Louis L'Amour First Editions

• Smoke from This Altar — 1939 · Lusk Publishing CompanyL'Amour's first published book and his only poetry collection, issued by Lusk Publishing Company, Oklahoma City, in 1939. The first edition states First Edition at the foot of the title page. Bound in grey cloth lettered in black, sixty-two pages. The dust jacket is rare in any condition. Identify by the Lusk imprint, the 1939 date, and the stated First Edition on the title page. This is the true first L'Amour book of any kind and his only volume of poetry, far scarcer than any of his Westerns and the cornerstone of a deep L'Amour collection. No book-club or reprint confusion of note; the rarity is the original 1939 Lusk printing itself. The byline reads Louis L'Amour, not an early name form such as LaMoore, so do not expect a variant spelling on this title.
• Westward the Tide — 1950 · World's WorkL'Amour's first full-length novel under his own name, first published in England by World's Work (Kingswood) in 1950. Identify by the World's Work imprint, the 1950 date, and a UK hardcover with dust jacket and no later-impression statement. The novel did not appear in the US until decades later, so the UK hardcover precedes any American edition. The 1950 World's Work UK hardcover is the true first edition of L'Amour's first novel, a key and often-overlooked high spot. The 1977 Bantam US paperback is only a first thus. No book-club issue of note; common copies are the much later Bantam paperback. The collectible is the 1950 UK World's Work hardcover with its jacket.
• Hondo — 1953 · Gold Medal Books / FawcettFirst edition was a paperback original: Fawcett Gold Medal #511, 1953, with the Gold Medal first-printing code on the copyright page (no later-printing numbers). Pictorial wrappers; the John Wayne film tie-in connection drove demand. Verify the Gold Medal first-printing statement/number on the copyright page. US Fawcett Gold Medal (1953) paperback original is the true first—there is no preceding hardcover. (The later Saturday Evening Post story 'The Gift of Cochise' is the source short story, a separate item.) Because it is a PBO, the Gold Medal printing code is the key; later printings add numbers. No book-club hardcover precedes it; later hardcover reprints (e.g., Gregg Press, book club) are 'first thus' and clearly later. The 1953 Gold Medal #511 first-printing wrappers copy is the true first.
• Hondo (true-first vs. paperback-original confusion) — 1953 · Gold Medal BooksThe true first of Hondo is the Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, number 511, 1953, published to coincide with the John Wayne film. It is a paperback original; no hardcover preceded it. The first Gold Medal printing carries the original the printed price cover price and no statement of additional printings on the copyright page. Hondo first appeared as a Gold Medal paperback original in 1953, expanded from the earlier story 'The Gift of Cochise.' A Crown hardcover followed later. The frequently confused point is that the true first is the 1953 Gold Medal paperback, not any hardcover. Later Gold Medal printings note additional printings or carry revised cover art and prices. The hardcover and book-club editions are later states, not the true first.
• Hondo signed first — 1953 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1953, issued as Gold Medal number 347. A true first printing states "First Printing" on the copyright page. Hondo was a paperback original, released to coincide with the 1953 Warner Bros. film; the pictorial wraps carry film-era art, and later hardcover appearances came after this softcover. Because Gold Medal wraps are fragile, sharp firsts with a tight spine and bright,…. The true first edition is the 1953 Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original (Gold Medal #347, stated First Printing); there is no earlier hardcover. Not applicable as a Book Club Edition in the ordinary sense; later reprints and reissues of the text exist but are not the 1953 Gold Medal first. Use the Gold Medal number and stated First Printing to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.
• Showdown at Yellow Butte (as Jim Mayo) — 1953 · Ace BooksAce Double paperback original, catalog number D-38 (1953), published under the pseudonym 'Jim Mayo' and bound tete-beche (back-to-back, dos-a-dos) with Bliss Lomax's 'Outlaw River'. Perfect-bound pictorial wrappers, no dust jacket as issued; the two novels share the single volume with inverted texts meeting in the middle. The story had earlier appeared in magazine form as 'Showdown on the Hogback'. True first US in book form; an early pseudonymous Ace Double paperback original, later absorbed into the collected L'Amour canon under his own name. No book-club edition; paperback original. Later stand-alone reprints under the Louis L'Amour name (Bantam and others) are not the first appearance.
• Crossfire Trail — 1954 · Ace BooksAce Double paperback original (D-52), Ace Books, New York, 1954, published under L'Amour's own name and bound tête-bêche (back-to-back, dos-à-dos) with 'Boomtown Buccaneers' by William Colt MacDonald. Perfect-bound pictorial wrappers with cover art by Lou Glanzman; the printed price should be present on the front cover. First printing carries the D-52 designation with no later-printing statement. True first US; paperback original under the L'Amour byline (not the Jim Mayo pseudonym). Expanded from his earlier magazine story 'The Trail to Crazy Man' (first published in West, July 1948). No book-club edition; paperback original.
