The points of issue
First printing is identified by 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (McGraw-Hill of this period used a stated 'First Edition,' not a number line). Bound in brown cloth with white and tan spine lettering; collation xiv, [2], 269 pages, with the author's four-page introduction and nineteen chapter-head illustrations that appear only in this edition. First-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap with no later-printing notice.
Is this the true first?
US McGraw-Hill 1968 is the true first; the UK (Robert Hale, 1969) edition is a separate first. A separate 'Desert Solitaire' entry already exists; this entry adds copyright-page and jacket points to distinguish the true first from later trade reprints and the Ballantine paperback.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club issue. Later trade and paperback reprints are told from the first by added printing statements on the copyright page and by the absence of the priced first-issue jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Desert Solitaire (true-first state and proof points) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing is identified by 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (McGraw-Hill of this period used a stated 'First Edition,' not a number line). Bound in brown cloth with white and tan spine lettering; collation xiv, [2], 269 pages, with the author's four-page introduction and nineteen chapter-head illustrations that appear only in this edition. First-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap with no later-printing notice.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US McGraw-Hill 1968 is the true first; the UK (Robert Hale, 1969) edition is a separate first. A separate 'Desert Solitaire' entry already exists; this entry adds copyright-page and jacket points to distinguish the true first from later trade reprints and the Ballantine paperback.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No major book-club issue. Later trade and paperback reprints are told from the first by added printing statements on the copyright page and by the absence of the priced first-issue jacket.
I have a first edition of Desert Solitaire (true-first state and proof points) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.