# Is "Harvest Home" by Thomas Tryon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1973) is identified by: Knopf first printings state "First Edition" on the copyright page with no accompanying reprint or later-printing line; the presence of that bare statement, unqualified, is the operative test. The true first is the US edition: Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf first printings state "First Edition" on the copyright page with no accompanying reprint or later-printing line; the presence of that bare statement, unqualified, is the operative test
- This follows Knopf house practice — consistent since 1933–34 — of stating "First Edition" on first printings and noting every subsequent printing, so later impressions of Harvest Home carry a reprint statement ("Second Printing," "Third Printing," etc.) and are frequently offered as "First Edition
- Third Printing." Knopf used the statement rather than a number line in 1973, so no number line should be expected or looked for
- Octavo, 401 pages, issued in cloth with gilt spine lettering and a toned top edge
- The jacket should be a priced jacket with the price present at the front flap
- No first-state textual error is recorded for this title in dealer or reference descriptions — do not invent one
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf, New York

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas Tryon |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf, New York |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf first printings state "First Edition" on the copyright page with no accompanying reprint or later-printing line; the presence of that… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf first printings state "First Edition" on the copyright page with no accompanying reprint or later-printing line; the presence of that bare statement, unqualified, is the operative test. This follows Knopf house practice — consistent since 1933–34 — of stating "First Edition" on first printings and noting every subsequent printing, so later impressions of Harvest Home carry a reprint statement ("Second Printing," "Third Printing," etc.) and are frequently offered as "First Edition; Third Printing." Knopf used the statement rather than a number line in 1973, so no number line should be expected or looked for. Octavo, 401 pages, issued in cloth with gilt spine lettering and a toned top edge. The jacket should be a priced jacket with the price present at the front flap. No first-state textual error is recorded for this title in dealer or reference descriptions — do not invent one.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the US edition: Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1973. The census precedence note is WRONG on the UK side: there is no Heinemann edition. The first UK edition was published by Hodder & Stoughton, London, dated 1974 (recorded publication 4 February 1974), in green boards with gilt spine lettering and a green top edge, 401pp — roughly a year after Knopf, so it holds no precedence. Both the Knopf 1973 first and the Hodder & Stoughton 1974 first UK edition are collected, the Knopf being the true first. Later Coronet/Fawcett paperbacks and reissues are "first thus" traps, not firsts.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book Club Edition was issued under the same Knopf imprint and 1973 title page, which is the trap — the title page alone does not distinguish it. BCE tells: the jacket is printed without a price at the flap (an unpriced jacket, not a clipped one), a blind stamp / small embossed device is present on the lower rear board, and the book is bulked on lighter stock with a slightly smaller trim than the trade first. Many BCE jackets also state "Book Club Edition" on the flap. A BCE never carries a genuine priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Harvest Home* by Thomas Tryon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/harvest-home
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.