• Kilkenny — 1954 · Ace BooksAce Books single-title paperback original, 1954, published under L'Amour's own name. Perfect-bound pictorial wrappers, no dust jacket. This was the first full-length Kilkenny novel; L'Amour had earlier written two Kilkenny novellas (The Rider of Lost Creek and A Man Called Trent, both 1947 in West magazine) under the pen name Jim Mayo, so the 1954 Ace book is the first appearance of the character in a novel under…. True first US of the novel titled 'Kilkenny'; a standalone Ace paperback issued under the L'Amour name, not an Ace Double. It precedes the later Gold Medal and Bantam reprints. No book-club edition; paperback original. Later Gold Medal and Bantam printings are reset reprints and are not the first.
• Utah Blaine (as Jim Mayo) — 1954 · Ace BooksAce Double paperback original, catalog number D-48, issued 1954 under the pseudonym 'Jim Mayo.' It is bound tete-beche (back-to-back, dos-a-dos with two front covers) with 'Desert Showdown' by Brad Ward (a pen name of Samuel A. Peeples). Perfect-bound in pictorial wrappers; as a paperback original there is no dust jacket and no number line, so the Ace catalog designation D-48 and the 'Jim Mayo' byline are the…. True first US edition; a pseudonymous Ace Double paperback original of 1954. The novel later appeared under L'Amour's own name in reprint, but the D-48 'Jim Mayo' Ace Double is the first appearance in book form. No book-club edition exists of the original; this is a paperback original identified by the Ace catalog number D-48 and the tete-beche pairing with 'Desert Showdown.' Later mass-market reprints drop the pseudonym and the double-novel format.
• Guns of the Timberlands — 1955 · Jason PressJason Press hardcover first, dated 1955 on the title page, issued in dust jacket; the text runs to 182 pages. One of L'Amour's earliest hardcover first editions and genuinely scarce in the original pictorial jacket, which should carry its printed price to the front flap. As a small-house 1955 hardcover there is no printer's number line; the imprint and date alone identify the edition. True first US hardcover edition, published by Jason Press in 1955; scarce in the original dust jacket. No book-club edition of the true first exists; the later Bantam paperbacks are reprints and are not identified by any number line.
• Heller with a Gun — 1955 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, number code #478 on front cover and spine, the printed price cover price; April 1955; Walter Baumhofer cover. First-printing copies carry the #478 code; later Gold Medal reprints bear different codes (#728 in 1958, and a 1960 movie-tie-in printing). True first US; Gold Medal paperback original under the L'Amour byline. No book-club edition; paperback original.
• To Tame a Land — 1955 · Fawcett Gold MedalGold Medal paperback original, September 1955, issued as Gold Medal Book number 516 with cover art by Frank McCarthy; the wrappers carry the original the printed price Gold Medal price, and the text runs to 143 pages. The novel is an expansion of L'Amour's 1951 pulp novelette that first appeared in Texas Rangers. No prior book edition exists, so the Gold Medal paperback is the true first. True first US edition; a Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original of September 1955. There is no hardcover precedent. Not applicable; a Gold Medal paperback original has no book club edition. Later Fawcett and Bantam reprints, which carry different cover art and later printing statements, are not the first.
• Silver Canyon — 1956 · Avalon BooksAvalon Books hardcover first, dated 1956, issued with dust jacket. Expanded from the earlier magazine story that ran as 'Riders of the Dawn' in Giant Western (1951). An unusually scarce early L'Amour cloth hardcover in the original jacket. True first US hardcover edition; especially scarce in the original dust jacket. No book club edition of the true first; later paperbacks are reprints.
• The Burning Hills — 1956 · Jason PressJason Press hardcover first, dated 1956, issued with dust jacket; about 153 pages. Jason Press first editions of this period carry no number line, so first-printing status rests on the 1956-dated Jason Press imprint and title-page/copyright-page setting rather than on a printer's key. The story was first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in 1955 before this book edition. True first US hardcover edition; prior magazine serialization does not constitute a book edition. No book club edition of the true first. Later Bantam paperbacks (from 1961 onward) and film tie-in printings are reprints, not firsts.
• Last Stand at Papago Wells — 1957 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, catalogue number Gold Medal 686, with cover art by Frank McCarthy. No prior book edition exists; the paperback is the true first. A first-printing copy carries the 1957 copyright and the Gold Medal 686 designation with no later-printing statement and the printed cover price intact. True first US edition; a Gold Medal paperback original numbered 686. Not applicable; a paperback original has no book-club edition. Later Gold Medal and Bantam reprints (carrying different catalogue numbers) are not firsts.
• Sitka — 1957 · Appleton-Century-CroftsFirst edition published by Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1957, in cloth-backed boards with dust jacket; an early and comparatively scarce L'Amour hardcover, a historical adventure novel about the American annexation of Alaska. The first printing is identified by the numeral (1) at the foot of the last page of text; there is no later-printing statement. The first-issue dust jacket should carry the publisher's…. True first is the 1957 Appleton-Century-Crofts US hardcover, confirmed by the (1) terminal-page point on the first printing. No book-club edition point is at issue for the first printing; later Bantam paperbacks are reprints and do not carry the (1) point.
