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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Shalako by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1962) is identified by: Bantam Books paperback original, 1962, catalogue number E3184, with the first printing so stated on the copyright page (no later-printing statement). True first US edition; paperback original, published New York by Bantam in 1962.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam Books paperback original, 1962, catalogue number E3184, with the first printing so stated on the copyright page (no later-printing statement)
- The pictorial wrappers carry the E3184 designation and the printed cover price; later Bantam printings retain the title but reset the printing statement and often change the catalogue/price, so a copy stating only the first printing with no additional impression line is the point to confirm
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam Books paperback original, 1962, catalogue number E3184, with the first printing so… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam Books paperback original, 1962, catalogue number E3184, with the first printing so stated on the copyright page (no later-printing statement). The pictorial wrappers carry the E3184 designation and the printed cover price; later Bantam printings retain the title but reset the printing statement and often change the catalogue/price, so a copy stating only the first printing with no additional impression line is the point to confirm.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; paperback original, published New York by Bantam in 1962. A Corgi paperback appeared in the UK the same year, so the US Bantam E3184 is the primary point of reference.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; paperback original. Copies stating a second, third, or fourth printing are later Bantam impressions, not the first.

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