Is My Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page
• Edited by Abbey from his own work, with his selections from twelve of his books, including a rare excerpt from Jonathan Troy and a then-unpublished excerpt from The Rites of Spring
• 383 pages, illustrated by the author
• The hardcover is bound in quarter white cloth with black paper over boards, the title stamped in red/maroon on the spine, in an illustrated dust jacket carrying the printed price at the front flap that should be unclipped on the true first
• A simultaneous softcover issue in black, white, blue, and red illustrated wraps also exists

How E.P. Dutton marked a first edition

• Pre-1929: same date on title page and copyright page, no additional printings listed.
• 1929 onward: state 'First Published (year)' or 'First Edition' on the copyright page.

Full E.P. Dutton first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
5. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

First-thus reader (first collected appearance of this selection); later reissued and retitled The Best of Edward Abbey by Sierra Club Books in 1988. The 1984 Dutton hardcover and its simultaneous Dutton softcover are the first appearances of this compilation.P-007677

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book-club edition concern.P-007678

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader a first edition?

A first edition of Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader by Edward Abbey (E.P. Dutton) is identified by: First printing bears Dutton's first-edition identification on the copyright page.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. First-thus reader (first collected appearance of this selection); later reissued and retitled The Best of Edward Abbey by Sierra Club Books in 1988.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book-club edition concern.

I have a first edition of Slumgullion Stew: An Edward Abbey Reader — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.