# Is "Love in a Dry Season" by Shelby Foote a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Love in a Dry Season by Shelby Foote (The Dial Press, 1951) is identified by: First edition, first printing in original cloth (octavo). US Dial Press is the true first; the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing in original cloth (octavo)
- The copyright page carries no later-printing notation; subsequent printings are so noted
- First-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads The Dial Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Shelby Foote |
| Publisher | The Dial Press |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing in original cloth (octavo) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing in original cloth (octavo). The copyright page carries no later-printing notation; subsequent printings are so noted. First-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Dial Press is the true first; the UK edition (Hamish Hamilton) follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by printing notations on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Love in a Dry Season* by Shelby Foote a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/love-in-a-dry-season
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.