# Is "Shadow on the Trail" by Zane Grey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Shadow on the Trail by Zane Grey (Harper & Brothers, 1946) is identified by: Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Harper code letters 'A-V' (A = January printing month, V = 1946 year). True first is the US Harper & Brothers edition; posthumous.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Harper code letters 'A-V' (A = January printing month, V = 1946 year)
- In dust jacket
- Posthumously published
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zane Grey |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1946 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Harper code letters 'A-V' (A = January printing month, V = 1946 year). In dust jacket. Posthumously published.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the US Harper & Brothers edition; posthumous.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Walter J. Black and other reprints are common and lack the stated 'First Edition' line and the 'A-V' code; verify both.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Shadow on the Trail* by Zane Grey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/shadow-on-the-trail
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.