# Is "Tragic Ground" by Erskine Caldwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tragic Ground by Erskine Caldwell (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1944) is identified by: First edition, first printing published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1944; the copyright page of the first printing bears no later-printing notice, whereas later printings within the first edition are designated 'Second Printing.' Grey cloth with green lettering on the spine, 12mo; collation runs to page 237. US first edition (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1944).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1944; the copyright page of the first printing bears no later-printing notice, whereas later printings within the first edition are designated 'Second Printing.' Grey cloth with green lettering on the spine, 12mo; collation runs to page 237
- A wartime imprint, printed on wartime-standard paper
- The dust jacket should carry the printed price; jacketed copies are scarce
- Publisher imprint reads Duell, Sloan and Pearce
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erskine Caldwell |
| Publisher | Duell, Sloan and Pearce |
| Year | 1944 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1944; the copyright page of the first printing bears no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1944; the copyright page of the first printing bears no later-printing notice, whereas later printings within the first edition are designated 'Second Printing.' Grey cloth with green lettering on the spine, 12mo; collation runs to page 237. A wartime imprint, printed on wartime-standard paper. The dust jacket should carry the printed price; jacketed copies are scarce.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1944).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings within the first edition are marked 'Second Printing'; absence of any such notice indicates the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tragic Ground* by Erskine Caldwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tragic-ground
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.