# Is "The Iron Marshal" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Iron Marshal by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1979) is identified by: Bantam paperback original, published January 1979. The true first US edition is the Bantam paperback original of January 1979, published simultaneously with a Canadian Bantam printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam paperback original, published January 1979
- As Bantam applied a printer's number line to its titles from late 1976, the first printing shows a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- No preceding US hardcover; the Bantam paperback is the first appearance
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam paperback original, published January 1979 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam paperback original, published January 1979. As Bantam applied a printer's number line to its titles from late 1976, the first printing shows a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. No preceding US hardcover; the Bantam paperback is the first appearance.

## Is this the true first?
The true first US edition is the Bantam paperback original of January 1979, published simultaneously with a Canadian Bantam printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable as a book-club point; issued as a paperback original, so first-printing identification rests on the number line ending in 1 rather than a club marking.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Iron Marshal* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-iron-marshal
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.