# Is "Tales of Swordfish and Tuna" by Zane Grey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tales of Swordfish and Tuna by Zane Grey (Harper & Brothers, 1927) is identified by: Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-B (H = August month of printing, B = 1927 year) on the copyright page. True first US edition (angling); issued by Harper in New York and London, the New York issue regarded as the first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-B (H = August month of printing, B = 1927 year) on the copyright page
- Ninety illustrations from the author's photographs and drawings by Frank E. Phares
- Issued in a dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zane Grey |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1927 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-B (H = August month… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-B (H = August month of printing, B = 1927 year) on the copyright page. Ninety illustrations from the author's photographs and drawings by Frank E. Phares. Issued in a dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition (angling); issued by Harper in New York and London, the New York issue regarded as the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The record's code 'B-B' has the correct year letter (B = 1927 in the post-1937 recycled cycle) but an invented month letter. The verified first-printing code is H-B (August 1927).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tales of Swordfish and Tuna* by Zane Grey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tales-of-swordfish-and-tuna
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.