Larry McMurtry First Editions

• Horseman, Pass By — 1961 · Harper & BrothersMcMurtry's first book (filmed as Hud). The true first states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Harper date code 'D-L' beneath it (D = April, L = 1961). Black paper boards backed in mustard-yellow cloth with the circular 'H B' torch device on the upper cover. First-state dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and the code 'No. 0184B' on the rear panel. The US Harper & Brothers first is the true first and McMurtry's scarcest major book, being his first. The 'D-L' code together with the 'First Edition' statement confirms it. No book-club issue of note. The trap is later printings lacking the 'D-L' code, or copies in a later or price-clipped jacket. Verify both the 'First Edition' statement AND the D-L code.
• Leaving Cheyenne — 1963 · Harper & RowCopyright page states 'First Edition' with the Harper code letters H-N (H = August month code, N = 1963 year code). Dust-jacket front flap coded 0963. Cream buckram with a red sun device on the upper cover, spine lettered in red and black. True first US edition of the novel. Later printings drop the H-N code and the 'First Edition' statement. Confirm both the stated 'First Edition' and the H-N code, plus the 0963 flap code.
• The Last Picture Show — 1966 · The Dial PressDial Press, 1966. The first printing states 'First Printing' on the copyright page. Publisher's cloth (described by dealers variously as tan or gray) lettered in red on the spine; first-state dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap and is not price-clipped. Basis for the 1971 Bogdanovich film. The US Dial Press first is the true first. McMurtry's third book and a key Texas-literature high spot. Watch for book-club printings (no price on the jacket, lighter boards, blind stamp on the rear board) and later Dial printings lacking the 'First Printing' statement.
• In a Narrow Grave: Essays on Texas — 1968 · Encino PressThe true first is the Encino Press (Austin; publisher William D. Wittliff) printing of 1968, identified by the notorious misprint 'skycrapers' (for 'skyscrapers') on page 105, line 12. The book was badly copyedited and the bulk of the printing was destroyed once the errors were found, so surviving 'skycrapers' copies are the prized first. Identified by the Encino Press colophon together with the 'skycrapers' point. The 1968 Encino Press printing is the true first; most of it was suppressed and reprinted over typographical errors, making the surviving 'skycrapers' first scarce. The 1971 Simon & Schuster trade edition is a 'first thus,' not the true first. The corrected reprint lacks the 'skycrapers' typo on p.105 line 12; the common later edition is the 1971 Simon & Schuster trade printing. The point of issue is the uncorrected 'skycrapers' reading.
• Moving On — 1970 · Simon & SchusterCopyright page explicitly states 'First Printing' and carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Bound in light brown (tan) quarter cloth over brown paper-covered boards, the spine lettered in gilt and red on a brown ground, with brown stamping on the upper cover; 794 pages, dated 1970. First-issue dust jacket retains its printed price on the front flap. First novel in McMurtry's Houston sequence. True first US edition of the novel; Simon and Schuster, New York, 1970. Verify the 'First Printing' statement together with the complete 10-to-1 number line; a broken line or absent statement indicates a later printing, and book-club copies carry an unpriced jacket.
• All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers — 1972 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1972, first edition, first printing; the copyright page states "First printing." Bound in black cloth with the spine lettered in red, and with red endpapers and pastedowns; collation [5], 7–286, [2] pp. The first-issue dust jacket retains its printed front-flap price. True first US edition of the novel (Simon & Schuster, 1972); McMurtry's sixth book. The book-club edition lacks the "First printing" statement, is printed on thinner bulk with a blind-stamp to the rear board, and its jacket bears no printed flap price; later printings alter or drop the statement.
• Terms of Endearment — 1975 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1975. First printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Issued in cloth-backed boards with the original pictorial dust jacket. Basis for the 1983 film. True first is the Simon & Schuster US edition; McMurtry's own account of the Aurora Greenway novel and a highly collected title. No significant book-club concern for the trade first; confirm the number line ends in 1 to distinguish the first printing from later printings.
• Somebody's Darling — 1978 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1978, first printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, ISBN 0671243942, with the original illustrated dust jacket present and its printed price intact on the flap. Octavo, 300 pages; the fourth of McMurtry's Houston novels. True first is the Simon & Schuster US edition. No major book-club concern. Some trade copies carry a remainder mark on the bottom edge, which does not affect first-printing status. Confirm the number line ends in 1.
