The points of issue
First edition, first issue in green cloth, spine stamped in gilt, top edge stained, with pictorial endpapers and a title page printed in green and black. Title page, dust jacket, and endsheets carry illustrations by Mahlon Blaine. Although about 1,498 sheets were printed, only roughly 598 copies were bound in the Ballou green cloth. Goldstone & Payne A3a.
Is this the true first?
True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1935. After Tortilla Flat succeeded, remaining sheets were later bound up and reissued with a cancel title leaf under other imprints, so a different publisher on the title page indicates a later issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Scarce; later issues differ in binding and bear a cancel title leaf.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of To a God Unknown a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first issue in green cloth, spine stamped in gilt, top edge stained, with pictorial endpapers and a title page printed in green and black. Title page, dust jacket, and endsheets carry illustrations by Mahlon Blaine. Although about 1,498 sheets were printed, only roughly 598 copies were bound in the Ballou green cloth. Goldstone & Payne A3a.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True US first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1935. After Tortilla Flat succeeded, remaining sheets were later bound up and reissued with a cancel title leaf under other imprints, so a different publisher on the title page indicates a later issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Scarce; later issues differ in binding and bear a cancel title leaf.
I have a first edition of To a God Unknown — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.