# Is "Smoke from This Altar" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Smoke from This Altar by Louis L'Amour (Lusk Publishing Company, 1939) is identified by: L'Amour's first published book and his only poetry collection, issued by Lusk Publishing Company, Oklahoma City, in 1939. This is the true first L'Amour book of any kind and his only volume of poetry, far scarcer than any of his Westerns and the cornerstone of a deep L'Amour collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- L'Amour's first published book and his only poetry collection, issued by Lusk Publishing Company, Oklahoma City, in 1939
- The first edition states First Edition at the foot of the title page
- Bound in grey cloth lettered in black, sixty-two pages
- The dust jacket is rare in any condition
- Identify by the Lusk imprint, the 1939 date, and the stated First Edition on the title page
- Publisher imprint reads Lusk Publishing Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Lusk Publishing Company |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | L'Amour's first published book and his only poetry collection, issued by Lusk Publishing Company, Oklahoma City, in 1939 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
L'Amour's first published book and his only poetry collection, issued by Lusk Publishing Company, Oklahoma City, in 1939. The first edition states First Edition at the foot of the title page. Bound in grey cloth lettered in black, sixty-two pages. The dust jacket is rare in any condition. Identify by the Lusk imprint, the 1939 date, and the stated First Edition on the title page.

## Is this the true first?
This is the true first L'Amour book of any kind and his only volume of poetry, far scarcer than any of his Westerns and the cornerstone of a deep L'Amour collection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club or reprint confusion of note; the rarity is the original 1939 Lusk printing itself. The byline reads Louis L'Amour, not an early name form such as LaMoore, so do not expect a variant spelling on this title.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Smoke from This Altar* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/smoke-from-this-altar
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.