# Is "Tucker" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tucker by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1971) is identified by: Bantam paperback original, 1971. True first is the US Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover precedes it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam paperback original, 1971
- Issued directly as a mass-market paperback; the 1971 Bantam wrappers are the true first
- Later Bantam printings carry printing designations, so look for the absence of any later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam paperback original, 1971 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam paperback original, 1971. Issued directly as a mass-market paperback; the 1971 Bantam wrappers are the true first. Later Bantam printings carry printing designations, so look for the absence of any later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the US Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable to a paperback original; there is no book-club edition to distinguish.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tucker* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tucker
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.