• The Tall Stranger — 1957 · Fawcett Gold MedalFawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, and the true first book edition of the title. The first printing carries Gold Medal catalogue number 700 on the front cover and spine. Copies bearing later 'S'-prefixed catalogue numbers (for example S1430) are subsequent reprints, not the 1957 first printing; a later movie tie-in cover also exists. Identify the first by the 700 code together with the 1957 dating and…. True first US edition; a Gold Medal paperback original with catalogue number 700. Not applicable; a paperback original has no book-club edition. Later Gold Medal reprints, which carry different (often S-prefixed) catalogue numbers, are not firsts.
• Radigan — 1958 · Bantam BooksBantam Books paperback original, 1958 (Bantam code A1853 printed on cover and spine), with its printed price on the cover. First printing so stated on the copyright page. First-printing copies have red-stained page edges. True first US edition; paperback original, with no prior hardcover. No book-club edition; paperback original. Later printings update the printing statement on the copyright page and may alter the cover price and code.
• Taggart — 1959 · Bantam BooksBantam Books paperback original, 1959 (Bantam number 1977). First printing so stated on the copyright page. True first US edition; paperback original. No book-club edition; paperback original.
• The First Fast Draw — 1959 · Bantam BooksBantam Books paperback original, 1959 (Bantam number 1905). First printing so stated on the copyright page. True first US edition; paperback original. No book-club edition; paperback original.
• Flint — 1960 · Bantam BooksBantam Books paperback original, 1960. First printing so stated on the copyright page. Story set in New Mexico. True first US edition; paperback original. No book-club edition at issue for the first. Later hardcover Louis L'Amour Collection issues are reprints, not the first.
• The Daybreakers — 1960 · Bantam BooksPaperback original, Bantam catalog number A1933 (not A2068), published February 1960, original cover the printed price, yellow-tinted page edges. The first published Sackett novel, launching the family saga. The true first printing shows the A1933 catalog code with no later-printing statement or raised price on the wrappers and copyright page. The paperback original is the true first; through this period L'Amour was published first in paperback, so there is no preceding hardcover. Note that chronologically within the saga The Daybreakers falls later, but it was the first Sackett title published. Later Bantam reissues carry revised cover art and higher catalog numbers. No book-club edition of the original paperback; distinguish the first printing by the A1933 catalog number, the printed price, and absence of a later-printing line. Later printings raise the price and change the catalog code. Hardcover collection reprints came much later.
• Sackett — 1961 · Bantam BooksPaperback original, Bantam catalog number A2236, 1961. First-printing identified by the original catalog code and period price on the wrappers with no later-printing statement or raised price. Introduces William Tell Sackett; collectors complete the saga as a matched run. The paperback original is the true first; no preceding hardcover. Series collectors prize matched first-printing Bantam runs. No book-club edition of the original paperback; later Bantam printings differ by price, catalog code, and printing line. Hardcover collection reprints came much later.
• High Lonesome — 1962 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1962 (Bantam A2449). First printing shows the Bantam catalogue number with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; a printing line indicating a subsequent printing marks a reprint. True first is the 1962 Bantam paperback. Issued directly to Bantam in paperback with no prior hardcover edition. No book-club edition applies; this is a paperback original.
• Killoe — 1962 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1962. First printing carries the Bantam catalogue/serial number on the cover and spine with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; the presence of a printing line indicating a subsequent printing marks a reprint. True first is the 1962 Bantam paperback. L'Amour issued this title directly to Bantam in paperback with no prior hardcover edition. No book-club edition applies; this is a paperback original.
• Shalako — 1962 · Bantam BooksBantam Books paperback original, 1962, catalogue number E3184, with the first printing so stated on the copyright page (no later-printing statement). The pictorial wrappers carry the E3184 designation and the printed cover price; later Bantam printings retain the title but reset the printing statement and often change the catalogue/price, so a copy stating only the first printing with no additional impression…. True first US edition; paperback original, published New York by Bantam in 1962. A Corgi paperback appeared in the UK the same year, so the US Bantam E3184 is the primary point of reference. No book-club edition; paperback original. Copies stating a second, third, or fourth printing are later Bantam impressions, not the first.
• Catlow — 1963 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1963 (Bantam J2579). First printing shows the Bantam catalogue number with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; a printing line indicating a subsequent printing marks a reprint. True first is the 1963 Bantam paperback. Issued directly to Bantam in paperback with no prior hardcover edition. No book-club edition applies; this is a paperback original.
