# Is "The Sure Hand of God" by Erskine Caldwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sure Hand of God by Erskine Caldwell (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1947) is identified by: First edition, first printing, published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1947. US edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1947
- Copyright page carries the firm's First Edition statement with no later-printing notations
- Issued in green cloth lettered in black on front and spine, in dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Duell, Sloan and Pearce
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erskine Caldwell |
| Publisher | Duell, Sloan and Pearce |
| Year | 1947 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1947 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1947. Copyright page carries the firm's First Edition statement with no later-printing notations. Issued in green cloth lettered in black on front and spine, in dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US edition is the true first. A UK edition followed from Falcon Press in 1948.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings exist and are distinguished by the absence of the First Edition statement and the presence of added printing notations; no book-club issue noted for the first appearance.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sure Hand of God* by Erskine Caldwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sure-hand-of-god
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.