# Is "A Rage to Live" by John O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Rage to Live by John O'Hara (Random House, 1949) is identified by: First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing slug, per the Random House convention of this period. US first; the UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1949.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing slug, per the Random House convention of this period
- Black cloth with a rural scene blind-stamped on the front board and spine, red topstain, in the original dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John O'Hara |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing slug, per the Random House convention of this period |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing stated on the copyright page, with no later-printing slug, per the Random House convention of this period. Black cloth with a rural scene blind-stamped on the front board and spine, red topstain, in the original dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US first; the UK Cresset Press edition followed in 1949.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is physically smaller, lacks the stated first-printing line, often shows a blind-stamp to the rear board, and has a price-clipped or unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Rage to Live* by John O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-rage-to-live
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.