# Is "Education of a Wandering Man" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1989) is identified by: Bantam Books hardcover first edition, dated 1989, dust jacket present. True first US edition; published after L'Amour's 1988 death.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam Books hardcover first edition, dated 1989, dust jacket present
- First printing shows the full number line 1 through 10 on the copyright page
- L'Amour's posthumously published memoir
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam Books hardcover first edition, dated 1989, dust jacket present |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Bantam Books hardcover first edition, dated 1989, dust jacket present. First printing shows the full number line 1 through 10 on the copyright page. L'Amour's posthumously published memoir.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; published after L'Amour's 1988 death.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the low numbers from the line; a first printing retains the complete 1-10 sequence.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Education of a Wandering Man* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/education-of-a-wandering-man
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.