A very good example of the Harper & Brothers January 1919 first edition, carrying the correct A‑T code on the copyright page, and paired with a scarce, very good+ unclipped dust jacket. This copy includes a striking black and white half-tone portrait of Zane Grey, dressed formally in jacket and tie, signed by the author in bold purple ink—a terrific piece of period presentation that will appeal strongly to dedicated Grey collectors.
 
The Desert of Wheat marks an intriguing moment in Grey’s career: an early, non‑western novel written during World War I, centered on Washington State wheat farmer Kurt Dorn and his battle to defend his land from saboteurs and the radical I.W.W. The book won critical acclaim and remains one of Grey’s most popular works and jacketed first editions are genuinely hard to find.
 
Condition: Octavo, 377 pages, with four W.H.D. Koerner illustrations including the frontispiece. Publisher’s cloth with gilt titles and decoration to boards and spine. Light edge wear, mild softening at spine ends, a few small smudges to cloth. Pencil bookseller notation on the front endpaper (“$1.50 net” and “1/19”). Early owner name dated 1919 on the front free endpaper, repeated on the rear endpaper alongside a Brentano’s Washington D.C. label.
 
The Half-Tone photograph is in fine condition measuring 5 3/4"x3 1/2" (14.6x9cm)
 
This copy comes with two full‑color wraparound dust jackets: the original Harper & Brothers jacket and the nearly identical Grosset & Dunlap issue, both in very good condition. The Harper jacket shows typical chipping at folds and spine ends, light creasing, a small scrape to the rear panel, a few short, closed tears, and some sunning to the spine; several small tape mends to the verso.
 
A strong, collectible 1919 first edition—complete, presentable, and enhanced by Grey’s signed portrait photo, making it an appealing acquisition for any serious Zane Grey collector.