# Is "High Sierra" by W. R. Burnett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of High Sierra by W. R. Burnett (Alfred A. Knopf, 1940) is identified by: The first printing carries "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page, consistent with Knopf house practice from 1934 onward (books published since 1934 state "First Edition," or later use a number line with the "1" present); on Knopf reprints the statement is removed and/or a later-printing statement appears. US Knopf (New York) 1940 is the true first edition; the census claim is confirmed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing carries "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page, consistent with Knopf house practice from 1934 onward (books published since 1934 state "First Edition," or later use a number line with the "1" present); on Knopf reprints the statement is removed and/or a later-printing statement appears
- Trade issue is a small octavo of 292 pp. in red-orange/orange cloth stamped in dark gray, in a pictorial jacket; a priced jacket with the price present at the front flap is the unclipped first-issue state
- A scarce advance state precedes the trade binding: yellow printed wrappers with navy blue titling, the publisher's synopsis and publication date printed on the front wrapper, and "SAMPLE COPY - NOT FOR SALE" rubber-stamped to the top edge of the text block
- Knopf advance copies of this period were fragile and the wrappers are prone to separation
- One dealer additionally reports a second printing in orange cloth with the titles stamped in deep blue rather than dark gray — that binding-color shift is single-source and should be treated as indicative only, not relied on alone
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. R. Burnett |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1940 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing carries "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page, consistent with Knopf house practice from 1934 onward (books… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The first printing carries "FIRST EDITION" stated on the copyright page, consistent with Knopf house practice from 1934 onward (books published since 1934 state "First Edition," or later use a number line with the "1" present); on Knopf reprints the statement is removed and/or a later-printing statement appears. Trade issue is a small octavo of 292 pp. in red-orange/orange cloth stamped in dark gray, in a pictorial jacket; a priced jacket with the price present at the front flap is the unclipped first-issue state. A scarce advance state precedes the trade binding: yellow printed wrappers with navy blue titling, the publisher's synopsis and publication date printed on the front wrapper, and "SAMPLE COPY - NOT FOR SALE" rubber-stamped to the top edge of the text block; Knopf advance copies of this period were fragile and the wrappers are prone to separation. One dealer additionally reports a second printing in orange cloth with the titles stamped in deep blue rather than dark gray — that binding-color shift is single-source and should be treated as indicative only, not relied on alone.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf (New York) 1940 is the true first edition; the census claim is confirmed. No separately issued British edition preceding or contemporaneous with the Knopf printing was located, so there is no UK-vs-US precedence contest for this title. Note that Knopf carried a London imprint line in this period, which can cause catalogue entries to read "New York and London" for the same 1940 sheets — that is not evidence of a distinct earlier English edition. Later paperback and film-tie-in appearances (the 1941 Raoul Walsh film) are reprints, not firsts, and any post-1940 hardcover reissue is a "first thus" trap.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition tells for this title are documented in the sources consulted. General Knopf reprint tells apply: absence of the "FIRST EDITION" statement on the copyright page, or the presence of a later-printing statement, rules out the first printing. Reported second-printing binding (deep blue spine titling in place of dark gray) is single-source and unconfirmed. Claims of a Grosset & Dunlap photoplay reprint tied to the 1941 film could not be substantiated and are not asserted here.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *High Sierra* by W. R. Burnett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/high-sierra
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.