# Is "A Drink Before the War" by Dennis Lehane a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994) is identified by: US Harcourt Brace first, 1994, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page followed by an ascending letter line reading A B C D E (the present 'A' marking the first printing). The US Harcourt Brace 1994 edition is the true first; UK editions are later first-thus printings.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt Brace first, 1994, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page followed by an ascending letter line reading A B C D E (the present 'A' marking the first printing)
- Quarter black cloth over green paper boards with metallic green spine lettering
- ISBN 0-15-100093-X. Lehane's debut and the first Kenzie and Gennaro novel; won the 1995 Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dennis Lehane |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace & Company |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt Brace first, 1994, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page followed by an ascending letter line reading A B C D E… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt Brace first, 1994, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page followed by an ascending letter line reading A B C D E (the present 'A' marking the first printing). Quarter black cloth over green paper boards with metallic green spine lettering; ISBN 0-15-100093-X. Lehane's debut and the first Kenzie and Gennaro novel; won the 1995 Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt Brace 1994 edition is the true first; UK editions are later first-thus printings.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
On the ascending letter line, a first printing must show the 'A'; later printings begin at a higher letter (B, C, and so on). Book-club editions lack the jacket price and the gutter code.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Drink Before the War* by Dennis Lehane a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-drink-before-the-war
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.