# Is "Act of Faith and Other Stories" by Irwin Shaw a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Act of Faith and Other Stories by Irwin Shaw (Random House, 1946) is identified by: Random House first printing carries a stated 'First Printing'/'First Edition' on the copyright page; later printings add a printing-history line. US Random House first; the Jonathan Cape London edition followed in 1947.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first printing carries a stated 'First Printing'/'First Edition' on the copyright page; later printings add a printing-history line
- A collection of WWII-era stories including the title story
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Irwin Shaw |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1946 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first printing carries a stated 'First Printing'/'First Edition' on the copyright page; later printings add a printing-history… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Random House first printing carries a stated 'First Printing'/'First Edition' on the copyright page; later printings add a printing-history line. A collection of WWII-era stories including the title story.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first; the Jonathan Cape London edition followed in 1947.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings state the printing history; the first printing does not.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Act of Faith and Other Stories* by Irwin Shaw a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/act-of-faith-and-other-stories
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.