# Is "The Harder They Fall" by Budd Schulberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Harder They Fall by Budd Schulberg (Random House, 1947) is identified by: Stated First Printing on the copyright page; the statement is dropped on later printings (Random House of this era did not use number lines). US Random House first precedes the UK first (The Bodley Head/John Lane, 1948).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Stated First Printing on the copyright page; the statement is dropped on later printings (Random House of this era did not use number lines)
- Black cloth lettered in red and white, top edge stained red, dust jacket designed by Louis Glanzman
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Budd Schulberg |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1947 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Stated First Printing on the copyright page; the statement is dropped on later printings (Random House of this era did not use number lines) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Stated First Printing on the copyright page; the statement is dropped on later printings (Random House of this era did not use number lines). Black cloth lettered in red and white, top edge stained red, dust jacket designed by Louis Glanzman.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first precedes the UK first (The Bodley Head/John Lane, 1948).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition exists, identifiable by a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and the absence of the First Printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Harder They Fall* by Budd Schulberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-harder-they-fall
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.