# Is "Jonathan Troy" by Edward Abbey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Jonathan Troy by Edward Abbey (Dodd, Mead, 1954) is identified by: Dodd, Mead first-printing convention: title-page date of 1954 matching the copyright page, with no statement of a later printing. True first and Abbey's first book; a US-only publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dodd, Mead first-printing convention: title-page date of 1954 matching the copyright page, with no statement of a later printing
- Bound in black paper-covered boards (glossy) stamped in yellow on the spine, in an unclipped color pictorial dust jacket designed by Stefan Salter
- Publisher imprint reads Dodd, Mead
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Abbey |
| Publisher | Dodd, Mead |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dodd, Mead first-printing convention: title-page date of 1954 matching the copyright… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Dodd, Mead first-printing convention: title-page date of 1954 matching the copyright page, with no statement of a later printing. Bound in black paper-covered boards (glossy) stamped in yellow on the spine, in an unclipped color pictorial dust jacket designed by Stefan Salter.

## Is this the true first?
True first and Abbey's first book; a US-only publication. Abbey disowned it and never allowed a reprint, so the 1954 Dodd, Mead first is the only edition; genuinely scarce, especially in jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition exists; every copy is the trade first. Be wary of ex-library copies and restored or price-clipped jackets presented as fine.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Jonathan Troy* by Edward Abbey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/jonathan-troy
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.