# Is "The Broken Ground" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Broken Ground by Wendell Berry (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1964) is identified by: Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1964; the copyright page states 'first edition.' A slim volume of poems, roughly 56 pages, bound in light brown paper-covered boards over light gray buckram spine, the spine lettered in gilt, with green endpapers. True first US edition of Berry's early poetry collection The Broken Ground, his third book and first full collection of poems, so avoid ranking it as an overall debut.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1964; the copyright page states 'first edition.' A slim volume of poems, roughly 56 pages, bound in light brown paper-covered boards over light gray buckram spine, the spine lettered in gilt, with green endpapers
- The first-issue dust jacket is found unclipped
- Catalogued as Freedman A3a
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace & World
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1964; the copyright page states 'first edition.' A slim volume of poems, roughly 56 pages, bound in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1964; the copyright page states 'first edition.' A slim volume of poems, roughly 56 pages, bound in light brown paper-covered boards over light gray buckram spine, the spine lettered in gilt, with green endpapers. The first-issue dust jacket is found unclipped. Catalogued as Freedman A3a.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of Berry's early poetry collection The Broken Ground, his third book and first full collection of poems, so avoid ranking it as an overall debut. A separate first UK edition was later issued by Jonathan Cape (London, 1966).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club concern for the stated first edition; confirm the stated 'first edition' line, the buckram-and-boards binding, and green endpapers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Broken Ground* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-broken-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.