The points of issue
First printing has the Scribner seal with the letter A on the copyright page. Bound in green cloth with a black spine panel, lettered and stamped in gilt. Issued in a pictorial dust jacket bearing the printed price. Published October 25, 1935, after serialization in Scribner's Magazine.
Is this the true first?
True US first edition; precedes the 1936 UK Cape edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note; later printings lack the A and seal on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Green Hills of Africa a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has the Scribner seal with the letter A on the copyright page. Bound in green cloth with a black spine panel, lettered and stamped in gilt. Issued in a pictorial dust jacket bearing the printed price. Published October 25, 1935, after serialization in Scribner's Magazine.
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. True US first edition; precedes the 1936 UK Cape edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition of note; later printings lack the A and seal on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of Green Hills of Africa — 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.