• How the West Was Won — 1963 · Bantam BooksThe 1963 Bantam paperback (a novelization of the 1962 film, from the James R. Webb screenplay) is the first US edition and the US paperback original. It is not the earliest edition overall: the text was first published in hardcover in the United Kingdom in 1962, which precedes the US Bantam issue. The Bantam 1963 paperback is the first US edition, but the true first edition is the 1962 UK hardcover, which precedes it. Describe the Bantam printing as the first US/paperback appearance rather than the true first. No US book-club edition point applies to the Bantam paperback; note the earlier UK hardcover when establishing precedence.
• Hanging Woman Creek — 1964 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1964 (Bantam J2796). First printing shows the Bantam catalogue number with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; a printing line indicating a subsequent printing marks a reprint. True first is the 1964 Bantam paperback. Issued directly to Bantam in paperback with no prior hardcover edition. No book-club edition applies; this is a paperback original.
• Mojave Crossing — 1964 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, first printing January 1964, Bantam catalog number J2712 on the spine and front cover. This is the ninth Sackett novel in order of publication, narrated by William Tell Sackett, who crosses the Mojave escorting Dorinda Robiseau while carrying gold from the Arizona diggings toward Los Angeles. As a mass-market paperback of about 118 pages, the first printing is identified by the J2712…. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original with no prior hardcover. Bantam issued L'Amour's Sackett titles of this period directly into wrappers, so the January 1964 J2712 printing is the earliest obtainable state. Not applicable; paperback original with no book-club edition. Distinguish the first printing from later Bantam reprints by the J2712 catalog number and original cover price.
• The High Graders — 1965 · Bantam BooksBantam Books mass-market paperback original, 1965. No prior hardcover or serial edition exists; the Bantam paperback printing is the first appearance in book form. The first printing shows the Bantam publication statement on the copyright page with no later-printing notation and none of the additional printing dates that Bantam added to the copyright page of subsequent reprints. Later Bantam mass-market reissues…. True first US edition. Issued as a Bantam paperback original with no earlier hardcover; the later leatherette Louis L'Amour Collection hardcover is a much later reprint. Not applicable; as a paperback original, no book-club edition precedes the first.
• The Key-Lock Man — 1965 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1965, Bantam catalog number J3085 printed on the spine and front cover. The true first is the first printing, in pictorial wrappers, with no statement of a later printing and the Bantam rooster colophon; the cover art depicts Matt Keelock fleeing a posse. As a mid-1960s Bantam mass-market original it carries no number line; identify the first printing by the J-prefix catalog number and…. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original, first printing, with no prior hardcover in any market, so the first Bantam printing is the definitive first appearance. Not applicable; paperback original with no book-club hardcover. Later Bantam reissues change the catalog/price code and add printing notices, distinguishing them from the 1965 J3085 first printing.
• The Sackett Brand — 1965 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1965. First printing shows the Bantam catalogue number with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; a printing line indicating a subsequent printing marks a reprint. True first is the 1965 Bantam paperback. Issued directly to Bantam in paperback with no prior hardcover edition; part of the Sackett saga. No book-club edition applies; this is a paperback original.
• Kid Rodelo — 1966 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, first Bantam printing March 1966, Bantam catalog number E3244, cover price present. A film tie-in edition (Don Murray, Janet Leigh) with movie-tie-in cover and photographic stills; the novel's first book appearance. True first edition of the novel; issued as a paperback original tied to the 1966 film, with no prior hardcover. Not applicable; paperback original.
• Kilrone — 1966 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1966, Bantam catalog number F3252, a pocket-sized mass-market Western of roughly 154 pages with cover art credited to Gordon Crabbe. First printing is the true first, identified by the F3252 catalog number and the copyright-page first-edition statement with the number line present down to 1. True first US edition; paperback original, first printing, with no prior hardcover. Not applicable; paperback original with no book-club issue.
• The Broken Gun — 1966 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1966, carrying the Bantam catalog number J-3098 on the first printing. A contemporary-set Western; this mass-market Bantam printing is the first appearance in book form, with no prior hardcover. True first US edition; paperback original with no prior hardcover. Not applicable; paperback original. Later Bantam reissues carry different catalog numbers and cover art.
• Matagorda — 1967 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1967 (Bantam number F3327). First-printing copies carry the original low Bantam catalog number to the cover and spine with the original printed cover price and no later-printing or reissue statement on the copyright page; later Bantam reissues bear higher catalog numbers and reset cover prices. A pictorial wraps western with no preceding hardcover. True first edition is the 1967 Bantam paperback original; there was no prior hardcover. Hardcover appearances (Gregg Press, later Bantam collector hardcovers) are all subsequent reprints, not the first. Not applicable; paperback original, not a Book Club Edition. Distinguish the 1967 first printing from later Bantam printings by the original catalog number and printed cover price.
