The points of issue
First printing, The Viking Press, 1939. Second photo-text collaboration with Margaret Bourke-White, documenting Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Nazi invasion; text by Caldwell with black-and-white photogravures by Bourke-White, in cloth with dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
US first edition (Viking, 1939).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprints exist; the true first is the 1939 Viking issue. Some copies were signed by both author and photographer on the half title.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of North of the Danube a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing, The Viking Press, 1939. Second photo-text collaboration with Margaret Bourke-White, documenting Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Nazi invasion; text by Caldwell with black-and-white photogravures by Bourke-White, in cloth with dust jacket.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US first edition (Viking, 1939).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings and reprints exist; the true first is the 1939 Viking issue. Some copies were signed by both author and photographer on the half title.
I have a first edition of North of the Danube — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.