# Is "All Over" by Edward Albee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of All Over by Edward Albee (Atheneum, 1971) is identified by: First US edition, Atheneum, New York, 1971, stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page, bound in black cloth with a dust jacket that should retain its printed front-flap price. The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition, Atheneum, New York, 1971, stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page, bound in black cloth with a dust jacket that should retain its printed front-flap price
- This is the text of the play produced on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre in 1971
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Albee |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition, Atheneum, New York, 1971, stating 'First Edition' on the copyright… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US edition, Atheneum, New York, 1971, stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page, bound in black cloth with a dust jacket that should retain its printed front-flap price. This is the text of the play produced on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre in 1971.

## Is this the true first?
The US Atheneum edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Fireside Theatre / book-club issue exists, distributed with a promotional insert; book-club copies lack the dust-jacket price and the blind embossing on the front board and carry no 'First Edition' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *All Over* by Edward Albee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/all-over
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.