The points of issue
First edition, two volumes, 12mo, dated 1809, published in New York by Inskeep & Bradford (the imprint also names associated firms including Bradford & Inskeep and other agents). Issued December 1809 in original boards with paper labels. A key physical point is the folding panorama plate of New Amsterdam following the preface in Volume I; a complete genuine first should retain this plate. Collation runs roughly xxiii, 268; 258 pages across the two volumes. The pseudonymous Diedrich Knickerbocker attribution appears on the title pages.
Is this the true first?
US true first, 1809, Irving's first major book, two volumes. The famous Knickerbocker promotional hoax was a series of newspaper notices and advertisements placed before publication to drum up interest in the 'missing' Diedrich Knickerbocker; it was a pre-publication press campaign, not text bound into the book's preliminaries.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Irving substantially revised the text in 1812 and again in 1848; the genuine first is the unrevised 1809 two-volume issue, ideally with the folding New Amsterdam panorama plate present.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A History of New York (Knickerbocker's History) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, two volumes, 12mo, dated 1809, published in New York by Inskeep & Bradford (the imprint also names associated firms including Bradford & Inskeep and other agents). Issued December 1809 in original boards with paper labels. A key physical point is the folding panorama plate of New Amsterdam following the preface in Volume I; a complete genuine first should retain this plate. Collation runs roughly xxiii, 268; 258 pages across the two volumes. The pseudonymous Diedrich Knickerbocker attribution appears on the title pages.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US true first, 1809, Irving's first major book, two volumes. The famous Knickerbocker promotional hoax was a series of newspaper notices and advertisements placed before publication to drum up interest in the 'missing' Diedrich Knickerbocker; it was a pre-publication press campaign, not text bound i
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Irving substantially revised the text in 1812 and again in 1848; the genuine first is the unrevised 1809 two-volume issue, ideally with the folding New Amsterdam panorama plate present.
I have a first edition of A History of New York (Knickerbocker's History) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.