The points of issue
First printing has no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. Vanguard typically named subsequent printings; absence of any such statement indicates the first. Third novel in Farrell's Danny O'Neill pentalogy.
Is this the true first?
US first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1940.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are stated as such on the copyright page; the first carries no later-printing notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Father and Son a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. Vanguard typically named subsequent printings; absence of any such statement indicates the first. Third novel in Farrell's Danny O'Neill pentalogy.
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 first edition, published in New York by The Vanguard Press in 1940.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings are stated as such on the copyright page; the first carries no later-printing notice.
I have a first edition of Father and Son — 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.