# Is "The Spirit of the Border" by Zane Grey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey (A.L. Burt, 1906) is identified by: Burt Company first edition, dated 1906, subtitled 'A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley,' with four illustrations by J. True first US edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- A.L. Burt Company first edition, dated 1906, subtitled 'A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley,' with four illustrations by J. Watson Davis
- Octavo in the publisher's original blue-gray cloth, the spine and upper cover pictorially decorated and lettered in red and black
- First-issue points include the earliest state of the terminal publisher's advertisements
- Second volume of the Ohio River (Betty Zane) trilogy; the original dust jacket is scarce and, when present, should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads A.L. Burt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zane Grey |
| Publisher | A.L. Burt |
| Year | 1906 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | A.L. Burt Company first edition, dated 1906, subtitled 'A Romance of the Early Settlers… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
A.L. Burt Company first edition, dated 1906, subtitled 'A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley,' with four illustrations by J. Watson Davis. Octavo in the publisher's original blue-gray cloth, the spine and upper cover pictorially decorated and lettered in red and black. First-issue points include the earliest state of the terminal publisher's advertisements. Second volume of the Ohio River (Betty Zane) trilogy; the original dust jacket is scarce and, when present, should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition. Although A.L. Burt was primarily a reprint house, this was the original publication of the title; there was no prior trade edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A.L. Burt reissued the title over many years using the same 1906 copyright date, so a 1906 copyright alone does not confirm the earliest state; some later Burt printings survive at least as late as 1919. Confirm the earliest binding decoration and the earliest state of the rear advertisements, and, where present, the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Spirit of the Border* by Zane Grey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-spirit-of-the-border
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.