# Is "A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam" by Neil Sheehan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam by Neil Sheehan (Random House, 1988) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a Random House number line whose lowest figure is '2' (the line does not descend to 1). US Random House is the true first, preceding the UK (Jonathan Cape) edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a Random House number line whose lowest figure is '2' (the line does not descend to 1)
- ISBN 0-394-48447-9; thick octavo of about 861 pages; first-issue jacket carries the printed price unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Sheehan |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a Random House number line whose lowest figure is '2' (the line does not descend to 1) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a Random House number line whose lowest figure is '2' (the line does not descend to 1). ISBN 0-394-48447-9; thick octavo of about 861 pages; first-issue jacket carries the printed price unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first, preceding the UK (Jonathan Cape) edition. Won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the 1988 National Book Award for Nonfiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the printed jacket price, may carry a rear-board blindstamp, and omit the stated 'First Edition'. The 'First Edition' line, the Random House line stopping at '2', and the priced jacket identify the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam* by Neil Sheehan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-bright-shining-lie-john-paul-vann-and-america-in-vietnam
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.