# Is "The Dain Curse" by Dashiell Hammett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett (Alfred A. Knopf, 1929) is identified by: First printing has the Borzoi device and no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. US Knopf (1929) is the true first, preceding the UK edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the Borzoi device and no statement of a later printing on the copyright page
- Bound in yellow cloth, the front board with a skull-and-crossbones ornament and the rear board stamped with the black rectangular Borzoi Books device; spine lettered in black and red
- A reliable text point of the first printing is 'dopped in' for 'dropped in' at page 260, line 19
- First-issue jacket carries the printed price
- Hammett's second novel
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dashiell Hammett |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1929 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the Borzoi device and no statement of a later printing on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the Borzoi device and no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. Bound in yellow cloth, the front board with a skull-and-crossbones ornament and the rear board stamped with the black rectangular Borzoi Books device; spine lettered in black and red. A reliable text point of the first printing is 'dopped in' for 'dropped in' at page 260, line 19. First-issue jacket carries the printed price. Hammett's second novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf (1929) is the true first, preceding the UK edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are stated on the copyright page. No significant book-club edition; beware ex-library and reprint copies.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Dain Curse* by Dashiell Hammett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-dain-curse
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.