# Is "Last Stand at Papago Wells" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Last Stand at Papago Wells by Louis L'Amour (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1957) is identified by: Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, catalogue number Gold Medal 686, with cover art by Frank McCarthy. True first US edition; a Gold Medal paperback original numbered 686.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, catalogue number Gold Medal 686, with cover art by Frank McCarthy
- No prior book edition exists; the paperback is the true first
- A first-printing copy carries the 1957 copyright and the Gold Medal 686 designation with no later-printing statement and the printed cover price intact
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, catalogue number Gold Medal 686, with cover… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, catalogue number Gold Medal 686, with cover art by Frank McCarthy. No prior book edition exists; the paperback is the true first. A first-printing copy carries the 1957 copyright and the Gold Medal 686 designation with no later-printing statement and the printed cover price intact.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; a Gold Medal paperback original numbered 686.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; a paperback original has no book-club edition. Later Gold Medal and Bantam reprints (carrying different catalogue numbers) are not firsts.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Last Stand at Papago Wells* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/last-stand-at-papago-wells
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.