The points of issue
First UK edition: J. M. Dent (London), 1918, in original cloth; first US: E. P. Dutton (New York), 1918. Both first printings carry the 1918 imprint with no later-printing statement. Hudson's memoir of his early life as a naturalist on the Argentine pampas.
Is this the true first?
The UK Dent issue (1918) is generally taken as the true first, with the US Dutton issue effectively simultaneous in the same year. Confirm by imprint; both are dated 1918.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Dent and Dutton reprints, and the modern Eland reissue, are 'first thus.' Verify the 1918 imprint and the absence of any additional-printing notation.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition: J. M. Dent (London), 1918, in original cloth; first US: E. P. Dutton (New York), 1918. Both first printings carry the 1918 imprint with no later-printing statement. Hudson's memoir of his early life as a naturalist on the Argentine pampas.
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. The UK Dent issue (1918) is generally taken as the true first, with the US Dutton issue effectively simultaneous in the same year. Confirm by imprint; both are dated 1918.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Dent and Dutton reprints, and the modern Eland reissue, are 'first thus.' Verify the 1918 imprint and the absence of any additional-printing notation.
I have a first edition of Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life — 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.