith / Horizon PressFirst edition, a prose-poem rendering of the opening chapters of Genesis, illustrated by Stephen Dwoskin. Issued by The Smith in arrangement with Horizon Press as a limited edition of 500 copies (plus a trade issue). US first (New York, 1966). No later printings of consequence; identify the first by the 1966 The Smith / Horizon Press imprint and the limited-edition limitation statement of 500 copies.
• A Brand New Life — 1968 · Doubleday & Company"First Edition" stated on the copyright page of the Doubleday & Company printing. Issued in original red cloth with the spine titling stamped in black over grey endpapers, collating to 371, [372] pages. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. US first edition; part of Farrell's later 'A Universe of Time' sequence. Later printings drop the "First Edition" statement.
• Judith and Other Stories — 1973 · Doubleday & Company"First Edition" stated on the copyright page, the standard Doubleday first-printing statement for this period; a short-story collection of 363 pages issued at Garden City in original rust-colored cloth. A first-issue copy carries no book-club blindstamp on the rear board and no remainder mark; the dust jacket should retain its printed price. US first edition. Later printings drop the "First Edition" statement. Book-club issues, which lack the statement and typically bear a rear-board blindstamp, are distinct from the trade first.
• The Dunne Family — 1976 · Doubleday & Company"First Edition" stated on the copyright page (beneath the copyright notice, on the verso of the title leaf), Doubleday & Company, 1976, 326 pages, ISBN 0-385-11263-7. Consistent with Doubleday's practice of the period, a first printing also carries the publisher's gutter/anchor code at the foot of the last page of text; the printed dust jacket on a first state should retain its original printed price. US first edition, Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1976. Doubleday drops the "First Edition" statement on later printings; book-club issues of this period typically lack the stated "First Edition", are printed on lighter bulking paper, and carry a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board with no printed price present on the jacket.
• The Death of Nora Ryan — 1978 · Doubleday & CompanyDoubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1978; a late Farrell novel of 402 pages in an illustrated pictorial dust jacket. On the copyright page the words "First Edition" appear beneath the copyright notice, Doubleday's standard first-printing statement of the period. As a further confirmation, Doubleday firsts of this era carry a gutter code (a letter-plus-number combination) printed in the gutter of the last…. US Doubleday hardcover first edition, identified by the stated "First Edition" on the copyright page together with the year gutter code on the final text leaf. Later Doubleday printings drop the "First Edition" statement. Any book-club issue is distinguished by the absence of the year gutter code and, typically, a blindstamp to the rear board and no printed price on the jacket.
• Sam Holman — 1983 · Prometheus BooksFirst printing carries the 1983 Prometheus Books copyright with no statement of a later printing; posthumous novel (ISBN 0-87975-202-5). No distinctive published point of issue is documented in reliable sources. US first edition; published posthumously (Farrell died in 1979). No book-club edition is recorded; identify the first printing by the unannotated 1983 copyright page.

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