• The Sky-Liners — 1967 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, April 1967, Bantam catalog number F3356 with the original cover price printed on the front cover. First printings carry the F3356 designation with no later-printing statement and show the characteristic yellow-tinted top page edges of the Bantam issue. A Sackett-saga novel introducing Flagan and Galloway Sackett. True first edition is the 1967 Bantam paperback original; there is no prior hardcover. By publication order it was the seventh Sackett title issued, though it falls later in the saga's internal chronology. Not applicable; paperback original, not a Book Club Edition. Later Bantam printings change the catalog number and cover price, so identify the first by the F3356 number.
• Chancy — 1968 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1968. There was no preceding hardcover, so this softcover is the true first appearance in print. A first printing carries the original Bantam catalog number and cover price with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; later Bantam printings add a printing line or a revised catalog number, and the reset later-printing text runs to a higher page count than the early printing. The true first edition is the 1968 Bantam paperback original; there is no prior hardcover. The UK Corgi edition (ISBN 0552080071) is a later reprint, not the true first. Not applicable; this was a mass-market paperback original, never issued as a Book Club Edition.
• Down the Long Hills — 1968 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1968. Won the Western Writers of America Spur Award. First printings carry the original catalog number with no later-printing statement. True first edition is the 1968 Bantam paperback original; no prior hardcover. Not applicable; paperback original, not a Book Club Edition.
• Conagher — 1969 · Bantam BooksBantam Books paperback original, 1969, catalog number H4628, in pictorial wrappers. Issued as a mass-market paperback with no prior hardcover or serial appearance, so the 1969 Bantam wrappers with that catalog number are the true first. There is no dust jacket, as the book was a wrappered original. True first is the US Bantam paperback original (1969, Bantam H4628); no earlier hardcover precedes it. Not applicable to a paperback original; there is no book-club edition to distinguish.
• The Empty Land — 1969 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1969, Bantam catalog number H3935 (printed on the front cover and back cover). The true first printing carries the original H3935 catalog number and the original cover printed price, with no later-printing statement or revised catalog number on the copyright page. On genuine first printings the Bantam number line / printing statement on the copyright page shows no advancement beyond the…. True first edition is the 1969 Bantam paperback original (H3935); there was no prior hardcover, so this mass-market issue is the genuine first. Later editions include a mid-1970s and 1980s Bantam reissue and the 2021 Lost Treasures edition, none of which is the first. Not applicable; paperback original, not a Book Club Edition. Distinguish the first printing from later Bantam printings by the unadvanced copyright-page printing statement and the original the printed price cover price rather than by any club marking.
• The Lonely Men — 1969 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1969, issued under Bantam catalog number H4402; a Tell Sackett novel of the Sackett saga. First printings carry the original catalog number on the cover and spine and bear no later-printing statement on the copyright page (subsequent printings note the printing sequence and often reprice or renumber). True first edition is the 1969 Bantam paperback original (catalog H4402); no prior hardcover exists. UK Corgi editions are later reprints. Not applicable; paperback original, not a Book Club Edition.
• Galloway — 1970 · Bantam BooksBantam mass-market paperback original, 1970, in pictorial wrappers. A Sackett-saga novel issued directly as a paperback; the first printing carries the original Bantam catalog number and cover price on the wrapper and states the first Bantam printing on the copyright page, with no later-printing line. Reissue printings are identified by a raised cover price and updated catalog numbering. True first is the US Bantam paperback original of 1970; no earlier hardcover precedes it. Later Bantam leatherette collected-edition volumes are reprints, not the first appearance. Not applicable to a paperback original; there is no book-club hardcover to distinguish. Confirm the first printing by the original low cover price and the first-Bantam-printing statement rather than by any blindstamp.
• North to the Rails — 1971 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, first printing 1971, issued directly into mass-market wrappers. No hardcover precedes it; Saturday Review Press did not begin issuing L'Amour in hardcover until a few years later. A Chantry-family western, this first printing is identified by the 1971 Bantam catalog number and the original printed cover price rather than by a copyright-page number line, since Bantam mass-market…. True first is the US Bantam paperback original of 1971; no earlier hardcover exists. Encyclopedic and library records consistently list Bantam, New York, 1971 as the original publisher. Not applicable to a paperback original; there is no book-club edition to distinguish. Separate the first printing from later Bantam reprints by the original catalog number and cover price.
• Tucker — 1971 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1971. Issued directly as a mass-market paperback; the 1971 Bantam wrappers are the true first. Later Bantam printings carry printing designations, so look for the absence of any later-printing statement. True first is the US Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover precedes it. Not applicable to a paperback original; there is no book-club edition to distinguish.
• Callaghen — 1972 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1972, issued directly as a mass-market paperback (approximately 183 pages, roughly 4 by 7 inches). The first printing is identified by the Bantam edition statement on the copyright page dated 1972 and the original printed cover price; no earlier hardcover or book-club form precedes it. Later Bantam reissues, the leatherette Louis L'Amour Collection volume, and the still-later Louis…. True first is the US Bantam paperback original of 1972; no hardcover precedes it. Not applicable to a paperback original; there is no separate book-club edition, though the leatherette Louis L'Amour Collection and the Lost Treasures reissue are later reprints, not the first.
