The points of issue
FSG first edition, with a stated first printing on the copyright page. Green cloth boards stamped in gilt to the spine, 72 pp., octavo; title-page drawing by Francis Parker; priced dust jacket. Contains the title elegy 'For the Union Dead' (the Colonel Shaw / Boston Common poem).
Is this the true first?
US true first; the Faber UK edition follows (1965). Signed copies are scarce.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note; later printings carry higher printing statements.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of For the Union Dead a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: FSG first edition, with a stated first printing on the copyright page. Green cloth boards stamped in gilt to the spine, 72 pp., octavo; title-page drawing by Francis Parker; priced dust jacket. Contains the title elegy 'For the Union Dead' (the Colonel Shaw / Boston Common poem).
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 true first; the Faber UK edition follows (1965). Signed copies are scarce.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition of note; later printings carry higher printing statements.
I have a first edition of For the Union Dead — 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.