• Cadillac Jack — 1982 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1982. First printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, with the original dust jacket present. A separate signed limited edition of 250 copies in slipcase was also issued. True first is the Simon & Schuster US trade edition (distinct from the signed limited edition). No major book-club concern for the trade first; confirm the number line ends in 1 and that the copy is not the signed limited issue.
• The Desert Rose — 1983 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1983. First printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, with the original dust jacket present. A separate signed limited edition of 250 copies was also issued. True first is the Simon & Schuster US trade edition (distinct from the signed limited edition). No major book-club concern; some copies carry a remainder mark, which does not affect first-printing status. Confirm the number line ends in 1.
• Lonesome Dove — 1985 · Simon & SchusterFirst printing: the copyright page carries the complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ending in 1. Black boards with blue cloth spine, title stamped in gilt. The first-issue dust jacket bears NO mention of the Pulitzer Prize (the novel won the 1986 Pulitzer, so any Pulitzer reference on the jacket = later printing/state) and is a priced, unclipped jacket with the printed price present at the flap. The p.621…. US Simon & Schuster (New York), 1985, is the true first. The decisive points are the full number line including the '1' and the absence of any Pulitzer notice on the jacket. Signed first printings are notably scarce. The Book-of-the-Month Club printing is near-identical to the trade first and is the single most common 'mistaken first' for this title. The decisive tell is the copyright page: the trade first carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, which the club printing lacks (book clubs of the 1980s dropped the number line to save ink). The club jacket is also unpriced, whereas the trade first is priced at the….
• Texasville — 1987 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1987. First printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter blue cloth over red paper boards with red endpapers and a fore-edge machine deckle, 542 pages. The pictorial dust jacket was designed by George Corsillo and should retain its original printed flap price. Sequel to The Last Picture Show. True first is the Simon & Schuster US edition. No major book-club concern for the trade first; confirm the number line ends in 1 and that the Corsillo pictorial jacket retains its original price.
• Anything for Billy — 1988 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1988. First printing identified by the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, with the original dust jacket present. Quarter cloth over blue boards with gilt spine lettering. ISBN 0671642685. True first is the Simon & Schuster US edition. No major book-club concern for the trade first; confirm the number line ends in 1.
• Some Can Whistle — 1989 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster first printing, New York, 1989, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page with no later-printing statement. Bound in publisher's blue cloth-backed boards with beige/tan paper sides; roughly 307 pages. The unclipped first-issue dust jacket retains its printed front-flap price. Sequel to All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers. True first is the US Simon & Schuster edition; McMurtry is a US author and the novel originated in the US. A UK first (Century) followed and is a distinct, later edition. No book-club edition displaces the true first; the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, together with the blue-and-beige cloth-backed binding, distinguishes the first printing from later Simon & Schuster printings.
• Buffalo Girls — 1990 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster first printing identified by the complete number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, dated 1990. The book is a quarter-bound octavo with a red cloth spine and grey paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering, roughly 351 pages, issued in the original pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price unclipped. True first is the US Simon & Schuster edition; US-originating novel by a US author. No major book-club edition concern; confirm the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and the quarter red-cloth-and-grey-boards binding for the first printing.
• The Evening Star — 1992 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster first printing identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; dated 1992; dust jacket present. Sequel to Terms of Endearment. True first is the US Simon & Schuster edition; a first British edition also exists but the US edition is the true first for this US-originating novel. No major book-club edition concern for the true first; the complete number line to 1 identifies the first printing.
• Streets of Laredo — 1993 · Simon & SchusterThe US Simon & Schuster trade first edition (New York, 1993) is the true first: a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, stated First Edition, 589 pp, blue cloth and beige paper boards with gilt spine lettering, and a first-state jacket (design by Wendell Minor, painting by Maynard Dixon) with the printed price. It is the sequel to Lonesome Dove. The US Simon & Schuster trade first is the true first edition. Series collectors pair it with a first of Lonesome Dove. No publisher-issued signed/limited slipcased Simon & Schuster edition of this title could be verified from reliable sources, so that claim has been removed. The Doubleday Book Club / Literary Guild club editions lack the number line, carry a rear-board blind-stamp or gutter code, and have no printed jacket price. The trade first is identified by the full number line to 1 and a priced first-state jacket.
