# Is "The Tall Stranger" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tall Stranger by Louis L'Amour (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1957) is identified by: Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, and the true first book edition of the title. True first US edition; a Gold Medal paperback original with catalogue number 700.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, and the true first book edition of the title
- The first printing carries Gold Medal catalogue number 700 on the front cover and spine
- Copies bearing later 'S'-prefixed catalogue numbers (for example S1430) are subsequent reprints, not the 1957 first printing; a later movie tie-in cover also exists
- Identify the first by the 700 code together with the 1957 dating and the absence of reprint statements
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, and the true first book edition of the title |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1957, and the true first book edition of the title. The first printing carries Gold Medal catalogue number 700 on the front cover and spine. Copies bearing later 'S'-prefixed catalogue numbers (for example S1430) are subsequent reprints, not the 1957 first printing; a later movie tie-in cover also exists. Identify the first by the 700 code together with the 1957 dating and the absence of reprint statements.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; a Gold Medal paperback original with catalogue number 700.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; a paperback original has no book-club edition. Later Gold Medal reprints, which carry different (often S-prefixed) catalogue numbers, are not firsts.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tall Stranger* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tall-stranger
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.