# Is "The Walking Drum" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1984) is identified by: Bantam hardcover first, May 1984 (ISBN 0553050524), in dust jacket. True first US hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam hardcover first, May 1984 (ISBN 0553050524), in dust jacket
- First printing indicated by the complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- L'Amour's medieval-historical departure from the Western
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam hardcover first, May 1984 (ISBN 0553050524), in dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Bantam hardcover first, May 1984 (ISBN 0553050524), in dust jacket. First printing indicated by the complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. L'Amour's medieval-historical departure from the Western.

## Is this the true first?
True first US hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the trade hardcover first from later printings; verify the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Walking Drum* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-walking-drum
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.