# Is "Guns of the Timberlands" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Guns of the Timberlands by Louis L'Amour (Jason Press, 1955) is identified by: Jason Press hardcover first, dated 1955 on the title page, issued in dust jacket; the text runs to 182 pages. True first US hardcover edition, published by Jason Press in 1955; scarce in the original dust jacket.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Jason Press hardcover first, dated 1955 on the title page, issued in dust jacket; the text runs to 182 pages
- One of L'Amour's earliest hardcover first editions and genuinely scarce in the original pictorial jacket, which should carry its printed price to the front flap
- As a small-house 1955 hardcover there is no printer's number line; the imprint and date alone identify the edition
- Publisher imprint reads Jason Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Jason Press |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Jason Press hardcover first, dated 1955 on the title page, issued in dust jacket; the text runs to 182 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Jason Press hardcover first, dated 1955 on the title page, issued in dust jacket; the text runs to 182 pages. One of L'Amour's earliest hardcover first editions and genuinely scarce in the original pictorial jacket, which should carry its printed price to the front flap. As a small-house 1955 hardcover there is no printer's number line; the imprint and date alone identify the edition.

## Is this the true first?
True first US hardcover edition, published by Jason Press in 1955; scarce in the original dust jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of the true first exists; the later Bantam paperbacks are reprints and are not identified by any number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Guns of the Timberlands* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/guns-of-the-timberlands
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.