# Is "Some American People" by Erskine Caldwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Some American People by Erskine Caldwell (Robert M. McBride & Company, 1935) is identified by: First printing, published 1935 by Robert M. US first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, published 1935 by Robert M. McBride & Company, New York
- Non-fiction Depression-era reportage
- Caldwell's first collection of non-fiction pieces
- Publisher imprint reads Robert M. McBride & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erskine Caldwell |
| Publisher | Robert M. McBride & Company |
| Year | 1935 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, published 1935 by Robert M. McBride & Company, New York |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing, published 1935 by Robert M. McBride & Company, New York. Non-fiction Depression-era reportage; Caldwell's first collection of non-fiction pieces.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprints exist; a true first is the McBride 1935 issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Some American People* by Erskine Caldwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/some-american-people
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.