# Is "Somebody in Boots" by Nelson Algren a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Somebody in Boots by Nelson Algren (Vanguard Press, 1935) is identified by: First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1935, in orange cloth with black spine lettering and a reddish-brown top stain, 322 pages. US Vanguard Press 1935 is the true first; no notable simultaneous UK edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1935, in orange cloth with black spine lettering and a reddish-brown top stain, 322 pages
- Algren's scarce debut novel, drawn from his time in Depression-era Texas
- The original pictorial dust jacket is elusive and frequently absent or replaced with a facsimile; when present it should carry the printed price on the flap
- Copies are genuinely scarce, and markedly so in the original jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Nelson Algren |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1935 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1935, in orange cloth with black spine lettering and a reddish-brown top stain, 322 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing, Vanguard Press, New York, 1935, in orange cloth with black spine lettering and a reddish-brown top stain, 322 pages. Algren's scarce debut novel, drawn from his time in Depression-era Texas. The original pictorial dust jacket is elusive and frequently absent or replaced with a facsimile; when present it should carry the printed price on the flap. Copies are genuinely scarce, and markedly so in the original jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Vanguard Press 1935 is the true first; no notable simultaneous UK edition. The book is genuinely scarce, especially in jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; later printings are stated on the copyright page, so a copyright page free of any additional-printing statement supports the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Somebody in Boots* by Nelson Algren a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/somebody-in-boots
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.