# Is "Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life" by W. H. Hudson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life by W. H. Hudson (J. M. Dent / E. P. Dutton, 1918) is identified by: Dent (London), 1918, in original cloth; first US: E. The UK Dent issue (1918) is generally taken as the true first, with the US Dutton issue effectively simultaneous in the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads J. M. Dent / E. P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. H. Hudson |
| Publisher | J. M. Dent / E. P. Dutton |
| Year | 1918 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition: J. M. Dent (London), 1918, in original cloth; first US: E. P. Dutton (New York), 1918 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life* by W. H. Hudson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/far-away-and-long-ago-a-history-of-my-early-life
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.