• Dead Man's Walk — 1995 · Simon & SchusterUS Simon & Schuster first printing, 1995, identified by a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; ISBN 0-684-80753-9 (9780684807539). Bound in a blue cloth spine over paper-covered boards with gilt spine lettering. First-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap and the S&S imprint; it should be present and unclipped to be a complete first. This is the third-published…. True first is the US Simon & Schuster edition (published September 1995); a US-originating novel with no earlier printing. The later reissue printings and the trade-paperback carry different ISBNs and lack the descending-to-1 number line. No book-club concern for the collectible first; the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page marks the first printing. Later printings show a number line that no longer terminates in 1.
• The Late Child — 1995 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1995. The first printing is identified by a complete number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, terminating in 1. Hardcover of roughly 464 pages, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that must carry the printed cover price on the front flap (present regardless of any later clipping). The sequel to The Desert Rose. True first is the US Simon & Schuster edition of 1995; this is a US-originating novel with no earlier foreign printing. No significant book-club edition concern for this title. A first printing is confirmed by the full number line running down to 1 on the copyright page.
• Comanche Moon — 1997 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 1997. First printing identified by the full number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page (dealers cite the terminal 10-1 code). Thick octavo of roughly 752 pages, bound in wheat and blue boards with gilt-stamped lettering along the spine; issued in a priced dust jacket (the printed price should be present). Chronologically the earliest but last-published volume of the…. True first is the US Simon & Schuster edition of 1997; a US-originating novel. A very large first printing means first-printing copies are common; the number line reading down to 1 identifies them, and no meaningful book-club-edition concern attaches to the true first.
• Duane's Depressed — 1999 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster first printing, indicated by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; dated 1999; issued in dust jacket. Third and final novel of the Thalia/Duane sequence begun with The Last Picture Show. True first US edition of the novel. No significant book-club edition concern; verify the full number line ends in 1 rather than a higher digit.
• Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen — 1999 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster first printing, New York, 1999 (ISBN 9780684854960), with a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Full subtitle: Reflections at Sixty and Beyond. About 204 pages in tan paper-covered boards with a blue backstrip and gilt spine lettering. The first-issue dust jacket carries a color photograph of a Dairy Queen along a two-lane rural highway across both panels, with the title in…. True first US edition of the memoir; identified by the complete number line ending in 1 together with the first-issue photographic jacket. No significant book-club edition concern; confirm the number line terminates in 1 and that the photographic jacket retains its printed price.
• Boone's Lick — 2000 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster first printing, New York, 2000, indicated by a full number line terminating in 1 on the copyright page. Issued in quarter/half-cloth binding with blue boards and an orange cloth spine, approximately 287 pages, ISBN 0-684-86886-5. First-state dust jacket carries the front-panel painting by Alfred Jacob Miller and, on the rear panel, the author photograph credited to Diana Lynn Ossana; the printed…. True first US edition of the novel. No significant book-club edition concern; confirm the number line terminates in 1 rather than a higher digit, which would indicate a later printing.
• Sin Killer (Berrybender Narratives Vol. 1) — 2002 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster, New York, 2002. First printing indicated by the full number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page (dealers cite the terminal 10-1 code). Bound in eggshell and brown boards with copper-foil-stamped lettering along the spine; issued in an unclipped dust jacket (the printed price should be present). First volume of the four-book Berrybender Narratives. True first US edition of the novel, Simon & Schuster 2002. The first printing was large, so first-printing copies are not scarce and no significant book-club-edition concern applies; confirm the number line terminates in 1 and the jacket is present.
• Books: A Memoir — 2008 · Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster first printing, New York, 2008, identified by a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, issued in a dust jacket that should retain its original printed flap price. Memoir of McMurtry's life in the antiquarian book trade, 259 pages. True first US edition of the memoir is the Simon & Schuster trade printing. A separate signed, numbered issue of 100 copies was produced for Three Dog Books, McMurtry's Archer City shop, bearing an ink-stamp limitation statement signed by the author; it is a distinct limited state rather than the trade first. No significant book-club edition concern; confirm the number line terminates in 1 on the copyright page.

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