• Ride the Dark Trail — 1972 · Bantam BooksBantam mass-market paperback original, 1972, in pictorial wrappers. A Sackett-saga novel (the Logan Sackett story) issued directly as a paperback; the first printing carries the original Bantam catalog number and cover price on the wrapper and states the first Bantam printing on the copyright page, with no later-printing line. Later printings show a raised cover price and revised catalog numbering. True first is the US Bantam paperback original of 1972; no earlier hardcover precedes it. Bantam leatherette collected-edition volumes are later reprints. Not applicable to a paperback original; there is no book-club hardcover to distinguish. Confirm the first printing by the original cover price and the first-Bantam-printing statement on the copyright page.
• The Ferguson Rifle — 1973 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1973, Bantam catalog number N7568, with the price printed on the cover. There was no earlier hardcover, so this softcover is the true first appearance in print. A first printing shows no printing statement beyond the first on the copyright page; later Bantam printings add a printing line and often a revised catalog number. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original (catalog N7568). There is no preceding hardcover. No book-club edition applies; the true first is the 1973 Bantam paperback original.
• The Man from Skibbereen — 1973 · Bantam BooksBantam mass-market paperback original, 1973, with no preceding hardcover. The first printing is identified on the copyright page by the printing-history statement ("First printing" / stated Bantam edition line) together with the original low printed cover price on the front cover; for this early-1970s title the earliest copies carry the period cover price, while later reprints show a raised price, occasionally…. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original with no earlier hardcover. No book-club edition applies; the true first is the paperback original. The market is heavily reprinted, so verify against later Bantam printings by the raised cover price and altered printing statement.
• Sackett's Land — 1974 · Saturday Review Press / E.P. DuttonSaturday Review Press/E.P. Dutton hardcover, New York, 1974, ISBN 0841503427, with a stated first edition on the copyright page and the original pictorial dust jacket showing the printed jacket price at the lower flap. From the mid-1970s onward L'Amour appeared first in hardcover rather than paperback, so this hardcover is the collected first. True first US hardcover; the opening title of the Sackett saga by internal chronology, though not the first written. Hardcover firsts from 1974 onward are the collected firsts of L'Amour's later novels. Book-club editions of the L'Amour hardcovers exist; confirm the stated first edition on the copyright page and the presence of the printed jacket price on the dust jacket flap, since club copies lack the stated first edition and are typically issued without a printed price and with a blind rear-board stamp.
• Over on the Dry Side — 1975 · Saturday Review Press / E.P. DuttonSaturday Review Press/Dutton hardcover, New York, 1975, with a stated first edition and the original dust jacket. Octavo, bound in white cloth with green paper-covered boards and green lettering to the spine. True first US hardcover, preceding the later Bantam paperback and subsequent reprints. Book-club editions of the L'Amour hardcovers exist; confirm the stated first edition and the presence of the original printed jacket price, since club copies typically lack the stated edition and the printed price and may carry a blindstamp on the rear board.
• Rivers West — 1975 · Saturday Review Press / E.P. DuttonSaturday Review Press/E.P. Dutton hardcover, New York, 1975, 192 pages, stated first edition/first printing; bound in white cloth over green paper-covered boards with green lettering to the spine (a half-cloth binding variant over green boards is also recorded). The pictorial dust jacket shows frontiersmen crossing a river on the front panel and a black-and-white photograph of L'Amour on the rear panel; the…. True first US hardcover, published by Saturday Review Press in association with E.P. Dutton. Book-club editions of the L'Amour hardcovers exist; confirm the stated first edition and the original jacket price, as club copies lack the printed price and often differ in binding and board weight.
• The Man from the Broken Hills — 1975 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1975; first-printing mass-market edition in pictorial wraps. Part of the Talon-and-Chantry saga; the protagonist Milo Talon is half Talon, half Sackett, tying the book to both family cycles. True first US edition and a paperback original from Bantam (1975); there was no preceding hardcover. Precedes all later Bantam reissues. No book-club edition applies; the true first is the Bantam paperback original. Later Bantam reprints carry differing cover art and revised pricing on the wraps.
• The Rider of Lost Creek — 1976 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1976 (Kilkenny series). First book edition; no hardcover precedes it. The story is an expansion of L'Amour's 1947 West magazine novella written as Jim Mayo, but the 1976 Bantam is the first appearance in book form. True first is the 1976 Bantam paperback original; there was no prior hardcover. Not applicable; paperback original, so no book-club edition issue.
• To the Far Blue Mountains — 1976 · E.P. DuttonE.P. Dutton hardcover first, 1976, in dust jacket (Sackett saga). The true first printing is a suppressed state: it carries an erroneous dedication (wrong name) and a short text state. L'Amour objected and Dutton reprinted the book later in 1976 as a corrected, fuller state. A genuine first printing should show the erroneous dedication, not the corrected one. True first US hardcover is the 1976 E.P. Dutton edition, specifically the suppressed first printing with the erroneous dedication page. A book-club edition exists and should be excluded; the club printing lacks the true-first Dutton points and typically has the blind stamp on the rear board and no price on the jacket flap.
