# Is "A Civil Action" by Jonathan Harr a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr (Random House, 1995) is identified by: Copyright page states First Edition with the Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2 (the first printing reads down to 2, not 1, per Random House practice of this era). US Random House (New York) hardcover is the true first, published 1995.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states First Edition with the Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2 (the first printing reads down to 2, not 1, per Random House practice of this era)
- First-state dust jacket is the plain beige design used before the jacket was redesigned, with the price intact on the front flap
- National Book Critics Circle Award winner
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Harr |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states First Edition with the Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2 (the first printing reads down to 2, not 1… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Cloth-backed boards. Copyright page states First Edition with the Random House number line whose lowest digit is 2 (the first printing reads down to 2, not 1, per Random House practice of this era). First-state dust jacket is the plain beige design used before the jacket was redesigned, with the price intact on the front flap. National Book Critics Circle Award winner.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House (New York) hardcover is the true first, published 1995.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue lacks the stated First Edition and number line and is unpriced.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Civil Action* by Jonathan Harr a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-civil-action
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.