# Is "The Shadow Riders" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Shadow Riders by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1982) is identified by: Bantam mass market paperback original, October 1982 (ISBN 0553231324 / Bantam #23132). True first US; paperback original.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam mass market paperback original, October 1982 (ISBN 0553231324 / Bantam #23132)
- First printing so stated
- TV tie-in cover with Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott; front cover art by Lou Glanzman; back cover carries an L'Amour interview
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam mass market paperback original, October 1982 (ISBN 0553231324 / Bantam #23132) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam mass market paperback original, October 1982 (ISBN 0553231324 / Bantam #23132). First printing so stated. TV tie-in cover with Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott; front cover art by Lou Glanzman; back cover carries an L'Amour interview.

## Is this the true first?
True first US; paperback original.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Shadow Riders* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-shadow-riders
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.