• Where the Long Grass Blows — 1976 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1976. First book edition; no hardcover precedes it. Protagonist Bill Canavan. As with Bantam mass-market originals of this period, the first printing is identified by the number line on the copyright page reading down to 1; Bantam typically did not print a First Edition statement, so the presence of the 1 in the printer's key is the point to confirm, and later printings delete the low…. True first is the 1976 Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover. Not applicable; paperback original.
• Borden Chantry — 1977 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1977 (Chantry series). First book edition, with no hardcover preceding it. On Bantam's mass-market originals of this era the true first printing is identified by 'First Edition' stated with a full number line present down to 1 on the copyright page; later printings drop the low digits or state a subsequent printing. True first is the 1977 Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover exists. Not applicable; paperback original with no book-club issue.
• Fair Blows the Wind — 1978 · E.P. DuttonE.P. Dutton hardcover first, 1978, in dust jacket. Brown cloth with gilt spine lettering, 282 pages (Tatton Chantry). First printing should state Dutton on the title page with no later-printing indication. True first US hardcover is the 1978 E.P. Dutton edition. A book-club edition exists and should be excluded; club copies typically show the blind-stamp on the rear board and lack a jacket price.
• The Mountain Valley War — 1978 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, 1978 (Kilkenny #2), no hardcover precedes it. Bantam's practice for paperback originals was to print NO edition or printing statement on the copyright page for the first printing; later printings were explicitly noted, so a true first printing shows a clean copyright page with no later-printing line. Reworked and expanded from the 1947 West magazine story 'A Man Called Trent' (published…. True first is the 1978 Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover. Identify the first printing by the absence of any later-printing statement on the copyright page. Not applicable; paperback original. Later Bantam reprints are distinguished by an added printing statement on the copyright page.
• Bendigo Shafter — 1979 · E.P. DuttonE.P. Dutton hardcover, 1979, 324 pages, in dust jacket. First printing is identified by the stated first edition with a full number line ending in '1' on the copyright page. Dutton ISBN 0-525-06323-4. True first is the E.P. Dutton trade hardcover in dust jacket, one of L'Amour's more ambitious full-length novels. A book-club edition exists as a separate later issue; distinguish it from the Dutton trade first by the presence of the stated first edition and the number line ending in '1' (book-club copies lack the number line and are typically thinner boards with a blind rear-panel dot).
• The Iron Marshal — 1979 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, published January 1979. As Bantam applied a printer's number line to its titles from late 1976, the first printing shows a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. No preceding US hardcover; the Bantam paperback is the first appearance. The true first US edition is the Bantam paperback original of January 1979, published simultaneously with a Canadian Bantam printing. Not applicable as a book-club point; issued as a paperback original, so first-printing identification rests on the number line ending in 1 rather than a club marking.
• The Proving Trail — 1979 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, dated 1979 on the copyright page, with no preceding US hardcover; the paperback is the first appearance. On a genuine first printing the copyright page carries L'Amour's Bantam-era statement of first publication (worded to the effect of a Bantam edition first published 1979), and the wrappers bear the original cover art and the original printed cover price. Later printings are common in…. True first US edition is the Bantam paperback original; there is no earlier Doubleday or other hardcover to precede it. Not applicable; issued as a mass-market paperback original, so no book-club edition point applies. Guard only against later Bantam reprintings, identified by revised printing statements and later cover prices.
• Lonely on the Mountain — 1980 · Bantam BooksBantam mass-market paperback original, dated 1980 on the copyright page (catalog number 14174, ISBN 0553141740), running about 194 pages; the sixteenth Sackett novel and the last to be written. Cover art by Lou Glanzman. There is no preceding US hardcover, so this paperback is the true first appearance; the earliest state carries the 1980 date and price on the cover with no revised or reissue pricing. True first US edition is the 1980 Bantam paperback original; no hardcover preceded it. Not applicable as a paperback original, so no book-club edition point applies; a later Gryphon-issued hardcover exists but is a separate first hardback printing, not the true first.
• Comstock Lode — 1981 · Bantam BooksBantam trade paperback original, 1981, ISBN 0-553-01307-6. First printing carries a number line on the copyright page. The true first trade issue is the softcover, not a jacketed hardcover. True first US edition is the Bantam trade paperback original of 1981. A separate leatherette 'Louis L'Amour Collection' hardcover was issued without any dust jacket as a special/subscription edition and is not a conventional jacketed trade first. Not applicable in the ordinary sense; the collection leatherette hardcover was a special issue without a dust jacket and should not be described as a jacketed hardcover first.
