# Is "Where the Long Grass Blows" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Where the Long Grass Blows by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1976) is identified by: Bantam paperback original, 1976. True first is the 1976 Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam paperback original, 1976
- First book edition; no hardcover precedes it
- Protagonist Bill Canavan
- As with Bantam mass-market originals of this period, the first printing is identified by the number line on the copyright page reading down to 1
- Bantam typically did not print a First Edition statement, so the presence of the 1 in the printer's key is the point to confirm, and later printings delete the low numbers
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam paperback original, 1976 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Bantam paperback original, 1976. First book edition; no hardcover precedes it. Protagonist Bill Canavan. As with Bantam mass-market originals of this period, the first printing is identified by the number line on the copyright page reading down to 1; Bantam typically did not print a First Edition statement, so the presence of the 1 in the printer's key is the point to confirm, and later printings delete the low numbers.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1976 Bantam paperback original; no earlier hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Where the Long Grass Blows* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/where-the-long-grass-blows
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.