# Is "Mojave Crossing" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mojave Crossing by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1964) is identified by: Bantam paperback original, first printing January 1964, Bantam catalog number J2712 on the spine and front cover. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original with no prior hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam paperback original, first printing January 1964, Bantam catalog number J2712 on the spine and front cover
- This is the ninth Sackett novel in order of publication, narrated by William Tell Sackett, who crosses the Mojave escorting Dorinda Robiseau while carrying gold from the Arizona diggings toward Los Angeles
- As a mass-market paperback of about 118 pages, the first printing is identified by the J2712 catalog number and the printed cover price rather than by any copyright-page number line; later Bantam printings carry higher catalog numbers and revised cover art and pricing
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam paperback original, first printing January 1964, Bantam catalog number J2712 on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam paperback original, first printing January 1964, Bantam catalog number J2712 on the spine and front cover. This is the ninth Sackett novel in order of publication, narrated by William Tell Sackett, who crosses the Mojave escorting Dorinda Robiseau while carrying gold from the Arizona diggings toward Los Angeles. As a mass-market paperback of about 118 pages, the first printing is identified by the J2712 catalog number and the printed cover price rather than by any copyright-page number line; later Bantam printings carry higher catalog numbers and revised cover art and pricing.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original with no prior hardcover. Bantam issued L'Amour's Sackett titles of this period directly into wrappers, so the January 1964 J2712 printing is the earliest obtainable state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; paperback original with no book-club edition. Distinguish the first printing from later Bantam reprints by the J2712 catalog number and original cover price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mojave Crossing* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mojave-crossing
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.