The points of issue
First printing: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1951; subtitle 'A Naturalist's Record of a 17,000-Mile Journey with the North American Spring'; the first volume of the 'American Seasons' quartet. Confirm Dodd, Mead's first-printing convention on the copyright page and a price-bearing trade dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
True first US (Dodd, Mead, 1951). The quartet concluded with 'Wandering Through Winter' (1965), which won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. No earlier edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues of Teale's nature titles exist, typically with a blind-stamp on the rear board and an unpriced jacket; confirm the Dodd, Mead trade first printing and a price on the jacket flap.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of North with the Spring a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1951; subtitle 'A Naturalist's Record of a 17,000-Mile Journey with the North American Spring'; the first volume of the 'American Seasons' quartet. Confirm Dodd, Mead's first-printing convention on the copyright page and a price-bearing trade 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. True first US (Dodd, Mead, 1951). The quartet concluded with 'Wandering Through Winter' (1965), which won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. No earlier edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issues of Teale's nature titles exist, typically with a blind-stamp on the rear board and an unpriced jacket; confirm the Dodd, Mead trade first printing and a price on the jacket flap.
I have a first edition of North with the Spring — 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.