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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Silver Canyon by Louis L'Amour (Avalon Books, 1956) is identified by: Avalon Books hardcover first, dated 1956, issued with dust jacket. True first US hardcover edition; especially scarce in the original dust jacket.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Avalon Books hardcover first, dated 1956, issued with dust jacket
- Expanded from the earlier magazine story that ran as 'Riders of the Dawn' in Giant Western
- An unusually scarce early L'Amour cloth hardcover in the original jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Avalon Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Avalon Books |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Avalon Books hardcover first, dated 1956, issued with dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Avalon Books hardcover first, dated 1956, issued with dust jacket. Expanded from the earlier magazine story that ran as 'Riders of the Dawn' in Giant Western (1951). An unusually scarce early L'Amour cloth hardcover in the original jacket.

## Is this the true first?
True first US hardcover edition; especially scarce in the original dust jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition of the true first; later paperbacks are reprints.

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