The points of issue
First edition, 1949, a South American travel diary illustrated with photographs by William Caskey. The Methuen London printing is catalogued as the first English edition; a Random House New York edition also appeared in 1949.
Is this the true first?
Both the UK Methuen and US Random House editions were published in 1949. Methuen is generally catalogued as the first edition, but the precise month-level precedence between the two 1949 issues is not reliably documented; the claim that the UK printing definitively precedes the US should not be stated as certain.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Condor and the Cows a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, 1949, a South American travel diary illustrated with photographs by William Caskey. The Methuen London printing is catalogued as the first English edition; a Random House New York edition also appeared in 1949.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Both the UK Methuen and US Random House editions were published in 1949. Methuen is generally catalogued as the first edition, but the precise month-level precedence between the two 1949 issues is not reliably documented; the claim that the UK printing definitively precedes the US should not be stat
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue.
I have a first edition of The Condor and the Cows — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.