A Farewell To Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
Set during World War 1, Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is the story of Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American serving as an ambulance driver in the Italian army, and his love affair with an English nurse named Catherine Barkley. The novel is semi-autobiographical, based on Hemingway's own experiences serving in the Italian campaigns during the war. While some assume the title of the work to be taken from a poem by 16th century English dramatist George Peele, others believe it to be a simple pun of the word “arms.”
A Farewell to Arms was first serialized in the May-October issues Scribner's Magazine 1929. It was published in book form in September of that year. As the work became available to the public just over ten years after the November 1918 armistice, Hemingway assumed his audience would recognize many of the references. In fact, certain basic information isn't alluded to in the book at all, as it was common knowledge around the time of publication.
The result of this immediacy? Arguably one of the best novels written about World War I… ever. A Farewell to Arms was Hemingway's first bestseller, affording him financial independence and cementing his stature as a modern American writer. More specifically, the novel and its content helped to established the author as a key member of the “Lost Generation,” a subset of Modernist artists namely defined by their post-war disillusionment. A Farewell to Arms is ranked 74th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century.
First Edition Identification and Notes
Scribner’s first published A Farewell to Arms in New York in September 1929 in a print run of about 31,000 copies. The 355-page first editions have no additional printings listed on the copyright page. Of the initial print run, 510 copies were numbered and signed by Hemmingway. These “Lost Generation” gems have sold for upwards of $20,000.
Other Collectible or Notable Editions
In July 2012, Scribner’s released the Hemingway Library Edition of A Farewell to Arms with a dust jacket facsimile of the first edition. The newly published edition presents an appendix with a number of alternate endings Hemingway wrote for the novel in addition to pieces from early draft manuscripts.
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Available copies

FAREWELL TO ARMS
by ERNEST HEMINGWAY
- Seller
- Mt. Gothic Tomes & Colorado Artifactual
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Near fine
- Edition
- First edition, first printing
- Item Price
-
$47,500.00
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A FAREWELL TO ARMS - INSCRIBED TO MICHAEL MURPHY
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Captain Ahab's Rare Books
- Published
- 1929
- Edition
- First American Edition
- Item Price
-
$35,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$27,500.00
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A FAREWELL TO ARMS
by ERNEST HEMINGWAY
- Seller
- VAGABOND BOOKS
- Published
- 1929
- Edition
- First
- Item Price
-
$24,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- VAGABOND BOOKS
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$24,000.00
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Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$22,500.00
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A FAREWELL TO ARMS
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest
- Seller
- Charles Agvent
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- A beautiful, Fine copy of this desirable book in an attractive new slipcase
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$18,750.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$17,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by HEMINGWAY, ERNEST
- Seller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- First Edition. One of 510 numbered copies signed by Hemingway. Spine and boards a little soiled, else a fine copy in a publisher
- Item Price
-
$15,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms.
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
- Seller
- Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books
- Published
- 1929.
- Condition
- The vellum spine and corners are bright white, and the leather label is in fine condition. The publisher's box has some of
- Edition
- First edition; limited edition; No. 440 of 510 copies signed by
- Item Price
-
$13,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$13,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Bookbid Rare Books
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- Signed limited edition
- Item Price
-
$12,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$12,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$11,000.00
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A Farewell To Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Blue Sky Rare Books
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$10,000.00
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A FAREWELL TO ARMS
by Ernest Hemingway
- Seller
- Rare Book Cellar
- Published
- 1929
- Edition
- First Edition; First Printing
- Item Price
-
$9,750.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- T. A. Borden Books
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$9,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$9,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms.
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
- Seller
- Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books
- Published
- 1929.
- Condition
- Slightest of browning to the quarter vellum; else a nice unworn copy. The slipcase has had some tape removed at the top and bot
- Edition
- First edition; limited edition; No. 429 of 510 copies signed by
- Item Price
-
$9,000.00
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A farewell to arms
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest
- Seller
- Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts
- Published
- 1929
- Edition
- FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE WITHOUT THE LEGAL DISCLAIMER
- Item Price
-
$8,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by HEMINGWAY, ERNEST
- Seller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- First Edition. One of 510 numbered copies signed by Hemingway. Some fading and spotting; very good, without the publisher’s sl
- Item Price
-
$8,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- Signed Limited First Edition
- Item Price
-
$8,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$8,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$7,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- James Cummins Bookseller
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Original black cloth with gilt inlay; stunning pictorial dust jacket designed by Cleonike; near fine in custom blue cloth clamsh
- Edition
- First edition, first issue with publisher's seal on copyright pa
- Item Price
-
$7,000.00
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A Farewell To Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- The First Edition Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Near fine
- Edition
- First Edition, First Printing
- Item Price
-
$6,800.00
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Hemingway Signed Wartime Classic "A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Max Rambod Inc.
- Item Price
-
$6,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest
- Seller
- Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Item Price
-
$6,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$6,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$6,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by HEMINGWAY, ERNEST
- Seller
- James Pepper Rare Books, Inc.
- Published
- 1929
- Item Price
-
$6,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Very Good+
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$5,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms.
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
- Seller
- Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books
- Published
- [1932].
- Condition
- Slightly cocked; light use; in a bright jacket with some chipping to the top edge and a short closed tear at the bottom of the f
- Edition
- First Modern Library edition.
- Item Price
-
$5,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$4,500.00
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A FAREWELL TO ARMS
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Type Punch Matrix
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Very good+ in like jacket
- Edition
- First edition
- Item Price
-
$4,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms.
by Hemingway, Ernest.
- Seller
- John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
- Published
- 1929
- Item Price
-
$4,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest
- Seller
- abookshop
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$4,450.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Ernest Hemingway
- Seller
- By The Book
- Edition
- FIRST EDITION
- Item Price
-
$4,221.00
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A Farewell to Arms.
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
- Seller
- Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books
- Published
- 1929.
- Condition
- Slightly cocked; a touch of shelfwear to the bottom edges; tiny bookseller's ticket at rear; otherwise an unworn copy with t
- Edition
- First edition; first printing, without disclaimer.
- Item Price
-
$3,750.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$3,500.00
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A Farewell To Arms.
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Raptis Rare Books
- Published
- 1929
- Item Price
-
$3,500.00
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A Farewell To Arms
by HEMINGWAY, ERNEST
- Seller
- James Pepper Rare Books, Inc.
- Published
- 1929
- Item Price
-
$3,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by HEMINGWAY, Ernest (1899-1961)
- Seller
- Adrian Harrington Rare Books
- Item Price
-
$3,165.75
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- VAGABOND BOOKS
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$3,000.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$3,000.00
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A FAREWELL TO ARMS
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- TBCL The Book Collector's Library
- Published
- 1929
- Item Price
-
$2,750.00
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![image of A Farewell to Arms [First Printing in First Issue Wrapper]](https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/h/415/539/1250539415.0.m.jpg)
A Farewell to Arms [First Printing in First Issue Wrapper]
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- BiblioStax
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$2,500.00
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A FAREWELL TO ARMS
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Quill & Brush
- Published
- 1929
- Item Price
-
$2,500.00
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A Farewell to Arms
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- Peruse the Stacks
- Published
- 1929
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition 1st Printing
- Item Price
-
$2,250.00
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A Farewell To Arms - first issue book and dust wrapper
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Seller
- John Atkinson Books
- Published
- 1929
- Item Price
-
$2,110.50