# Is "If He Hollers Let Him Go" by Chester Himes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Himes (Doubleday, Doran, 1945) is identified by: 'FIRST EDITION' is stated on the copyright page, following Doubleday, Doran practice, and later printings drop the statement — stated second printings of this title are documented. The Doubleday, Doran (Garden City, New York, 1945) edition is the true first — Himes's debut novel; note the imprint city is Garden City, not New York as sometimes cataloged.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'FIRST EDITION' is stated on the copyright page, following Doubleday, Doran practice, and later printings drop the statement — stated second printings of this title are documented
- The book is bound in black cloth with yellow lettering on the spine (249 pages, on toned wartime paper stock)
- The first-issue dust jacket is priced and carries reviews of four other Doubleday books on the back panel
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday, Doran
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Chester Himes |
| Publisher | Doubleday, Doran |
| Year | 1945 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'FIRST EDITION' is stated on the copyright page, following Doubleday, Doran practice, and later printings drop the statement — stated… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
'FIRST EDITION' is stated on the copyright page, following Doubleday, Doran practice, and later printings drop the statement — stated second printings of this title are documented. The book is bound in black cloth with yellow lettering on the spine (249 pages, on toned wartime paper stock). The first-issue dust jacket is priced and carries reviews of four other Doubleday books on the back panel.

## Is this the true first?
The Doubleday, Doran (Garden City, New York, 1945) edition is the true first — Himes's debut novel; note the imprint city is Garden City, not New York as sometimes cataloged. The first UK edition followed from Falcon Press (London) in 1947, in black cloth with gilt spine lettering (203 pages); the American edition holds clear precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue is documented; copies lacking the stated 'FIRST EDITION,' or marked as later printings, are reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *If He Hollers Let Him Go* by Chester Himes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/if-he-hollers-let-him-go
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.