# Is "Follow Me Down" by Shelby Foote a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Follow Me Down by Shelby Foote (The Dial Press, 1950) is identified by: First edition, first printing in red cloth lettered in blue on the spine. US Dial Press is the true first; the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton) follows in the same period.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing in red cloth lettered in blue on the spine
- The copyright page lists no additional printings; later printings are noted on the copyright page
- First-issue dust jacket carries the price on the front flap (price-clipped or unpriced jackets are later or compromised states)
- Publisher imprint reads The Dial Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Shelby Foote |
| Publisher | The Dial Press |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing in red cloth lettered in blue on the spine |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing in red cloth lettered in blue on the spine. The copyright page lists no additional printings; later printings are noted on the copyright page. First-issue dust jacket carries the price on the front flap (price-clipped or unpriced jackets are later or compromised states).

## Is this the true first?
US Dial Press is the true first; the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton) follows in the same period.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by printing notations on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Follow Me Down* by Shelby Foote a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/follow-me-down
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.