# Is "The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Sketches" by Bret Harte a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Sketches by Bret Harte (Fields, Osgood & Co., 1870) is identified by: The book on which Harte's national fame rested.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The book on which Harte's national fame rested
- The genuine first issue (BAL 7246) was published without the story 'Brown of Calaveras,' collating viii,239 pages, and is bound in burgundy (terra-cotta) blind-stamped cloth with gilt spine lettering and brown endpapers
- The expanded second issue (BAL 7247) added 'Brown of Calaveras,' collates iv,[4],256 pages, and appears in blind-stamped green cloth, also gilt-lettered with brown endpapers
- Publisher imprint reads Fields, Osgood & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bret Harte |
| Publisher | Fields, Osgood & Co. |
| Year | 1870 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The book on which Harte's national fame rested |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The book on which Harte's national fame rested. The genuine first issue (BAL 7246) was published without the story 'Brown of Calaveras,' collating viii,239 pages, and is bound in burgundy (terra-cotta) blind-stamped cloth with gilt spine lettering and brown endpapers. The expanded second issue (BAL 7247) added 'Brown of Calaveras,' collates iv,[4],256 pages, and appears in blind-stamped green cloth, also gilt-lettered with brown endpapers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Sketches* by Bret Harte a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-luck-of-roaring-camp-and-other-sketches
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.