• Milo Talon — 1981 · Bantam BooksBantam paperback original, published August 1981. As Bantam applied a printer's number line to its titles from late 1976, the first printing shows a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. No preceding US hardcover; the Bantam paperback is the first US appearance. The first US edition is the Bantam paperback original of August 1981. A Century Publishing (London) hardcover was also issued in 1981; month-level precedence between the two 1981 issues is not firmly established, but the Bantam paperback original is the recognized first appearance for this author's Bantam-published westerns. Not applicable as a book-club point; issued as a paperback original, so first-printing identification rests on the number line ending in 1 rather than a club marking.
• The Cherokee Trail — 1982 · Bantam BooksBantam mass market paperback original, 1982 (ISBN 0553208462). First printing so stated on the copyright page. Note a parallel leatherette Louis L'Amour Collection hardcover, issued without dust jacket as a subscription edition, also carries the 1982 date; the mass market paperback is the trade first. True first appearance is the Bantam paperback original. The leatherette Collection hardcover is a parallel subscription issue, not a separately preceding trade hardcover. No book-club edition; paperback original.
• The Shadow Riders — 1982 · Bantam BooksBantam mass market paperback original, October 1982 (ISBN 0553231324 / Bantam #23132). First printing so stated. TV tie-in cover with Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott; front cover art by Lou Glanzman; back cover carries an L'Amour interview. True first US; paperback original. No book-club edition; paperback original.
• The Lonesome Gods — 1983 · Bantam BooksBantam hardcover first, dated 1983 (ISBN 0553050141), 450 pages, in the original color-illustrated dust jacket. The first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The binding is three-quarter mauve paper over boards with a gilt facsimile L'Amour signature to the front cover and mauve cloth spine lettered in gilt; the jacket carries white lettering to the front panel and…. True first US hardcover edition, Bantam 1983; a major late-career novel confirmed by dealers as first edition, first printing. Distinguish the trade hardcover first from later printings of the same 1983 hardcover, which exist; always verify the number line ends in 1.
• Son of a Wanted Man — 1984 · Bantam BooksBantam mass-market paperback original, 1984. Confirm the first printing by the copyright-page printing-history statement ("First printing" / stated Bantam edition line) in combination with the original printed cover price on the front cover; later Bantam printings raise the cover price and revise the printing line, and sometimes the cover art. No preceding hardcover exists, so this paperback is the first appearance. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original with no earlier hardcover. No book-club edition applies; the paperback original is the first form. The common look-alikes are later Bantam reprints, distinguished by a higher cover price and a changed printing statement.
• The Walking Drum — 1984 · Bantam BooksBantam hardcover first, May 1984 (ISBN 0553050524), in dust jacket. First printing indicated by the complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. L'Amour's medieval-historical departure from the Western. True first US hardcover. Distinguish the trade hardcover first from later printings; verify the number line.
• Passin' Through — 1985 · Bantam BooksBantam mass-market paperback original, 1985. The first printing is identified on the copyright page by the printing-history statement ("First printing" / a stated Bantam edition line) together with the original printed cover price on the front cover; later Bantam reprints carry a higher cover price, sometimes revised cover art, and a changed printing-history line. There was no preceding hardcover, so the…. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original with no earlier hardcover. No book-club edition applies; the paperback original is the first form. Guard only against later Bantam reprints, which show a raised cover price and an altered printing statement.
• Last of the Breed — 1986 · Bantam BooksHardcover first edition, Bantam Books, July 1986, 358 pages. The true first shows the full number line 1 through 10 (ending in 1) on the copyright page and carries the original printed jacket price and Bantam hardcover jacket art. By the mid-1980s L'Amour was published first in hardcover by Bantam, so the hardcover is the true first here, unlike his 1950s and 1960s paperback originals. Signed copies exist. Book-club editions are typically smaller and lighter, lack the printed jacket price, and often show a blind-stamp on the rear board with no full number line. The trade first shows the complete number line including 1.
• The Sackett Companion — 1988 · Bantam BooksBantam Books hardcover first edition, dated 1988, dust jacket present. Bantam identifies a first printing by a complete number line on the copyright page with the numeral 1 present. A reference companion to the Sackett saga. True first US edition, Bantam hardcover. Later Bantam printings and book-club states exist; confirm the number line still shows the 1 to establish first printing.
• Education of a Wandering Man — 1989 · Bantam BooksBantam Books hardcover first edition, New York, dated 1989, with dust jacket present (ISBN 0-553-05703-0). The first printing is identified on the copyright page by the complete number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 with no stated later-printing wording. L'Amour's posthumously published memoir; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (a price-clipped jacket is acceptable but the price…. True first US edition, published in 1989 after L'Amour's June 1988 death; no earlier edition precedes the Bantam hardcover. Later printings drop the low digits from the number line (for example beginning at 2 or higher) and may carry a printing statement; a genuine first printing retains the full 1-through-10 sequence. Large-print and later reissue editions carry different ISBNs and are obviously subsequent.

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