# Is "The Rounders signed first" by Max Evans a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rounders signed first by Max Evans (Macmillan, 1960) is identified by: The Macmillan Company, New York, 1960 — Max Evans's first novel and a cornerstone of the New Mexico cowboy canon. The 1960 Macmillan (New York) hardcover is the true first edition and first printing, identified by the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Macmillan Company, New York, 1960 — Max Evans's first novel and a cornerstone of the New Mexico cowboy canon
- First edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page
- 153 pages, octavo, illustrated by Charles W. Walker
- Bound in brown cloth over boards with red lettering stamped on the front board and spine, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket with the printed price on the front flap (first-state jackets should retain that printed price rather than being clipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Max Evans |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Macmillan Company, New York, 1960 — Max Evans's first novel and a cornerstone of the New Mexico cowboy canon |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Macmillan Company, New York, 1960 — Max Evans's first novel and a cornerstone of the New Mexico cowboy canon. First edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page; 153 pages, octavo, illustrated by Charles W. Walker. Bound in brown cloth over boards with red lettering stamped on the front board and spine, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket with the printed price on the front flap (first-state jackets should retain that printed price rather than being clipped).

## Is this the true first?
The 1960 Macmillan (New York) hardcover is the true first edition and first printing, identified by the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. US and UK Macmillan conventions differ — establish which imprint you hold first. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rounders signed first* by Max Evans a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rounders-signed-first
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.